Conversations, replies, and handoffs

This guide covers the day-to-day work inside a conversation: replying, writing internal notes, using saved replies and AI help, and handing work to a teammate without anything falling through the cracks. It's for anyone who answers customers in Inbox.

Before you begin

• Edit access to reply, add notes, and change status or assignee.
• A connected sender for the channel: an email account, a phone number that can text, or a connected WhatsApp account. See Inbox channels.
• Know your team's rules for statuses, labels, and when to assign.

Where to find it

Open Inbox and select a conversation. On a computer it opens on the right; on a phone it opens full screen. The reply box is at the bottom.

Read before you reply

1. Scroll up to read enough history to understand the request. Older messages load as you scroll, or select Load more.
2. Check the contact details on the side, or select View Lead Details to open the CRM record.
3. To find something specific, open Find in conversation. Under Search conversation history, type at least two characters. It searches every stored message in this conversation, including older ones.
4. If you see Unmatched sender, select Review sender and link them to the right lead first. See Unmatched senders and Outbox.

Reply to a customer

1. Check the channel tab at the top of the reply box, such as Email.
2. For email, check From, To, and Subject. For SMS, check Number this message sends from.
3. Write your reply, or use a saved reply or AI draft (see below).
4. Double-check names, dates, prices, links, and any promises.
5. To add files, select Attach files or drag them onto the reply box.
6. Select Send once, and wait for the message to show Sent or Delivered.

If the message shows Failed, read the reason before trying again. See Avoid duplicate replies.

WhatsApp outside 24 hours

WhatsApp only allows free-form replies within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, Inbox switches to template mode. Choose an approved Template, fill in its fields, and select Send Template. Once the customer replies, select Back to free text.

Write an internal note

Internal notes are only visible to your team, not to the customer.

1. Switch the reply box to Internal note (or select Add internal note).
2. Type in Write an internal note.... To tag someone, use Mention a teammate.
3. Select Add Note.

A good note says what happened, what you decided and why, who's doing what next, and by when. Keep sensitive details out unless your team needs them.

Use saved replies

Saved replies are reusable answers to common questions.

1. In the reply box, open Saved replies.
2. Search with Search saved replies, pick one, and select Insert reply.
3. Edit it to fit this customer before sending.

To create one, select New, then fill in Title, Reply text, and an optional Shortcut (optional). Tick Share with the team to let teammates use and edit it. Only the owner can delete a shared reply or change its sharing.

Get help from AI

Where AI features are on for your workspace:

• Draft a reply with AI writes a suggested reply. Review it, then select Use draft or Dismiss.
• Summarize creates a Conversation summary at the top. Select Regenerate to refresh it. Summaries can use credits.
• Ask Copilot opens a panel where you can ask about the contact or conversation. Answers stick to what's in the thread and show their Sources.

AI can miss a "not", mix up who said what, or suggest something nobody agreed to. Always check against the actual messages.

When AI Copilot is replying

If AI Copilot is set up to answer this channel, you'll see AI Copilot is handling this conversation and Replies send automatically. To answer yourself, select Take over. The banner changes to AI paused — you're handling this. Select Resume AI to hand it back.

Organize the conversation

At the top of the conversation you can set:

• Status: Open, Snoozed, Archived, or Closed.
• Assignee: choose Assign to… and a teammate, or Unassigned.
• Priority: Low, Normal, High, or Urgent.
• Snooze: Later today, Tomorrow, or Next week. Select Unsnooze to bring it back early.
• Labels: select Add label, type labels separated by commas (for example "VIP, Billing"), and select Save.
• Star: to mark it for quick access in the Starred queue.

Under Conversation actions, you can also:

• Rename – give the conversation a clear topic, such as "Renewal planning".
• New conversation – start a separate topic with this customer.
• Split messages – move selected messages into a new conversation.
• Merge conversation – combine another conversation with this customer into this one.

Calls in a conversation

Call entries show a Call summary, with Intent and Sentiment where available. Select View call details to see who called whom, and play the Call recording if one exists.

If the caller needs a person, select Create callback task under Need a human follow-up? Follow your team's rules on recording consent and don't share recordings outside the team.

Hand off to a teammate

1. Set the Assignee to the teammate who'll take over.
2. Add an internal note: the customer's request, what you've done, what's blocking, and the deadline.
3. If work happens outside Inbox, create a task with an owner and due date.
4. Link the right CRM record or deal.
5. Tell the customer what happens next, without promising an outcome you can't guarantee.

Example note: "Customer wants to move their booking from Tue to Thu. I checked Thu 3pm is free but couldn't confirm because the system needs a manager override. @Priya please confirm by 5pm today and reply here."

Your unsent reply is saved

If you leave a conversation mid-reply, your text is kept in that browser tab for up to 12 hours. You'll see Reply text saved in this tab. Files, recipients, notes, and template fields aren't saved. Select Discard reply text to clear it.

Avoid duplicate replies

• Watch for "is replying — coordinate before sending." It means a teammate is typing in the same conversation.
• Refresh the conversation and read the latest note before replying.
• If a send looks uncertain, check the message status and the Outbox before sending again. Status unknown means delivery couldn't be confirmed, so check with the provider first.

If something goes wrong

For more help, see communications troubleshooting.

FAQ

Can the customer see internal notes?

No. Notes are only visible to your team.

Does assigning a conversation create a task?

No. Assignment shows who owns the conversation. Create a task when follow-up happens outside Inbox or needs a due date.

Can I undo a merge or split?

Don't count on it. Check which messages and conversations you've selected before you confirm.

Next step

Match unknown senders and check sent messages: Unmatched senders and Outbox.