The shared inbox
Every WhatsApp conversation your business has lands here, and everyone on the team sees the same list.
Who can do this
- Agent
- Admin
- Owner
Layout
On a wide screen the inbox is three columns:
- Conversation list: search, tabs, and the conversations themselves.
- Chat: the thread and the composer.
- Details: status, assignment, message window, tags and notes.
On a phone you see one at a time. The back arrow returns to the list, and the ⓘ button in the chat header slides the details panel in.
Tabs
Above the list:
| Tab | Shows |
|---|---|
| All | Every conversation |
| Unread | Conversations with unread messages. This tab only appears while something is unread. |
| Unassigned | Nobody has taken it |
| Mine | Assigned to you |
| Pending | Status set to pending |
| Closed | Status set to closed |
If the column is too narrow for every tab, the extras fold into a More dropdown. The tab you are on always stays visible.
Search
The Search chats... box searches conversations. Results update as you type. The × clears it.
Filters
Tag filter. The tag icon next to the search box. Pick one or more tags; a count appears on the button. With more than one tag you also get Any and All:
- Any: conversations whose contact has at least one of the selected tags.
- All: conversations whose contact has every selected tag.
Clear tags at the bottom of the menu resets it. The button is greyed out until your workspace has at least one tag.
Number filter. Only appears when two or more WhatsApp numbers are enabled. A dropdown above the list lets you narrow to one number or show All numbers.
Filters and the open conversation are kept in the page URL, so you can bookmark or share a filtered view.
Reading and unread
Opening a conversation marks it read. To deliberately leave something for later, mark it unread from the conversation row.
A conversation you have open stays put even when it falls out of the current filter. That is on purpose: without it, the Unread tab would pull the thread out from under you mid-read and quietly mark the next one read.
When a new message arrives while you are scrolled up, a New message button appears at the bottom of the thread.
Start a new conversation
The + button at the top of the list.
-
Select +.
-
Pick an existing contact, or enter a phone number with its country code (for example
919876543210). -
Because the customer has not messaged you, you must choose an approved template. Fill in any variables.
-
Send. The conversation opens in the chat column.
If you have no approved templates yet, create one first: message templates.
Empty states
| You see | Means |
|---|---|
| No chats found | Nothing matches the current tab, search or filters |
| No conversation selected | Pick one from the list, or start a new one |
| Connection error with Retry | The list could not load. Select Retry. |
| No messages yet. Send a template to start the conversation. | The contact exists but has never exchanged messages |
Related
- Replying to customers
- The composer, attachments, quotes and interactive messages.
- Assignment, status and notes
- Sharing work without stepping on each other.
- The 24-hour service window
- Why the composer is sometimes disabled.