Getting Started with IM Inbox
Manage all your customer messages from one place.
The IM Inbox brings all your customer conversations into one unified space, whether they’re messaging you on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram. With one powerful interface, your team can respond faster, stay organized, and provide consistently great support.
What is IM Inbox?
IM Inbox (Instant Messaging Inbox) is your team’s centralized hub for messaging. Instead of jumping between platforms, your agents can view and reply to all incoming customer messages from a single interface.
This helps you:
- Respond in real time across channels.
- View customer profiles, message history, and conversation context.
- Assign and prioritize messages.
- Use built-in tools like canned responses, internal notes, and quick filters.
Who uses IM Inbox?
Role | What they can do in the IM Inbox |
Agents | Respond to customer messages across platforms in real time |
Supervisors | Monitor conversation quality, assign chats, and manage queues |
Admins | Set up channels, manage user access, and ensure security & compliance |
Key benefits of using IM Inbox
- One inbox for all platforms. No more switching tabs.
- Faster response times. Agents use smart tools for quicker replies.
- Visibility for managers. Live queue monitoring and team oversight.
- Secure by design. Role-based permissions and audit logs.
- Easy to scale. Add more agents or channels as you grow.
- Cost-efficient. Reduce tool overhead and streamline onboarding.
How IM Inbox works
1. Channel Integration
Admins connect channels like WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, and more using official APIs or connectors.
2. Message Routing
Incoming messages flow through platform APIs or webhooks and are routed to agents using rules like auto-assignment or round-robin.
3. Agent Interaction
Agents reply using the inbox. They can:
- Use canned responses
- Reference articles
- View message metadata and customer history
- Leverage AI-powered insights (Learn more about AI cases here)
4. Manager Oversight
Supervisors track live queues, intervene in conversations, and monitor team performance.
5. Data Logging
Every message is logged with timestamps, agent history, customer details, and metadata.
Supported Messaging Channels
Supported Messaging Channels
IM Inbox integrates with:
- WhatsApp (via the WhatsApp Business API)
- Business Messaging (Live Chat on your website and mobile apps)
- Instagram Direct
- Facebook Messenger
- Telegram
- WeChat
- LINE
IM Inbox layout at a glance
The IM Inbox is divided into four key sections, each designed to help you work faster and stay organized.
1. Conversation List (LHS)
The Conversation List is your command center for managing all incoming chats across multiple messaging platforms. It displays every conversation in a clear, organized list, allowing you to filter by My Chats, Unassigned, or other custom queues.
This section helps you prioritize which conversations to address first, easily spot unread messages, and quickly switch between chats. With real-time updates, you never miss a new customer message.
2. Chat Window (Center Panel)
The Chat Window is where the heart of your customer interaction happens. It shows the complete, chronological message thread including customer messages, agent replies, bot responses, and system events.
This unified view supports rich media like images, voice notes, and files, along with structured messages such as buttons and quick replies.
The window auto-scrolls to new messages but also lets you navigate older messages easily, with helpful indicators for unread messages.
3. Customer Info (RHS)
The Customer Info panel provides essential details about the customer and their interaction history without leaving the chat. Here, you can view the customer’s profile information, contact details, conversation metadata, and linked support tickets.
It also displays attachments exchanged in current and past conversations, giving you quick access to relevant files.
Powered by Zoho’s AI assistant, Zia Insights appear here to offer real-time recommendations like sentiment analysis, urgency, and similar tickets, helping you prioritize and tailor your responses effectively.
4. Composer (bottom)
The Composer is your workspace for crafting replies and managing outgoing communication. It features a rich text editor with formatting options, emoji and special character pickers, and support for file attachments via drag-and-drop or upload. You can quickly insert canned responses and knowledge base articles to maintain consistency and speed up replies.
Additionally, AI-powered tools assist with tone adjustment, message length optimization, and translation, ensuring your messages are clear, empathetic, and tailored to the customer’s language and preferences. This pane is designed to maximize your productivity while maintaining high-quality communication.
What happens when a channel is disabled?
Scenarios
Scenarios
We know things can go wrong sometimes. Here’s what to expect if a channel gets disrupted:
| Situation | What the Inbox Shows |
| Admin disables a channel | Agents can’t reply, and new messages won’t appear. Old messages stay viewable. |
| Integration token expires | Agents see an error. Admins will need to reconnect the channel. |
| A customer blocks your account | Messages won’t go through. The inbox shows a failed delivery. |
| Platform limits reached | Sending pauses temporarily. Admins get a notification. Agents see “Channel temporarily unavailable” or “Failed to send” errors. |
Old messages from disabled channels remain safe and searchable. For detailed troubleshooting on channel issues, see Channel Disruption Guide.
Monitor team performance with reports and analytics
Want to know how your team is performing in IM Inbox? The Conversations Dashboard gives you a real-time overview of message volume, agent responsiveness, and session quality; so you can track what’s working and where to improve.
Here’s what you’ll find:
1. Conversations by Status
Track how many conversations were:
- Attended
- Reopened
- Reassigned
- Total conversations handled
This helps you understand your team’s workload and identify areas where conversations might need follow-up.
2. Conversations by Contact
Track the nature of incoming messages, such as:
- New contacts starting a conversation for the first time
- Existing contacts returning with more queries
- The number of messages waiting to be picked up
This gives managers visibility into who your customers are and how quickly messages are picked up.
3. Agent Metrics
Measure agent performance with:
- Attended and reopened counts
- Average first response time
- Average response time
- Average pickup time
These insights help you support and coach your agents for better speed and service quality.
4. Session Metrics
Track how conversations are progressing over time:
- Average times for first response, general response, and pickup
- This helps ensure consistent service across sessions.
5. Message Summary
View message volume based on status, so you can quickly spot spikes or patterns in customer communication.
Troubleshooting tips
New messages not showing
Confirm channel connection; refresh page; check filters and admin channel status.
Channel disconnected or expired
Reconnect integration via admin settings.
Cannot send or receive messages
Check internet, platform quotas, customer blocking, and agent role permissions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reply to messages from all platforms in the same inbox?
Yes. Once the channels are connected, everything flows into one workspace.
Can I control which agents have access to which channels?
Yes. Admins can assign access through user roles and permissions.
Do customers know we’re using IM Inbox?
No. They’ll see replies just like they would from WhatsApp or Messenger. IM Inbox is internal only.
Can I still see old conversations if a channel is turned off?
Yes. All past messages stay available for viewing and searching.
Absolutely. IM Inbox uses role-based access, encryption, and detailed logs to keep your data safe.
Is it secure?
Access your files securely from anywhere
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