Shared Inbox
The WhatsBox Shared Inbox (/inbox) is the command center for your customer communication. Multiple agents and team members can collaborate seamlessly in real-time, reply to incoming inquiries, view message history, and ensure no customer message falls through the cracks.
Inbox Layout & Anatomy
The inbox interface is organized into three dynamic columns:
- Conversations Sidebar (Left): Lists active conversations, search, and status filters.
- Conversation Stream (Center): Displays the chronological message timeline, multimedia, interactive cards, and the message composer.
- Contact Details Drawer (Right): Shows contact profile info, assigned lists, custom attributes, and private agent notes.
Conversation Status Filters
WhatsBox organizes conversations into four distinct lifecycle states to keep your inbox organized:
Active
Open conversations requiring attention or ongoing discussions. This is your daily primary working queue.
Starred
Important conversations flagged for priority follow-up or escalated cases.
Done
Resolved conversations. Moving a thread to Done clears it from the Active list without deleting any message history.
Trash
Archived or unwanted threads. Automatically retained for 30 days before permanent deletion.
To switch between filters, click the Filter selector at the top of the conversation list.
Multi-Select & Bulk Actions
When managing hundreds of customer inquiries, triaging threads one-by-one is slow. WhatsBox includes a powerful Multi-Select Mode:
- In the Active view, click the three-dots menu icon at the top of the sidebar.
- Select Select Multiple.
- Check the checkboxes next to the conversations you wish to triage.
- From the bulk action menu, choose:
- Mark selected as done: Resolves all selected conversations in bulk.
- Move selected to trash: Sends spam or irrelevant conversations to trash.
- Click the close button (
✕) at any time to exit multi-select mode.
The 24-Hour Customer Service Window
Meta enforces a strict 24-Hour Customer Service Session Window for all WhatsApp Business API conversations:
How the 24-Hour Window Works
- Whenever a customer sends an inbound message to your WhatsApp number, a 24-hour timer starts immediately.
- Inside the 24-Hour Window: You can send any free-form text, custom session messages, voice notes, media, or session templates without Meta template approval.
- Outside the 24-Hour Window: You can only send pre-approved Meta WhatsApp Templates. Free-form text cannot be sent until the customer replies to your template message, restarting the 24-hour timer.
WhatsBox displays an interactive countdown indicator inside every conversation so your team always knows whether a free-form reply or a template is required.
Real-Time Collaboration & Unread Indicators
- Unread Indicator: A distinct primary-colored badge shows conversations with unread incoming messages.
- Real-Time Push Notifications: New messages receive notification in your browser and also appear instantly without requiring manual page refreshes.
- Automatic Read Status: Opening a conversation automatically marks the thread as read in your inbox.
Scheduling Messages
Need to send a follow-up or reply at a specific time (e.g., during the customer's working hours tomorrow morning)?
WhatsBox includes Message Scheduling:
Compose Message or Template
Select the conversation and type your session reply or select a WhatsApp template.
Click the Schedule Send Arrow
Next to the main Send button, click the chevron icon (▲) and select Schedule send.
Pick Date & Time
Select your desired date, time, and timezone in the scheduling dialog:
- If sending a Session message, the schedule time must be within the active 24-hour window.
- If sending a Template message, you can schedule it for any future date and time.
Confirm Schedule
Click Confirm. The scheduled message will be queued and automatically dispatched by WhatsBox at the exact specified time.
Starred Threads & Resolution Workflow
- Starring Threads: Click the Star icon in the top navigation bar of any chat to pin it to your Starred filter list for high-priority follow-up.
- Mark as Done: Once an inquiry has been resolved, click the Checkmark icon (Done) in the header. The conversation moves to the Done view, keeping your active queue clutter-free.
- Move to Trash: For spam or invalid conversations, click the Trash icon. Conversations in Trash remain recoverable for 5 days before permanent deletion.