Inbox & Messaging
- How the Inbox brings every channel's conversations into one list
- The key features available on the Inbox page
- How conversations are organized, filtered, and managed
The Inbox is where all customer conversations come together in one place. No matter which messaging channel a customer uses to reach your business -- WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Twitch, Discord, IRC, or your website widget -- every conversation appears in the Inbox, ready for your team to view and respond.
You can access the Inbox by clicking Inbox in the sidebar.
How the Inbox is organized
The Inbox uses the same standardized list-and-detail interface used throughout the application. If you are already familiar with other list views in the platform (such as Contacts), the Inbox will feel familiar.
At the top of the page, you will find a toolbar with the following controls:
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Actions menu | Opens Mass update and Mass delete, which apply to all conversations matching your current filter conditions |
| Filter button | Opens advanced filters; a badge on the button shows how many filters are currently active |
+ button | Opens the dialog to start a new conversation with a contact (tooltip: Create conversation) |
Below the toolbar, the paginated conversation list displays all conversations matching your current filters. A page indicator above the list shows the current page and the total number of pages -- for example Page 2 / 5 -- updating as conversations are added or filtered.
When no conversations exist yet, the list displays the empty-state message: No items yet.
Key features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Conversation list | A paginated, filterable list of all customer conversations across every connected channel |
| New conversation | Start a new conversation by selecting an existing contact or creating a new one on the spot |
| Mass update / Mass delete | From the Actions menu, apply changes to all conversations matching your current filter conditions |
| Advanced filters | Use AND/OR logic, filter groups, and sorting rules to find exactly the conversations you need |
| Send messages | Reply with text, images, documents, audio, and video directly from the chat interface |
| Message templates | Use pre-written template messages for fast, consistent replies |
| Reply threading | Reply to specific messages within a conversation to keep context clear |
| Media gallery | View all media files exchanged in a conversation |
| Bot toggle | Enable or disable the AI bot on a per-conversation basis for human-to-bot handoff |
The filter badge on the Filter button shows you at a glance how many filters are active. If you notice unexpected results in your conversation list, check the badge -- you may have leftover filters from a previous search.
Conversation List
The conversation list is the main view of the Inbox. It displays all your customer conversations in a paginated list. You will see it as soon as you click Inbox in the sidebar.
The top toolbar
The toolbar at the top of the conversation list provides quick access to the most common actions:
- Actions menu -- Opens Mass update and Mass delete. Both operate on every conversation matching your current filter conditions rather than on a manual selection.
- Filter button -- Opens the advanced filtering panel. A small badge on this button displays the number of currently active filters, so you always know when filters are applied.
+button -- Opens the New conversation dialog to start a new conversation with a contact.
Pagination
The conversation list is paginated to keep performance fast, even when you have thousands of conversations. The current page indicator appears above the list in the format:
Page 2 / 5
This shows the current page number and total number of pages. As conversations are created or filtered, the page count updates accordingly. You can navigate between pages using the pagination controls.
What you see for each conversation
Each row in the conversation list represents a single conversation and shows:
- Contact name and identifying information
- Channel indicator -- which messaging platform the conversation is on (WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, etc.)
- Last message preview -- a snippet of the most recent message exchanged
- Timestamp -- when the last activity occurred
- Status indicators -- including unread message badges and bot status
Click on any conversation row to open it and view the full message history.
Empty state
If there are no conversations to display -- either because none have been created yet, or because your current filters exclude all results -- the list shows:
No items yet
If you see this message unexpectedly, check your active filters by looking at the badge on the Filter button. Clearing filters may reveal conversations that were hidden.
Mass update and mass delete
The Actions menu lets you act on many conversations at once. Both operations are condition-based: instead of selecting individual rows, they apply to every conversation matching the conditions you set.
- Open the Actions menu in the top toolbar.
- Choose Mass update or Mass delete.
- Set the conditions that select which conversations to act on (the same condition builder used by the filter modal).
- For Mass update, choose the fields and values to apply; then confirm.
This saves significant time when you need to manage a large number of conversations at once.
When you return to the conversation list after being away, check the filter badge first. Active filters carry over between sessions, and you may be seeing a filtered subset of your conversations without realizing it.
Sending Messages
Sending messages in the Inbox works much like any modern messaging application. You can start entirely new conversations or reply within existing ones.
Starting a new conversation
To begin a conversation with a contact, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Inbox page.
- Click the
+button in the top toolbar (tooltip: Create conversation). - The New conversation dialog opens with the following elements:
- Contact selector -- displays the prompt Select contact to start. Search for and select an existing contact. If the contact does not yet exist, type their name or phone number and choose the Add <value> option in the picker to create the contact record without leaving the dialog.
- Cancel button -- closes the dialog without creating a conversation.
- Start conversation button -- creates the conversation and opens the chat interface.
- After selecting (or creating) a contact, click Start conversation.
You are taken directly into the new conversation's chat interface, where you can begin typing messages.
Composing a message in an existing conversation
- Click on any conversation in the conversation list to open it.
- The chat interface displays the full message history with the contact.
- Type your message in the text input field at the bottom of the conversation panel.
- Press Enter or click the Send button to deliver your message.
