Message Inbox Component

Message Inbox Component – One Place for Every Conversation

As your organization starts using SMS and WhatsApp more heavily, replies can come from anywhere and at any time. Without a central view, agents end up jumping between records, lists, and tabs just to see who has written back.

The Message Inbox Component solves this problem by giving your team a single, centralized dashboard for all inbound messages. It’s where users go to see:

• What’s new
• What’s already handled
• What still needs follow-up

All with powerful filtering and a clean, customizable UI that fits right into Salesforce.

What Is the Message Inbox Component?

The Message Inbox Component is a Salesforce-native view that collects all incoming SMS and WhatsApp messages into one place. Instead of clicking into individual Contacts, Leads, Cases, or Opportunities to check for new messages, users can:

• Open the Inbox
• See a list of recent conversations
• Filter by status, channel, and object
• Take quick actions like mark as read, mark as unread, or star

It’s designed to work alongside the Chat UI Component and Notification Component:

• Notification tells you something new just came in.
• Message Inbox shows you everything that has come in and what’s been done with it.
• Chat UI is where you reply and have the conversation.

Why a Central Inbox Matters

You can turn this section into a “Why it’s important” callout box.

Without a Message Inbox:

• Agents don’t know which messages are new or still waiting for a reply.
• Managers can’t easily see conversational workload.
• Messages are scattered across individual records, list views, and channels.

With the Message Inbox Component:

• Every inbound message is visible in a single screen.
• Users can sort and filter based on their priorities.
• Unread and starred messages stand out immediately.
• Admins can configure roles, colors, and filters to match team workflows.

The result: faster response times, better visibility, and fewer missed conversations.

Key Highlights (Expanded)

You can use this section to create feature cards or columns in Elementor.

1. Stores All Inbound Messages

The Inbox acts as a central repository for inbound communication:

• Every SMS and WhatsApp message flows into the Inbox, linked to the correct Contact, Lead, Case, Opportunity, or custom object.
• Users can see both recent messages and older history in one consistent layout.
• Because it’s inside Salesforce, messages are part of the customer record and can be reported on.

This eliminates “hidden replies” and reduces time spent searching for what the customer said last.

2. Tabs for All, Unread, and Starred

At the top of the component, users see simple, powerful tabs:

• All – A complete stream of recent inbound messages.
• Unread – Messages that still need attention.
• Starred – High-priority items or conversations that require follow-up.

This tabbed design lets each user work the way they prefer:

• Some live in Unread and treat it like a to-do list.
• Others use Starred to track escalations or follow-ups.
• Managers can check All to get a sense of overall volume.

3. Read / Unread / Star Actions

Every message in the Inbox supports fast status changes:

• Mark as Read – When a message has been reviewed or handled.
• Mark as Unread – When a user wants to come back to it later or re-flag it.
• Star – To mark messages as favorites or high priority.
• Unstar – Once the follow-up is complete.

These actions turn the Inbox into a lightweight queue management system:

• Unread = needs attention
• Starred = important or time-sensitive
• Read = already seen or completed

Because statuses update instantly, it’s easy to share work across team members.

4. Filters by Date, Object, and Channel

The Message Inbox includes powerful filtering controls, so users can focus on what matters most.

Common filters include:

• Date range – Today, last 7 days, this month, custom date range.
• Salesforce object – Only messages related to:
  • Contacts
  • Leads
  • Cases
  • Opportunities
  • Custom objects (e.g., Students, Patients, Members)
• Channel – SMS only, WhatsApp only, or all channels combined.

Example workflows:

• A support agent filters by Cases + WhatsApp + Unread to handle high-value support conversations.
• A marketing specialist filters by Leads + SMS to monitor replies from a recent campaign.
• A manager filters by All + Last 7 days to understand total inbound volume.

The combination of tabs + filters gives users a very flexible way to slice their message list.

