Shared inbox ownership, queues, and SLA

Open Inbox to reply, assign work and follow response deadlines.

Handle a conversation

1. Choose All, My tasks or Unread. Open Filters for channel, status, assignee, AI tasks or SLA breached. Collapsing Filters keeps them applied.
2. Open a conversation and read its task, owner and handoff summary. On small screens, use Contact details and task.
3. Reply in the composer. Use + → Snippets, attachments or templates; edit inserted text before sending. Failed sends preserve your draft.
4. Add internal information in Notes → Add note. Notes use soft ivory cards with a thin gold top edge in light mode and never go to the customer.
5. Use Close task when finished, or Assign to AI when AI should resume.

Customer messages use sky-blue bubbles; team and AI replies use jade-green bubbles in both appearances. Sender labels and delivery icons identify who replied and the send status.

Ownership and history

• One task is active per conversation. AI and teammates keep the same task when ownership changes.
• Human or admin ownership pauses automated replies.
• A message after closure creates a new linked task; completed tasks stay closed.
• Task changes stay in the timeline. AI summaries are private notes; quiet closure does not prove resolution.
• Incoming messages use the provider's original send time when valid. Provider retries do not duplicate messages.

Ask the Assistant to check or close a task

1. Ask “Were those tasks answered within SLA?” or “Show task 12.” The Assistant can read open and closed Inbox tasks, their timing and lifecycle history.
2. For closure, identify the task and give the reason. Review the exact task and any configured customer feedback request before approving.
3. Completion is confirmed only after the saved task is verified. A changed task needs a fresh review. Uncertain results are checked before retrying.

SLA measures a response deadline, not a resolution deadline. A closed task alone does not prove the SLA was met. Missing historical deadlines or response times are reported as unknown. Assistant execution runs and merchant work items are separate from customer Inbox tasks. Access follows your current workspace and Inbox permission.

Private WhatsApp Assistant history

Your private Assistant · WhatsApp card is green and pinned above the customer list. It has a preview and time like other conversations. It stays private and outside customer bulk actions. Continue that conversation on WhatsApp. New replies follow automatically; scrolling up pauses following, and jump to latest resumes it.

Your messages use sky blue and Assistant replies use jade, matching customer conversations. The web AI drawer keeps its existing appearance.

Set assignment and SLA

1. Open Inbox → Inbox settings.
2. Enable auto-assignment and choose least-active or round-robin. With no eligible available teammate, work stays Unassigned.
3. Set the first-response target, warning, availability timeout, overdue reassignment and escalation limit. The deadline starts when work reaches the team.
4. Review Admin required, Blocked and overdue work before each shift ends.

See unread counts and AI handoff and return for detailed rules.