Sending media and files
In addition to plain text, you can send media by clicking the + menu in the message input area:
- Images -- Photos and screenshots (JPG, PNG, GIF)
- Videos -- Video clips (MP4 and other supported formats)
- Audio -- Voice recordings or audio files; you can also record a voice message directly using the microphone icon
- Documents -- PDFs, spreadsheets, Word documents, and other file types
Channel-specific considerations
Different messaging channels have different capabilities and limitations:
| Channel | Text | Images | Videos | Audio | Documents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 24-hour messaging window applies; templates required after window expires | |
| Yes | Yes | Limited | Limited | No | Subject to Instagram API restrictions | |
| Telegram | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Supports formatted text (bold, italic, etc.) |
| Web Widget | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Capabilities depend on widget configuration |
When starting a new conversation, you can add a brand-new contact without navigating away: type their name or phone number in the contact selector and choose the Add <value> option. This is especially handy when a new lead contacts you and is not yet in your contact database.
Reply Threading
Reply threading allows you to respond to a specific message within a conversation, rather than adding a new message at the bottom. This makes it clear which message you are referencing -- especially valuable in long or complex conversations where multiple topics may be discussed at the same time.
How to reply to a specific message
- Open a conversation from the Inbox.
- Right-click (or long-press on touch devices) the specific message you want to reply to.
- Choose Reply from the context menu.
- The original message appears as a quoted reference above your text input field, so both you and the contact can see the context.
- Type your response and press Enter or click Send.
Reply is available only on WhatsApp (Official API and WhatsApp Web) and Telegram conversations. On Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and the Web Widget, the Reply option is disabled.
The reply appears in the conversation timeline with a visual link back to the original message. The contact sees the quoted message along with your response, providing full context.
Channel support for threading
Threading behavior varies depending on the messaging channel the conversation is on:
| Channel | Threading support | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Full support | Quoted replies are delivered natively; the contact sees the original message quoted above your response | |
| Telegram | Full support | Uses Telegram's native reply-to-message feature |
| Not available | The Reply option is disabled for Instagram conversations | |
| Facebook Messenger | Not available | The Reply option is disabled for Messenger conversations |
| Web Widget | Not available | The Reply option is disabled for Web Widget conversations |
When to use threading
- Answering a specific question -- When the contact asked multiple questions and you want to address each one individually.
- Referencing a past message -- When you need to revisit something the contact said earlier in the conversation.
- Clarifying context -- When the conversation has been lengthy and a plain reply might be ambiguous without the quoted reference.
Threading is most useful in busy conversations. If you are handling a straightforward, linear exchange, a regular reply is sufficient. Reserve threading for cases where quoting the original message adds genuine clarity.
Media Gallery
The Media Gallery provides a consolidated view of every image, video, audio file, and document exchanged in a conversation. Instead of scrolling through potentially hundreds of messages to find a specific photo or document, you can open the media gallery and locate it in seconds.
Supported media types
| Media type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Images | Photos, screenshots, graphics (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP) |
| Videos | Video clips and recordings (MP4, etc.) |
| Audio | Voice messages, audio recordings, music files |
| Documents | PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other file types |
Opening the media gallery
- Open a conversation from the Inbox.
- Click the photo icon in the conversation header (tooltip: Media).
The gallery replaces the message view with a visual grid of all shared media, organized by type. Images and videos appear as thumbnails, while documents and audio files are shown with their file names and types. Click the photo icon again to return to the conversation.
Viewing and downloading media
- Click on any media item to view it at full size (for images and videos) or to play it (for audio).
- Right-click (or long-press) a media item and choose Download to save it to your local device.
- Scroll through the gallery to review all media exchanged over the lifetime of the conversation.
The media gallery is especially valuable in long-running conversations. Instead of asking the contact to re-send a file you cannot find, open the gallery and locate it directly.
Bot Toggle
The Bot Toggle gives you direct control over whether the AI agent responds automatically in a specific conversation. When the bot is enabled, it handles incoming messages on its own. When you disable the bot, only human team members can respond. This toggle is the key mechanism for handoff between the AI agent and your team.
Toggling the bot on or off
- Open a conversation from the Inbox.
- Open the settings (gear) menu in the conversation header and find the bot toggle.
- Click the toggle to switch the bot on (AI responds automatically) or off (only humans respond).
The change takes effect immediately. Turning the bot off applies a time-based cooldown: the bot pauses for that conversation for 60 minutes, then automatically resumes unless you turn it off again. If you turn it back on manually, the cooldown is cleared right away.
When to disable the bot
There are several common scenarios where turning off the bot makes sense:
- Complex or sensitive issues -- The contact has a problem that requires human judgment, empathy, or decision-making that the AI cannot handle adequately.
- Active human conversation -- You are already engaged in a back-and-forth with the contact and do not want the bot to interject with automated responses while you are typing.
- Escalation requests -- The contact has explicitly asked to speak with a human.
- Special negotiations -- Pricing discussions, contract terms, or complaint resolution that require a personal touch.
When to re-enable the bot
After resolving the issue that required human attention, you can toggle the bot back on. This is useful when:
- The conversation returns to routine inquiries that the bot handles well (FAQs, scheduling, status checks).
- The contact's question has been resolved and you want the bot to handle any future follow-ups.
- Your shift is ending and you want the bot to maintain responsiveness outside business hours.
Company-level bot setting
In addition to the per-conversation toggle, there is a company-wide setting called Disable service bot, found in your company settings. When this setting is activated:
- The AI bot is disabled across all conversations for the entire company.
- Individual conversation toggles are overridden -- the bot will not respond anywhere.
- This is useful during system maintenance, training periods, or when your team prefers fully manual handling.
To re-enable the bot company-wide, return to the company settings and deactivate this option.
When you take over a conversation from the bot, always disable the bot toggle first. This prevents the AI from sending automated responses at the same time you are composing a reply, which can confuse the contact.