Using the inbox
The inbox is where your team reads and answers every WhatsApp chat for a number. Everyone on the team sees the same chats, so customers get one answer, not three. New messages appear live, without reloading the page.
To open it, pick a number from the WhatsApp number menu at the top of the sidebar and click Inbox.
What's on the inbox screen?
The inbox has three parts:
- The chat list on the left: every conversation, newest first, with filters at the top.
- The chat in the middle: the messages, and the box where you type your reply.
- The contact panel on the right: who the customer is, the chat's status, tags, labels and more.
On a phone, you see the chat list first. Tap a chat to open it, and tap the back arrow to return to the list.
What does each chat in the list show?
- The customer's name (or phone number if they have no name) and their picture's initials.
- How long ago the last message was: now, 5m, 3h, 2d.
- A preview of the last message.
- A green bubble with the number of unread messages.
- Extra flags when they apply: Reply overdue, Blocked, the chat's labels, and → Name for who it's assigned to.
The list shows the 200 most recent chats that match your filters. Use search or filters to find older ones.
How do I find a chat?
Type in Search name or number at the top of the list. It matches the contact's name or any part of their phone number, so "98765" finds +91 98765 43210.
To start a chat with someone who hasn't messaged you yet, go to Contacts instead: find or add them, then click Chat.
How do I filter the chat list?
Use the buttons and menus under the search box. You can combine them.
| Filter | Shows |
|---|---|
| All / Mine / Unassigned | Every chat, only chats assigned to you, or chats nobody has taken yet. |
| Any status menu | Chats in one status: Open, Waiting on customer, On hold or Resolved. The last option, Blocked contacts, shows people you've blocked. |
| Any label menu | Chats with one label. Only shows up once your admin has created labels. |
| 24h | Only customers who wrote in the last 24 hours, so you can still reply freely. |
| Overdue | Chats past their reply deadline. The number on the button is how many. |
When nothing matches, you see No matches. Try clearing the filters. Click the active buttons again to turn them off.
Save filters you use every day
Once you've set filters, click Save view to keep them as a one-click shortcut, like "My open chats". See Saved inbox views.
How do I see which chats are unread?
Unread chats have a green bubble with the number of new messages, and the time turns green. The total is shown next to the Inbox title, for example 3 unread.
When you open a chat, it's marked as read for the whole team. There's no "mark as unread" button.
On other pages, the round chat button in the bottom-right corner shows how many chats are unread and lists them. See Sounds and notifications.
What does the contact panel show?
The panel on the right of an open chat shows:
- The contact's name and number, the chat's status, and Subscribed or Opted out.
- Conversation: whether the 24h window is Open or Closed, when a reply is due (Reply due), and the Source (how the contact was added: whatsapp, import, manual or api).
- Labels: click a label to add it to this chat or remove it. See Labels.
- Tags: type in Add a tag and click Add, or click the × on a tag to remove it. See Tags and custom fields.
- Sequences: any follow-up sequences this contact is on. See Automation.
- Details: answers the customer gave a chatbot flow, and imported details like city or order number.
- Consent: tick Opted out of messages or Block this contact. See Opt-outs and Blocking a contact.
How do I know if the chatbot is talking to a customer?
A purple strip at the top of the chat says The bot is handling this chat with "Flow name". If you send a reply, you take over and the bot stops for that customer. See Automation.
What do the labels above messages mean?
Messages your business sent have a small label saying who sent them:
| Label | Sent by |
|---|---|
| A team member's name | That person, from the inbox |
| Bot | A chatbot flow |
| Broadcast | A broadcast |
| Auto-reply | A welcome, away or opt-out message |
| API | Another system connected through the API |
| Internal note | A team note. The customer never sees these. |
Template messages also show Template at the top.
What do the ticks mean?
They work like WhatsApp's own ticks:
- A clock: still sending.
- One grey tick: sent to WhatsApp.
- Two grey ticks: delivered to the customer's phone.
- Two blue ticks: read. (If the customer has turned off read receipts, you may never see blue.)
- A red warning sign: failed. The reason is shown under the message.
See Troubleshooting if messages keep failing.
Can I see photos and files customers send?
Yes. Photos, videos, voice notes and documents show as a link, like Open image. Click it to open the file in a new tab. Shared locations have an Open in Maps button.
Can I use the inbox on my phone?
Yes, in your phone's browser at app.kilichat.com. There's no separate app yet, so you won't get notifications when the browser is closed.