Messaging Workspace - Inbox, Transfers, Templates and Broadcasts

The Messaging workspace is a shared inbox for text conversations with customers. Messages sent to a department number land in that queue's shared inbox, where any agent can claim them; messages to an agent's personal number go straight to that agent.

Menu	Messaging > Inbox, Messaging > Broadcasts, Messaging > Templates
Permissions	Use the messaging workspace (agents); Send group messages (broadcasts); Manage messaging (templates)
Features	Omnichannel Messaging Workspace (CrestApps.OrchardCore.Omnichannel.Messaging) and SMS Messaging Channel (CrestApps.OrchardCore.Omnichannel.Messaging.Sms)

Before you start (administrator)

1. Enable SMS Messaging Channel. It turns on the workspace and its dependencies.
2. Set up the SMS provider under Settings > Communication > SMS (see Phone and SMS setup).
3. Add each SMS number under Interaction Center > Management > Omnichannel Addresses with Text messages (SMS) ticked, then add a Text messages entry point under Interaction Center > Management > Inbound entry points that sends its texts to an agent or a queue. See Text entry points.

Work the inbox

Open Messaging > Inbox. The menu shows how many unread conversations are waiting for you.

Control	What it does
Search	Narrows the conversation list.
Filter (funnel button)	All conversations, My conversations, or Unassigned, each with a count; and a channel filter when you have more than one channel.
Available switch	Accept routed conversations to your inbox. Only used by queues set to routed distribution.
New conversation (pencil button)	Starts a conversation with a contact or a number.

Open a conversation to read the thread. At the top:

• Claim makes you the owner and removes it from the shared inbox.
• Transfer hands it to a person or back to a queue.
• Close or Mark spam finishes it; Reopen brings it back.
• The channel tabs show where the conversation happens and whether the customer can be reached there.

This screencast opens the Unassigned view, claims a conversation, closes it (a closed conversation shows This conversation is closed and cannot be replied to), and reopens it:

In the composer, type your reply and press Enter to send (Shift+Enter adds a line). Insert a canned response... fills in a template. A counter shows the characters left when the channel has a limit. The side panel has an AI summary of the thread and the Customer card, with View account for the linked contact.

A banner warns you during the customer's quiet hours (outside the queue's business hours). It does not stop you sending.

Send and receive attachments

Each channel accepts its own kinds of files. SMS takes pictures (JPEG, PNG, GIF and WebP); hover over the attach button to see what the conversation's channel accepts.

• Attach a file by dragging it onto the conversation, pasting it into the message box, or clicking the attach button beside the channel name. Each file shows above your message; the × removes it.
• You can send attachments on their own or with text, up to 10 at a time. On SMS, large photos are shrunk automatically so the carrier accepts them.
• Files the customer sends appear in the conversation. Click a picture to open it full size in a new tab; any other file downloads.
• If a file cannot be shown (for example, a customer sends a document by text message), the message says An attachment could not be shown, and its text is still there.

Favorites

Keep the customers you message most one click away.

• Add a favorite: open their conversation and click Add to favorites at the top, beside Transfer, or on the Customer card. The button then reads Favorite; click it again to remove them.
• See your favorites: click the star button beside the filter above the conversation list, or choose Favorites in the filter menu. Each favorite shows their latest conversation; one with none yet says No conversation yet: click to write and opens a new message. Your favorites also appear in a row above the conversation list.

Your favorites are your own; other agents do not see them.

Transfer a conversation

1. Click Transfer.
2. Choose A person and search by name, or Back to a queue and pick the queue.
3. Add an optional Note for the recipient (up to 500 characters). The note stays in the history; the customer never sees it.
4. Confirm. The new owner gets a notification on whatever admin page they are on.

Start a new conversation

1. Click the New conversation (pencil) button.
2. Pick From, the number you send from (it decides the channel).
3. In To, search for contacts; add other numbers under Other, separated by commas.
4. Type the Message and click Send.

More than one recipient needs the Send group messages permission and becomes a broadcast. You can also click the Send SMS button beside any phone field in the CRM.

Templates

Templates are canned responses agents insert into a reply.

1. Open Messaging > Templates and click Add template.
2. Enter a Name agents will recognize and the Body text, then save.

Broadcasts

A broadcast sends the same message to many people; each recipient gets their own one-to-one thread, and replies come back to the inbox.

1. Open Messaging > Broadcasts and click New broadcast.
2. Enter a Name, pick Send from, choose Recipients (contacts) and add Additional addresses (one per line or comma-separated).
3. Type the Message and click Queue broadcast.

The list shows each broadcast's status and how many messages were sent and failed. A queued broadcast cannot be cancelled.

Keywords customers can send

Keyword	Also accepted	What happens
STOP	STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT	The customer is opted out of SMS and gets a confirmation.
START	UNSTOP, YES	The customer is opted back in.
HELP	INFO	The customer gets the help reply.

Where replies come from

With Twilio, inbound texts reach the workspace through the Twilio webhook, /api/twilio/webhook/sms, which comes with the SMS channel. You do not need SMS Omnichannel Automation for it. Telnyx inbound texts use the Telnyx SMS webhook.

About the screencasts

The inbox and broadcast screencasts fill in replies and broadcasts without sending them; the new-conversation screencast sends a real text.