Inbox overview

The Inbox is where your team reads customer messages, replies by text or email, reviews call history, and keeps each conversation connected to the right customer.

Use this section when a customer asks a question, sends a photo, replies to an email, calls your facility, or needs a follow-up from your team.

When your Inbox is used well, staff do not have to search through separate phones, email accounts, and notes to understand what happened.

What you will accomplish

Understand what Inbox is for and when to use it.
Know how the conversation list and timeline work together.
Pick the right guide for texting, emailing, calling, or setup.
Follow good habits that reduce missed messages and duplicate replies.

Inbox page showing a conversation list on the left and a customer conversation with text, email, and call history on the right — The Inbox keeps customer texts, emails, and calls together so your team can answer with the full history in view.

What you can do from Inbox

Start a new conversation with an existing customer or a new phone number.
Reply by Text when the message should be short and fast.
Reply by Email when the answer needs a subject line, more detail, or a formal record.
Use Call or Quick call when the customer needs a live conversation.
Review the timeline filters Texts, Emails, and Calls when you want to focus on one type of activity.
Use Suggest with AI to draft a possible reply when you want a starting point.
Mark a conversation unread when someone still needs to follow up.

Start with the right guide

If Inbox is not set up yet
Start with Configure communication settings for Inbox. Text, email, and call buttons depend on this setup.
If you need to begin a customer thread
Use Start a new Inbox conversation.
If a customer already messaged you
Use Respond to a conversation to review the timeline, choose the best channel, and reply carefully.
If you are sending a short update
Use Send a text message from Inbox.
If you are sending a longer or more formal message
Use Send an email from Inbox.
If you need call history, recordings, or transcripts
Use Review calls and transcripts.
If you want help drafting a reply
Use Use AI-suggested replies in Inbox.

How the Inbox is organized

The Inbox has two main areas.

The conversation list is on the left. It shows each customer or phone number, the most recent activity, and channel labels such as Text, Email, or Call.
The conversation timeline is on the right. It shows the selected customer's messages and calls in time order.
The reply area is at the bottom of the conversation. This is where you choose Text or Email and write your reply.
The Call button is near the top of the selected conversation when the customer has a usable phone number.
The Search field and + button are above the conversation list. Use Search to find a thread. Use + to start a new conversation.

Inbox showing Alex Morgan selected with text messages, an email, and call activity in the timeline — Select a customer on the left to read the full timeline on the right before you reply.

Choose the right channel

Text is best for short, time-sensitive updates such as pickup times, quick confirmations, and simple questions.

Email is best when you need a subject line, several details, or a message the customer may want to find later.

Call is best when the topic is easier to explain live than by text or email.

What unread counts mean

Unread conversations are conversations your team may still need to review.

You may see a small unread dot or a number next to a channel, such as text or email. Open the conversation and read the latest message before replying or marking it handled.

Settings that must be ready

Inbox behavior depends on your communication settings.

Text messages need phone and SMS setup.
Emails need email sending setup.
Calling needs phone setup.
Staff notifications depend on your team's notification preferences.

If a button is unavailable or a message does not send, ask an admin to review Configure communication settings for Inbox and Settings > Communications.

Helpful habits for your team

Read the latest messages before you reply.
Confirm the customer name and phone or email at the top of the conversation.
Coordinate with teammates so two people do not send conflicting answers.
Open the related car, invoice, or appointment record when the customer asks about specific work.

What to do next

If your Inbox is not set up yet, start with Configure communication settings for Inbox.

If the Inbox is ready and you need to contact a customer, continue with Start a new Inbox conversation.