Unified Inbox

The Unified Inbox brings together all your customer communications - emails, SMS, and system messages - into one streamlined view. No more switching between apps or losing track of conversations.

1. Accessing the Messages Inbox

From the Portal

Navigate to Messages in the left sidebar to access your unified inbox. You'll see:

• Conversation list on the left showing all customer threads
• Active conversation on the right with full message history
• Compose area for sending new messages

From the Mobile App

Tap Messages in the bottom navigation to access your inbox. The mobile app provides the same functionality with a touch-friendly interface.

2. Understanding the Inbox Layout

Conversation List

The left panel shows all customer conversations:

• Customer name and photo for easy identification
• Latest message preview showing the most recent communication
• Timestamp indicating when the last message was sent/received
• Unread indicator for conversations with new messages
• Channel icon showing if the last message was SMS or email

Filtering Conversations

Use the tabs at the top to filter:

• Open: Shows all active conversations
• Unread: Only conversations with unread messages
• Unassigned: New enquiries not yet linked to a customer
• Archived: Conversations you've archived

Searching

Use the search bar to find conversations by:

• Customer name
• Phone number
• Email address

3. Viewing Conversation History

Click on any conversation to see the full message history:

Message Types

Messages are displayed with different indicators:

• Blue bubbles: Outbound messages you sent
• Gray-white bubbles: Inbound messages from the customer
• Email icon: Email messages with subject lines
• SMS icon: Text messages
• System badge: Automated messages (quote sends, follow-ups, etc.)

Message Details

Each message shows:

• Timestamp: When the message was sent/received (click to switch between time ago.. to exact timestamp)
• Delivery status: Sent, Delivered, or Failed
• Staff name: Who sent outbound messages (if applicable)
• Attachments: Any files included with the message

Email Threading

Email replies are automatically grouped into threads. Click Expand to see the full email chain including quoted content.

4. Sending Messages

Composing a New Message

From the conversation view:

1. Select SMS or Email using the toggle
2. Type your message in the compose area
3. For emails, add a subject line
4. Click Send or press Enter

SMS Character Counter

When composing SMS:

• Character count displays at the bottom
• Shows how many SMS credits will be used (1-3)
• Maximum 425 characters per message
• Messages over 153 characters use additional credits

Adding Attachments (Email Only)

For email messages:

1. Click the attachment icon
2. Select files from your device or job photos
3. Maximum 20MB total attachments

Using Templates

Speed up your messaging with templates:

1. Click the template icon in the composer
2. Select a template from the list
3. The template content fills the message area
4. Edit as needed before sending

Learn more about templates in Message Templates →

5. Managing Conversations

Archiving Conversations

To archive a conversation you're done with:

1. Open the conversation
2. Click the Archive button in the header
3. The conversation moves to the Archived tab

To unarchive, view the Archived tab and click Restore.

Starting New Conversations

To message a customer not in your inbox:

1. Click the + button at the top of the conversation list
2. Search for and select a customer
3. Start composing your message

6. Unassigned Enquiries

The Unassigned tab shows messages from unknown senders - emails to your inbound address or SMS from numbers not linked to customers.

Handling Unassigned Messages

When you receive an unassigned enquiry:

1. Click the conversation to view the message
2. Review the sender's details and message content
3. Choose one of these actions:

Assign to Customer

• Click Assign to Customer in the conversation header
• Search for an existing customer by name, email, or phone
• Select the customer to link the message to their profile
• All messages from this sender are moved to that customer's conversation

Create New Customer

• Click Assign to Customer, then Create New
• The sender's email or phone is pre-filled
• Add the customer's name and any other details
• Save to create the customer and link the conversation

Dismiss

• Click Dismiss to remove from the unassigned queue
• Use this for spam or irrelevant messages
• Dismissed messages are deleted

Your Inbound Email Address

When Unified Inbox is enabled, you get a unique email address for receiving enquiries.

Find your unique email address in Settings → Email Settings → Unified Inbox.

Share this on your website, business cards, or marketing materials to receive enquiries directly in CoolEdge.

7. Email Settings for Unified Inbox

For email replies to be captured in your inbox, you need to enable the unified inbox feature:

1. Go to Settings → Email Settings
2. Click the Unified Inbox tab
3. Toggle on Enable Unified Inbox

When enabled:

• Outbound emails use a special reply address
• Customer replies are automatically routed to CoolEdge
• You receive a unique inbound email address for new enquiries
• Replies appear in both the inbox and customer timeline

Learn more in Email & SMS Settings →

8. Notifications

Email Notifications

Configure email alerts for new messages:

1. Go to Settings → Email Settings → Unified Inbox
2. Toggle Notify me when customers reply to emails
3. Toggle Notify me when customers reply via SMS
4. Optionally set a different notification email

Push Notifications (Mobile App)

Enable push notifications in the mobile app:

1. Open the CoolEdge app
2. Go to Settings → Notifications
3. Enable New message notifications

9. SMS Credits and Usage

SMS messages consume credits from your plan allowance:

• 1 credit: Up to 153 characters
• 2 credits: 154-306 characters
• 3 credits: 307-425 characters (maximum)

View your usage in Settings → SMS Settings to see:

• Credits used this month
• Credits remaining
• Overage settings

Learn more in Two-Way Text Messaging →

10. Customer Communication Tab

Besides the main inbox, you can also view messages for specific customers:

1. Open a Customer record
2. Click the Communication tab
3. View all messages for that customer
4. Filter by channel, direction, or source

The same view is available on:

• Job details: Messages related to that job
• Quote details: Messages related to that quote

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Next Steps: Set up Email & SMS Settings → or learn about Two-Way Text Messaging →

Need help? Email us at support@cooledge.com.au