Configure Inbox and conversation settings

Inbox settings define how the team receives and organizes human conversation work. Configure them before the first support shift, then review them when working hours or team ownership changes.

Set business hours

Choose the workspace timezone first, then define open periods for each operating day. Overnight schedules must be represented by the supported periods shown in the form. Add an after-hours reply only when the workspace needs one.

The after-hours reply is a fallback response, not a campaign. It is sent only for an eligible unmatched inbound conversation and no more than once in the same session. The current sender and customer service window rules still apply.

Define assignment ownership

An unassigned conversation must be claimed before a teammate can reply. Admins and Managers can assign work to another eligible teammate. Support agents work with the conversations and number scope granted to them.

Agree on when to use Pending, Resolved, and Reopen. Status should describe the customer work, not whether an individual teammate is online.

Standardize common replies

Saved replies reduce repeated typing while leaving the final message under the operator's control. A saved reply fills the composer and never sends automatically. Use clear titles, review variables, and remove outdated policy language.

Conversation labels classify the active session. Contact labels classify the person. Decide which level the team needs before creating similar labels in both places.

Separate inactivity controls

In Settings > Conversations & inbox > Conversations, Flow inactivity (minutes) accepts 5 to 1440 and Session inactivity (hours) accepts 1 to 168. Review each field's purpose before saving. These are different from Auto-close idle sessions (days) and media retention in the Inbox tab.

None of these thresholds extends the 24-hour customer-service sending window. Follow Inbox teams and retention for team, label and retention setup, and consent and safety settings for STOP/START replies.

Next: Work in Inbox, set business hours, or create saved replies.