Messages

The Messages Hub: Your Unified Inbox

The "Messages" section serves as your central command center for all customer conversations happening across your connected social media channels. Here, you can monitor interactions handled by your ReadyChatAI bot, review conversation histories, and seamlessly take over chats when human intervention is required.

Path: Communication > Messages

The Messages Hub showing the conversation list and the empty state before selecting a chat.

Navigating the Messages Hub

The Messages Hub uses a two-panel layout: a conversation list on the left and the active chat on the right.

1. Conversation Filter

At the top of the conversation list, a dropdown filter allows you to sort conversations by channel:

• All Messages — (Default) Displays every conversation from all connected channels
• Favorites — Shows conversations you've starred as important
• Facebook — Only conversations from your Facebook Page(s)
• Instagram — Only conversations from your Instagram account(s)
• WhatsApp — Only conversations from WhatsApp (if connected)

A filter icon next to the dropdown provides additional filtering options.

2. Conversation List Panel

Below the filter, a scrollable panel lists individual conversations:

• Search Bar: Find specific conversations by customer name or keywords
• Conversation Cards: Each item shows:
  • Customer Avatar with a small channel icon overlay (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
  • Customer Name (e.g., "Pablo Gomez", "Faith Chijioke")
  • Source Account — The specific page or account the conversation is from (e.g., "Retro shop", "ReadyChatAI Playground")
  • Date — When the last message was sent
  • Message Preview — A snippet of the most recent message
  • Unread Indicator — A blue dot and/or number badge for unread messages

Clicking a conversation opens it in the main chat panel on the right.

3. Main Chat Panel

When no conversation is selected, a placeholder illustration shows: "Unlock customer insights – open a chat to begin".

Once you select a conversation, the chat panel displays:

• Customer Information Bar: At the top, showing:
  • Customer avatar and name
  • "Show Profile" link to view customer details
  • Channel icon and account name
• Conversation History: Messages displayed chronologically, with customer messages and bot/agent replies clearly differentiated. Timestamps appear for messages or date groups.
• Message Input Area: At the bottom:
  • Text field to compose your message
  • Send button
  • Emoji and attachment options

4. Chat Control Bar

At the top right of the chat panel, important controls for the active conversation:

• Chat AI Toggle: Controls whether the bot is active for this conversation
  • ON: ReadyChatAI bot handles the conversation automatically
  • OFF: The bot pauses, allowing a human agent to respond directly
• Star Icon: Mark/unmark the conversation as a favorite
• Block: Block a customer from contacting you through this channel
• More Options: Additional actions like viewing customer details

Key Functions

• Monitor Bot Performance: See how your AI handles customer inquiries in real-time
• Seamless Human Takeover: Toggle "Chat AI" off to let a human agent respond when complex issues arise or a customer requests human assistance
• Review History: Access full transcripts of past conversations for quality assurance or context
• Centralized Communication: Manage messages from Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other channels in one place
• Prioritize & Organize: Use the channel filter, search, and favorites to manage your workload effectively

Best Practices

• Check regularly: Review new messages daily, especially unread conversations marked with blue dots
• Use favorites: Star important conversations that need follow-up
• Monitor AI quality: Periodically review bot responses to ensure they meet your standards
• Timely takeover: When the bot can't handle a query, switch to manual mode quickly to maintain customer satisfaction
• Use filters: Focus on specific channels during peak hours for more efficient management