Shared Inbox in BotSailor: The Ultimate Agent Collaboration Tool

Managing multiple customer conversations can quickly become overwhelming. BotSailor's Shared Inbox is designed to simplify the process by allowing agents to work collaboratively, manage chats efficiently, and provide faster customer support — all from a centralized location.

Let’s explore what the Shared Inbox is, how it works, and how it can streamline your customer communication workflow.

What is the Shared Inbox?

The Shared Inbox in BotSailor acts as a centralized communication hub where all your incoming customer conversations — across platforms like Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, and Web Chat — are gathered into one unified interface.

Whether you have a small team or a large support center, this tool enables agents to:

  • Easily collaborate
  • Assign chats to specific team members
  • Organize conversations efficiently
  • Ensure no customer query goes unanswered

 

Why Use Shared Inbox?

✅ Centralized Communication: No need to juggle between multiple platforms. Everything is unified.
 ✅ Team Collaboration: Assign, label, and pass chats among team members effortlessly.
 ✅ Faster Response Time: With search, canned replies, and templates, agents can reply faster.
 ✅ Full Customer History: Access full message history to provide better support.
 ✅ Better Organization: Categorize, archive, or block chats to maintain a clean workspace.

How to Access the Shared Inbox

You can easily navigate to the Shared Inbox by:

  • Clicking on the Shared Inbox icon from the left-side menu.
  • Alternatively, under the Dashboard Menu, select Shared Inbox to open it directly.

Once inside, you’ll have several viewing options:

  • Mine: See conversations assigned specifically to you.
  • All: View every conversation handled by all agents.
  • Unread: Quickly access new messages you haven't yet seen.
  • Archived: Find chats that have been closed or archived.
  • Blocked: See users who have been blocked.
  • Resolved: Access conversations that have been marked as completed.

Key Features That Simplify an Agent’s Workload

1. Subscriber and Platform Visibility

On the left panel:

  • You’ll see a list of subscribers with their profile pictures and a platform icon indicating where they messaged from (Messenger, Instagram, Webchat).
  • For Web Chat users, instead of a profile photo, their IP address will be displayed.

2. Quick Actions Menu

At the bottom left corner of the inbox, you can:

  • Enable Notifications to get real-time alerts.
  • Toggle Dark Mode for better visibility, especially in low-light environments.
  • Add New Subscribers manually if needed.

3. Search and Filtering

At the top:

  • Use the Subscribers Search bar to quickly find any subscriber.
  • Use filter options like Bot Reply to filter chats where the bot is responding automatically.

4. Chat Actions Panel

Selecting a subscriber and clicking the three dots icon opens the powerful Chat Actions panel where you can:

  • Assign an Agent to take ownership of the chat.
  • Label Subscribers (e.g., "VIP", "Work", "Support Needed") for better organization.
  • Enable a Message Sequence to automate follow-up messages.
  • Add Internal Notes for other agents to see during handover.
  • Don't forget to Save Changes after making updates!

5. Managing Conversations

From the inbox itself, agents can:

  • Mark conversations as Read/Unread.
  • Archive or Unarchive chats for better inbox management.
  • Resolve chats once an issue is handled.
  • Block users when necessary.

Sending Messages and Handling Responses

At the bottom typing section:

  • Send a normal message directly to the subscriber.
  • Trigger Message Flows or Templates for faster, pre-defined replies.
  • Use Canned Responses (type / to access them quickly).
  • Attach Files if you need to share documents, images, or other files.
  • Clicking the Human Agent button lets you assign a specific tag to the conversation, ensuring that the right workflows or responses are triggered based on that tag.

Get more insights on The Best Omni Channel Shared Inbox.

BotSailor's Shared Inbox is not just a messaging tool — it's a complete system to supercharge your customer service, boost agent productivity, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Start using Shared Inbox today and transform the way your team handles customer conversations!

 

FAQs –

What is the Shared Inbox in BotSailor?

The Shared Inbox is a centralized dashboard inside BotSailor where support agents can collaborate and manage customer conversations from multiple messaging channels—WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, and Webchat—in real time.

Why should I use the Shared Inbox instead of individual live chats?

The Shared Inbox provides:

  • Unified view of all conversations across channels
  • Agent assignment and tagging
  • Typing indicators, file sharing, notes, and internal comments
  • Customer info at-a-glance
    It improves team efficiency and prevents duplicated or missed responses.

How do I enable the Shared Inbox?

There’s no separate activation needed. Once your channels (WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.) are connected, go to the Live Chat → Shared Inbox section. You can start using it immediately if you’ve added agents under Team Management.

Can I control which agents see which conversations?

Yes. You can:

  • Assign conversations to specific agents manually or via automation
  • Set role-based access in the Team Management settings
  • Limit visibility to only assigned chats

Is it possible to filter conversations by platform, tag, or agent?

Absolutely. BotSailor's Shared Inbox includes powerful filters for:

  • Channel (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram)
  • Agent name
  • Unread or open status
  • Tags or labels (like “Hot Lead”, “Follow-up”)
  • Time-based filters

Can multiple agents reply to the same conversation?

Yes, but to avoid overlap, you should use the "Assign Agent" feature to designate ownership of a conversation. Assigned agents will receive notifications and can leave internal notes.

Does it support real-time typing indicators and file uploads?

Yes. The Shared Inbox supports:

  • Real-time message sync
  • Typing indicators
  • Media/file uploads (images, PDFs, etc.)
  • Emojis, message formatting, and quick replies

What is the “Join Conversation” feature?

"Join Conversation" allows agents to manually step into an ongoing chat, especially when a handover is needed. It ensures smooth customer support transitions between team members.

Can I add internal notes to a conversation?

Yes. Agents can leave private notes inside any conversation which are only visible to your internal team. Useful for follow-ups or context sharing during shift changes.

Is Shared Inbox mobile-friendly?

Yes. The Shared Inbox is fully responsive and can be accessed from mobile browsers or BotSailor’s mobile app (if provided).

How are new messages notified to agents?

Agents receive real-time browser and push notifications (if enabled) whenever:

  • A new unassigned message arrives
  • A message is received on a chat they’re assigned to
  • Someone replies on a chat they’re part of

Can I monitor agent performance or response time?

Yes. BotSailor tracks:

  • First response time
  • Resolution time
  • Number of handled conversations
    You can view this under Reports → Agent Performance (if enabled in your plan).

Is my data safe inside the Shared Inbox?

Yes. BotSailor uses secure APIs and encryption to protect your chat data. Only authorized team members with assigned roles can access conversations.

What happens if two agents reply at the same time?

BotSailor prevents message collision by locking the reply field briefly when someone is typing or sending a message, and shows typing indicators to avoid overlap.

Does Shared Inbox support bots and human fallback?

Yes. You can trigger chatbot flows first and then handover to an agent. The bot can tag the conversation and mark it for human follow-up, which will appear in the Shared Inbox.

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