Clients → Messages
The inbox is one thread per client, combining text messages and messages sent through the client portal. You don't switch apps to answer a client.
The layout
On a desktop it's two panes — the conversation list on the left, the thread on the right. On a phone it's a single column: tap a conversation to open it, back to return.
Filter the list by Unread, or search it.
Live updates
New inbound messages arrive without a reload, and a toast appears when one lands — unless you're already reading the inbox, in which case it just appears in the list.
The unread count also shows as a badge on Messages in the sidebar.
Replying
Pick a channel at the bottom of the thread — Portal or SMS — then type and send.
The composer defaults to whichever channel the client last reached you on. If that channel isn't available, it falls back to one that is.
When a channel is unavailable
The channel button is disabled and tells you why. There are three common reasons, and each has the same fix — use the other channel.
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| The client hasn't consented to SMS | They haven't opted in to text. Use the portal channel. |
| Out of SMS balance | Your messaging balance is exhausted. Top it up under Settings → Billing → Messaging wallet. |
| SMS isn't enabled for this business | Text messaging hasn't been switched on for your business at all. |
Consent
Consent is per-client and per-purpose. Appointment SMS and marketing SMS are separate permissions, set on the client's record or by the client themselves in their account.
A client who replies to you by text has clearly initiated contact, but that is not the same as a stored consent flag. If someone asks you to text them, record the consent on their profile.
Quiet hours
Client-facing sends respect your business's quiet-hours window — by default 9:00 to 20:00 in your own timezone. Outside it, queued SMS is held until the window reopens.
This applies to automated and marketing messages. See Automations.
Where else messages appear
A client's conversation is also visible from their profile, so whoever is looking after them has the context without opening the inbox separately.
Permissions
Inbox access is its own capability, split out from the client record — so "can reply to clients" grants independently of "can see client details". Someone can be given the front desk's messaging job without being given the whole client database.