5. Customizable Colors for Each Category

Visual cues help busy users quickly scan their Inbox. The component supports color customization, such as:

• Different background or accent colors for Unread vs Read vs Starred messages.
• Channel-specific accents (e.g., green for WhatsApp, blue for SMS).
• Role-based or theme-aligned colors configured by admins.

This makes it easy to see, at a glance:

• What’s new
• What’s high priority
• Which channel the message belongs to

It also allows the Inbox to match your brand and other Force Message components for a cohesive UI.

6. Message Count Display (Including 49+ Format)

The Inbox shows message counts so users can quickly understand workload:

• Count of unread messages per tab.
• Aggregate counts when numbers get large, using compact formats like “49+”.

This helps:

• Agents gauge how much they need to process.
• Managers see when volume is approaching or exceeding normal levels.
• Teams prioritize staffing and handling during peak times.

7. Sender Initials and Visual Identity

Each message row includes sender initials or icons, making the list more human and scannable:

• Initials are typically derived from the related Contact or Lead name.
• If an avatar or profile picture is supported in your setup, that can be surfaced instead.

This small touch makes a big difference:

• Users can recognize familiar customers at a glance.
• It’s easier to scan down the list without reading every name in full.
• The Inbox feels more personal and less like a raw log.

8. Role-Based Support: Admin, Power, and Normal Users

The Message Inbox respects your organization’s permission model:

• Admin users
  • Full visibility across channels and objects (as configured).
  • Can adjust settings, defaults, and sometimes colors or filters.
• Power users
  • Designed for supervisors or team leads.
  • May see more messages than a single agent (e.g., for a whole queue or region).
• Normal users
  • Typically see only messages for channels and records assigned to them or their team.
  • Can use tabs, filters, and actions within the scope of their permissions.

This ensures:

• Sensitive data is protected.
• Users only see what they need to work on.
• Supervisors have the visibility they need to coach and manage.

How Agents Use the Message Inbox in Their Day-to-Day

Here’s a simple “day in the life” example you can reuse:

1. Start of shift
   • An agent opens Salesforce and clicks into the Message Inbox.
   • They switch to the Unread tab to see everything that came in overnight.
2. Prioritize and respond
   • They filter by Cases + WhatsApp to prioritize high-touch support conversations.
   • For each message, they:
     • Click into the related record or launch the Chat UI Component to reply.
     • Mark the message Read once handled.
     • Star anything that needs follow-up from another team (e.g., billing).
3. Midday check-in
   • The agent switches back to All, sorts by Newest first, and quickly handles any new Unread items.
   • They clear out their Starred tab by following up on open items, then un-starring when done.
4. End of day
   • The agent ensures Unread is at zero or a manageable number.
   • A supervisor checks the Inbox (with broader filters) to understand team volume and see if additional help is needed.

The inbox becomes the one place an agent needs to monitor to stay on top of conversations.

Best Practices for Using Message Inbox Component

You can add this as a bullet or “tips” section.

• Work from Unread first
  Treat the Unread tab as your action queue. Aim to keep it as low as possible.
• Use Stars strategically
  Star messages that:
  • Need input from another department
  • Belong to key accounts
  • Have time-sensitive follow-ups
    Avoid starring everything, or the Starred tab loses meaning.
• Combine filters with tabs
  For example, “Unread + Cases + WhatsApp” is far more useful than just “All messages.”
• Coordinate with Notification Component
  Use real-time notifications to react immediately, but always come back to the Inbox to make sure nothing slips through.
• Review colors and roles with Admins
  If the colors don’t match your mental model or you’re missing messages, work with your admin to tweak configuration.

Bringing It All Together

The Message Inbox Component turns your Salesforce org into a real conversational command center:

• All inbound SMS and WhatsApp messages in one place
• Clear separation between All, Unread, and Starred
• Quick actions to manage message status
• Filters that match how your teams actually work
• Role-based views and customizable colors for a better user experience

Paired with the Chat UI Component for replies and the Notification Component for instant alerts, the Message Inbox becomes a key part of a unified, efficient messaging workflow inside Salesforce.