Short answer: Shipbroker inbox automation should turn selected broker email folders into structured cargo and vessel records without hiding source context, duplicates, failed parses or low-confidence cases. The point is not generic mailbox automation. The point is to help the desk find cargo and vessel matches by route, laycan, DWT, ports and confidence score before the market moves.
LaycanMatch does that through controlled Gmail or IMAP import, visible processing statuses, dedupe, source email review and ranked matching. The broker still decides which cargo or vessel deserves a call, but the repeated inbox scanning work is reduced.
Shipbroker inbox automation should not mean losing control of the mailbox. A good workflow starts with selected folders and date ranges, then classifies emails, removes duplicates, extracts useful cargo and vessel offers, and keeps the source email available for review.
- Connect authorized mailbox
- Select folders and import period
- Classify emails as relevant, irrelevant, duplicate, failed or low confidence
- Extract cargo and vessel fields
- Store structured offers in a searchable database
- Match offers against saved positions
- Send alerts only when a new offer fits
| Workflow step | Manual inbox | LaycanMatch |
|---|---|---|
| Read broker emails | Broker scans subject lines, folders and forwarded threads manually | Selected folders are imported and classified after authorization |
| Find cargo offers | Search, memory and repeated forwarding | Structured cargo database with filters and source email links |
| Find vessel offers | Manual checking across inboxes and archives | Searchable vessel records with dedupe and statuses |
| Compare laycan and route | Manual calendar and route review | Laycan overlap, zones, ports and DWT are surfaced together |
| Check source context | Reopen old threads and hope the right email appears | Each record keeps the source email visible for review |
Example
Email to structured workflow with source review preserved.
A practical inbox automation page should show the kind of broker circular that gets turned into structured working data.
Example broker email
"MV Atlantic Dawn open Constanta 25/30 July about 58k dwt. Pref Med / Egypt cargo. Owners keen on grain, coal, ferts. Please advise prompt ideas."
Structured by LaycanMatch
Vessel: MV Atlantic Dawn · Open port: Constanta · Laycan: 25–30 July · DWT: 58,000 · Direction: Mediterranean / Egypt · Preferred cargo: grain, coal, fertilizer · Source email preserved · Confidence visible for review.
What LaycanMatch does not do: it does not send broker replies automatically, negotiate freight, choose counterparties or guarantee that a ranked result will fixture. Inbox automation is useful only if the broker still sees the source email, challenges weak extraction and makes the final commercial decision.
The broker problem
Inbox automation becomes necessary when too many useful offers are trapped inside broker emails and folder structures. A desk needs to know what is relevant, what is duplicate, what failed and what still needs review.
What changes with structured email processing
A controlled import turns selected folders and date ranges into structured cargo and vessel records. Instead of relying on manual memory, the desk works with statuses, searchable fields and linked source email context.
Example workflow
A broker connects one Gmail account, selects Inbox and an archive folder, and imports the last 30 days. LaycanMatch classifies messages as relevant, irrelevant, duplicate, failed or low confidence, then extracts cargo and vessel fields from the relevant ones and links them back to the source email.
What LaycanMatch does
LaycanMatch handles authorized mailbox connection, folder and date selection, status tracking, dedupe, extraction, search, matching and export. It helps the desk create a live offer database instead of another manual backlog.
What still stays under broker control
The broker controls mailbox scope, decides whether to widen historical import, reviews low-confidence records and chooses what to export or contact on.