Shared Inbox Overview

Overview

Shared Inboxes are team-specific, inboxes that multiple users can access. They are intended for a team-based approach to texting outreach. Shared inboxes allow you to reach larger groups of contacts at once more efficiently than user accounts.

• Each shared inbox can send/receive messages 
• Multiple users can have access to the same shared inbox.
• Users with access to a shared inbox can compose text messages from that account and reply to text messages received by it.
• When replying to a text within the account, the conversation will become locked for a period of time to ensure that two different users do not reply to a text at the same time.
• Shared inboxes allow for filtering between your assigned contacts and contacts assigned to team members utilizing the shared inbox. (Click here for more information on user assignments) 
• The first shared inbox in a team is required to go through a campaign registration with carriers. Click here for more information

Creating a Shared Inbox

If you (Admins only) are creating the first shared inbox in a team, a notification will be displayed letting you know that the shared inbox is required to go through a registration process with carriers before messages can be sent. Admins will receive an email notification when the shared inbox registration is complete. More information regarding A2P Campaign Registration.

1A. Click "Get Started" to create your first shared inbox.

1B. To create additional Shared Inboxes, navigate to " Team Name" > Shared Inboxes

2. Click [ New Shared Inbox ].

3. Fill in the initial account details (all fields are required) and click [ Next].

Name allows you to identify the account and will be displayed in the navigation on the left-hand side for users that have access to the account.

• API Code allows you to add an identifier that can be used to specify the account in API calls. Note that if you are not using an API integration, you can keep the auto-generated identifier in the field.
• Team should be set if you have access to multiple teams and you need to pick one; if you only have access to one team, the team will be pre-selected for you.
• Color allows you to specify a color to associate with the Shared Inbox. This color will only show up in the navigation for users who have access to the account.

4. Assign a phone number to the Shared Inbox. You must select one.

If utilizing a virtual number, you are able to use the [ Search] button to select a phone number in the area code of your choice. Optionally, you can also search for a specific prefix/exchange for the phone number (not required).

5. You can opt to set a voice call forwarding number or leave that setting blank. The number entered in would ring if a contact decided to call the group account's phone number. Click [ Next].

6A; For registered shared inboxes, you'll see the option to select users that should have access to the Shared Inbox. Access includes the ability to read all messages sent from/received by the account as well as the ability to send text messages from the account/phone number. Click [ Next].

6B: For unregistered shared inboxes, there will not be an option to add users. Once registration is complete, users can be added to the shared inbox.

7. Confirm the account details and click [ Create] to complete the setup.

Note: For the first shared inbox in a team please note that your inbox has been created but to prevent messages from being sent during this registration period, you will not see your shared inbox in the left side navigation or within Compose until it has been registered. When the registration process is complete, you and any users who have been added to the inbox will then see the inbox name in the left side navigation. For more information around the registration process, click here.

Composing a Text From a Shared Inbox

When you have access to one or more shared inboxes, each time you click to Compose a new message, you will need to select which account the text message should come from. If you select the shared inbox, the text will be sent from that account's phone number and will be stored in that account's Archived folder.

Note: For the first shared inbox in a team please note that your inbox has been created but to prevent messages from being sent during this registration period, you will not see your shared inbox in the left side navigation or within Compose until it has been registered. When the registration process is complete, you and any users who have been added to the inbox will then see the inbox name in the left side navigation.

Replying to a Text sent to a Shared Inbox

All users with access to the shared inbox can respond to texts sent to that account. Click on the name of the Shared Inbox in the left-hand side navigation to view the Inbox and Archived organizational areas for that account.

Multiple users can have access to a Shared Inbox, and therefore, if you click into a conversation in the Shared Inbox, it will lock the conversation for a short period of time to ensure that multiple users do not reply at the same time. The name of the user who sent/replied a text within a Shared Inbox is noted in the conversation history.

It also shows who is currently responding to the contact when clicking into the message. The text box will be locked until the person responding has left the conversation.

You can also filter your Shared Inbox and Archived views by " Assigned to me" and "Assigned to...". 

• The "Assigned to me" filter will only display conversations with contacts who are assigned to you. You can additionally filter by "Read" and "Unread" conversations among your contacts. 

To remove the filter, click the "x".

• The "Assigned to..." filter allows you to view messages assigned to another member on your team. The user that is pulled for "Assigned to" is based on the assigned user that is brought in via import.

Note: You must be bringing in UserID on imports to use the "Assigned to me" and "Assigned to..." filters.

You can also add an Out of Office message in a shared inbox when your team is away or your office is closed.  

• Learn more about how to set up your Out of Office for a Shared Inbox here. 

If you are idle in a conversation that is locked for other  Shared Inbox users, after a few minutes you will see a pop up notification asking if you are working. This is so to remind you to continue in the conversation or if you are away from your computer, it will unlock the conversation so others can respond.

Note: If you would like to reply to a text sent to the shared inbox from your personal account, click Compose and choose your personal account. From there, you can select the contact as the recipient and send the text message.