The Second Email Didn't Create a Duplicate. It Made the First One Better.
When a follow-up email adds details about existing work, Campfire enriches the original card instead of creating a duplicate. Your board stays clean. Your context stays connected.
A client sent an email: "Let's meet to discuss reconciling the project data between Atlas and Summit."
I forwarded it to Project Campfire. A card appeared: "Discuss reconciling project data between Atlas and Summit."
Two hours later, another email arrived with more specifics: "Meet with Sarah today to reconcile the Atlas Project List report with Summit."
I forwarded that one too. And here's what didn't happen: Campfire didn't create a duplicate card.
Instead, it recognized the connection. Same systems (Atlas, Summit). Same action (reconcile). Same work. The original card updated with the new details—Sarah's name, the specific report, today's timeline.
"The second email didn't spam the board. It enriched the first card."
The Old Problem: Manual Entry, Human Error
In traditional project tools, someone has to manually create every card. That's where duplicates come from:
- Can't find it: The card exists, but it's buried under a filter or sort order nobody remembers setting.
- Didn't check: Someone's in a hurry. They add "Reconcile Atlas data" without scrolling to see it's already there.
- Different words: One person writes "sync the systems," another writes "reconcile the data." Same work, two cards.
The result? Boards cluttered with variations of the same thing. Work tracked in multiple places. Context scattered.
Our Approach: No Manual Entry, No Human Error
Project Campfire works differently. You forward emails, and cards appear automatically. No one has to remember to check the board first. No one has to type anything.
But that creates a new challenge: what happens when multiple emails reference the same work?
We solved it with semantic matching.
How Semantic Matching Works
Campfire checks four dimensions before creating a new card:
- People overlap — Same owner, requestor, or participants?
- Entity overlap — Same systems, projects, or topics? (Atlas, Summit, the report)
- Action overlap — Same verb? (meet, reconcile, discuss, review)
- Time overlap — Same deadline or timeframe?
If three or more dimensions match, it's the same work. No new card.
The matching is semantic, not textual. "Reconcile Atlas data" and "sync the Atlas report" are recognized as the same intent—even though the words are different.
The Real Innovation: Enrichment
But here's where it gets interesting. What if the second email adds useful information?
Old approach: Detect duplicate, ignore the email.
Our approach: Detect duplicate, extract the new details, update the existing card.
When that follow-up email mentioned "Sarah" and "Project List report" and "today," those weren't ignored. They were merged into the original card:
- Owner updated: Sarah
- Detail appended: "Specific scope: Atlas Project List report"
- Timeline clarified: Today
The card got better. The context stayed connected. Nothing was lost.
What Triggers an Enrichment
Campfire adds an enrichment when a new message:
- Adds specificity — General task becomes concrete
- Updates the timeline — "Next week" becomes "Tuesday at 2pm"
- Adds participants — New people join the work
- Clarifies scope — Vague becomes specific
The enrichment includes the source quote, so you can always trace where the update came from.
Real Examples
Example 1: The Clarifying Follow-Up
Original email:
"We need to discuss reconciling the project data between Atlas and Summit."
Follow-up email (2 hours later):
"Meet with Sarah today to reconcile the Atlas Project List report with Summit."
Result: One card with Sarah assigned, specific report noted, timeline set to today.
Example 2: The Vendor Thread
Original email:
"Can you get a quote from the printing vendor for the annual report?"
Follow-up email (next day):
"Rivera Printing confirmed they can do 500 copies. Need final count by March 15."
Result: Original card enriched with vendor name, quantity, and deadline—not a second card about "the printing quote."
One card per piece of work. All context in one place.
Why This Matters
Clean Boards Without the Busywork
You don't have to check the board before forwarding an email. You don't have to search for existing cards. You don't have to manually merge duplicates. Campfire handles all of it.
Context That Compounds
When details accumulate on a single card instead of scattering across duplicates, you build a record. The card becomes the canonical source of truth for that work item. Who's involved? What changed? When did the deadline shift? It's all there.
Communication IS Documentation
You're already sending follow-up emails. You're already clarifying details and confirming participants. Now that communication automatically enriches your project tracking. No extra work. No manual updates.
See It In Action
Forward your next vendor email to Project Campfire. When the follow-up arrives with specifics—the contact name, the deadline, the revised scope—forward that too.
Then check your board.
One card. Richer than before. No cleanup required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I actually want two separate cards?
If the work is genuinely different, Campfire creates separate cards. "Meet with Sarah about Atlas" and "Meet with Tom about Summit" are different—different people, different systems. The semantic matching requires three overlapping dimensions before combining.
Can I see what was enriched?
Yes. Every enrichment includes the source quote and a note explaining what was added. Full traceability back to the original message.
What if the enrichment is wrong?
Edit any card directly. Remove incorrect enrichments or split into separate cards. You stay in control.