Messages
Messages is your shared SMS inbox — a three-pane layout (conversation list, message thread, customer panel) with real-time updates.
Overview
View conversations, reply in real time, and see each customer's orders and loyalty right beside the thread. New messages bubble to the top via live updates.
Panes in detail
Conversation list (left)
- Search/filter; Starred only toggle; per-conversation: customer, last-message preview, timestamp, unread indicator, flag/star button. Infinite scroll; live updates.
Message thread (center)
- Selected conversation header (phone, status); chronological messages (inbound left/gray, outbound right/blue) with media, timestamps, and delivery status (failed messages show Retry).
- Compose area: multiline input, character count, image attachment (up to 10, auto-compressed), Send.
Customer panel (right)
- Customer info (name, phone, email, type/tier, lifetime value) with View Customer Details.
- Recent orders (number, status, total, date) → open order details.
Status & notifications
- SMS integration status card (with Contact Sales when not configured) and a desktop-notification permission banner.
Step by step: reply to a customer
- Click a conversation in the left list.
- Read the thread; the customer panel loads their context.
- Type in the input and press Send.
Tips & best practices
- Use Refresh to pull the latest without clearing cache; Clear Cache only drops old local data.
- Star urgent conversations so they're easy to find.
- Grant notification permission so new messages alert you in real time.
- Want a preview before SMS is configured? Click the amber Demo button in the header for a guided tour of the inbox with sample conversations.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| No conversations / "SMS Not Configured" | Run the SMS Campaigns → Setup wizard, or upgrade |
| Not auto-refreshing | Grant notification permission, then refresh |
| Old messages missing | Messages over 90 days are purged from local cache; Clear Cache re-fetches |
What's next
- Manage who you text: Growth → Customers
- Send to many at once: Growth → SMS Campaigns
- Request reviews by text: Growth → Reviews