Use the shared Inbox
The Inbox shows every customer conversation in one list: texts, calls, voicemails, WhatsApp, email and Web Chat. Every member of your workspace sees the same conversations and can reply.
Find your way around
The Inbox has three columns:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Conversation list | One row for each conversation, newest activity first. The badge on the avatar shows the channel. The small avatar at the foot of a row shows who the conversation is assigned to. |
| Thread | The messages, calls and internal notes of the open conversation, with the composer at the bottom. |
| Contact panel | The contact's details, Call and Open contact. Use Show contact details or Hide contact details in the thread header to show or hide it. |
The sub-menu on the left holds your views, such as My Inbox, Mentions and one view for each channel. See Organise the Inbox with views.
Open and read a conversation
- Open Inbox.
- Select a conversation in the list.
An unread conversation has a dark dot and a heavier name. Line marks a conversation as read when you open it.
To mark it as unread again:
- Select the actions menu (three dots) in the thread header.
- Select Mark as unread.
Search
Type in Search people, numbers, messages above the list. The search looks in open and closed conversations. A closed result has a Closed tag.
Reply
- Open the conversation.
- Make sure the Reply tab is selected in the composer.
- Type your message.
- Select Send, or press Command + Enter.
The reply goes on the same channel as the conversation. The composer shows the channel and the number next to Send, for example "via SMS".
The composer also has buttons to attach a file, insert a template, add an emoji and record a voice note. Some buttons show only on channels that support them. SMS cannot carry files.
When you reply to a conversation that nobody holds, Line assigns it to you.
Conversation states
The list has five tabs: Open, Waiting, Snoozed, Closed and Spam. Each conversation is in one state. The list shows only the conversations in the selected tab.
| Tab | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Open | Conversations that need work |
| Waiting | Conversations in which your team replied and waits for the customer |
| Snoozed | Conversations that you put away until a time that you choose |
| Closed | Finished conversations |
| Spam | Conversations that you marked as spam |
When the customer sends a new message, Line moves a waiting, snoozed or closed conversation back to Open. A conversation in Spam stays in Spam.
Change the state of a conversation
To close a conversation, select Close in the thread header. To reopen a closed conversation, select Reopen. To snooze it, select Snooze (the alarm clock) in the thread header.
For the other actions:
- Open the conversation.
- Select Conversation actions (three dots) in the thread header.
- Select an action.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Close conversation | Moves the conversation to Closed. |
| Reopen conversation | Moves a closed conversation to Open. |
| Snooze… | Opens Snooze until. Select In 3 hours, Tomorrow, 9:00 or Next Monday, 9:00. Or set a date and time, then select Snooze. The time must be in the future and no more than one year away. At that time, Line moves the conversation back to Open. |
| Mark as waiting | Moves the conversation to Waiting. |
| Mark as open | Shows on a waiting or snoozed conversation. Moves it to Open. |
| Merge… | Email only. Opens Merge with. It lists the other email conversations of the same contact. Select one, then select Merge. The older conversation stays and keeps its subject. The messages, notes, files and drafts of the newer one move into it. You cannot undo a merge. |
| Mark as spam | Moves the conversation to Spam. Select Not spam to move it back to Open. |
After you change the state, a toast shows Undo. A merge has no Undo.
The Send menu in the composer also has Send and close and Send and snooze….
An Owner or Admin can turn on Set Waiting when a reply is sent in Settings > General. Then a reply from the Inbox moves an open conversation to Waiting. It is off by default.
Delivery status
For SMS and WhatsApp, the line under your last message shows a tick:
| Icon | Status |
|---|---|
| Clock | Sending |
| One grey tick | Sent |
| Two grey ticks | Delivered |
| Two olive ticks | Read (WhatsApp only) |
| Warning and Not delivered | Failed |
Point to Not delivered to see the reason. Select Retry to send the same text again as a new message.
Email and Web Chat show only Sent or Not delivered.
Common problems
A message is not delivered. See A text message was not delivered or WhatsApp messages do not arrive.
A conversation that you closed comes back. The customer sent a new message. Line moves a waiting, snoozed or closed conversation back to Open when the customer writes again.