The Inbox: texts, website chat, Messenger and Instagram

Every customer text, website chat, Messenger and Instagram DM in one list. Reply, assign, add team notes, request payment or ask for a review.

Where it is

CRM → Inbox

Settings for this

Integrations → Inbox, SMS & phone — SMS number, phone system, auto-create contacts, AI receptionist, follow-up tasks (the Rules link in the Inbox).
Integrations → Facebook & Instagram — Bring Messenger and Instagram DMs in.
Settings → Website chat — The chat bubble on your website and its AI receptionist.
Integrations → Stripe — Card payments on invoices: needed for Request payment.
Marketing → Reviews — Your public review link: needed for Ask for review.

The Inbox (CRM → Inbox) is where customers' SMS, Web chat, Messenger and Instagram conversations land. Email isn't here: emails with a customer show on their contact page through Gmail.

Reply to a conversation

Filter the list: All, Unread, Mine, Messenger, Instagram, SMS or Web chat.
Open a conversation. New messages arrive live.
Type in Reply and press Enter (Shift+Enter for a new line), then Send.
Switch to Internal note for something only the team sees. Type @ to mention someone; they get a notification that opens the conversation.

In the conversation header

View contact → opens their record. If they aren't matched yet, Link to existing contact lets you search by name, email or phone.
Assign (the drop-down) gives it to a team member; it then shows under Mine for them.
Continue via SMS (web chat): opens or starts their SMS thread, for when they've left your website.
📞 Call (SMS): rings your extension, then dials them. Needs the phone system (Inbox settings).
$ Request payment (SMS and web chat): pick one of their unpaid invoices and send a secure pay link.
★ Ask for review: texts or emails them your review invite.
Close when it's done; Reopen brings it back.

Messages the AI receptionist sent are marked AI assistant. It stops replying in a thread as soon as a person replies there.

Text someone first

Open their contact and press Text in the action bar. It sends from your business number and their replies come back here. See Everything on a contact's page.

Team chat is separate

Chatting with your own team is the Team Chat bubble in the top bar, not the Inbox.

Who can use it

The Inbox needs View contacts & companies, and Messaging must be in your plan. Without it you see an upgrade page; check Settings → Billing & plan.

If something's not right

No Messenger or Instagram conversations: connect them at Integrations → Facebook & Instagram. See Facebook & Instagram messages.
A Messenger or Instagram reply won't send: Meta only lets businesses reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message.
Request payment says card payments are off: connect Stripe and switch on Invoices at Integrations → Stripe.
Ask for review says to add your review link: add it in Marketing → Reviews. Review invites only go to customers who've agreed to marketing messages (consent).
"This contact has no mobile number on file" (Continue via SMS): add a mobile to the contact.