Mastering the Shared Inbox

The shared inbox is where your team collaborates on customer conversations. This guide covers the layout, real-time messaging, filtering, assignment, keyboard shortcuts, and internal notes.

Inbox Layout

The inbox has three panels:

1. Conversation list (left) — Shows all conversations with status indicators, assignee avatars, and timestamps
2. Message thread (center) — The full conversation history with the customer
3. Details sidebar (right) — Conversation metadata: status, priority, assignee, tags, customer info

Real-Time Messaging

Conversations update in real time via WebSocket. When a customer sends a message you'll see it appear instantly — no page refresh needed. A desktop notification pops up if you've enabled notifications.

Filtering and Views

Use the filter bar above the conversation list to narrow down what you see:

Filter	Options
Status	Open, Pending, Resolved, Closed
Assignee	Me, Unassigned, specific team member
Priority	Urgent, High, Medium, Low
Tags	Any tag you've created

You can combine multiple filters. Your active filter set persists across sessions.

Assignment

• Assign to a teammate — Open the details sidebar and click the assignee dropdown
• Self-assign — Click Assign to me in the sidebar or press A on your keyboard
• Unassign — Select "Unassigned" from the dropdown to return to the general queue

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with these shortcuts:

Shortcut	Action
↑ / ↓	Navigate between conversations
Enter	Open selected conversation
R	Focus the reply composer
A	Assign to me
P	Cycle priority
S	Toggle status (Open ↔ Resolved)
/	Open template picker
?	Show all shortcuts

Internal Notes

Need to leave a note for your team without the customer seeing it? Click the Note tab in the composer (or press N). Notes appear in the thread with a yellow background and are only visible to your team.

Tips

• Use the Unassigned filter at the start of your shift to pick up new conversations
• Pin important conversations so they stay at the top of your list
• Set conversations to Pending after replying so you can focus on conversations that need action