Shared inbox
A shared WhatsApp inbox your whole team can work from
The inbox lists WhatsApp conversations for the connected number. Assign each one to a teammate, reply with text, media, or a saved quick reply, and see whether WhatsApp delivered it and the customer read it.
The problem the shared inbox solves
The problem
When a business number lives on one phone, conversations depend on whoever is holding it. Two people answer the same customer, nobody answers another, and nobody can tell what was promised.
What changes with Vowels Connect
Everyone signs in with their own account and works from the same list. A conversation has one assignee and a status, so it is clear who is handling it and what still needs a reply.
How it works
From incoming message to resolved
- 1
A customer messages you
The message arrives through the WhatsApp Cloud API and appears in the inbox as a new or existing conversation.
- 2
Someone takes ownership
An owner or admin assigns the conversation, or a working-hours auto reply responds if it arrives after hours.
- 3
The agent replies
Inside the service window, send text, emoji, images, video, audio, or documents. Outside it, choose an approved template.
- 4
Close the loop
Mark it pending while you wait on the customer, or resolved when it is done. Delivery ticks update as WhatsApp reports them.
Key capabilities
What the inbox includes
Assignment and filters
Assign a conversation to a teammate. Filter by all, my conversations, unassigned, open, pending, or resolved, and search by name, number, or message.
Service window awareness
Each thread shows whether the 24-hour customer service window is open. When it closes, the composer offers approved templates instead of free-form text.
Media and quick replies
Send images, video, audio, and documents. Insert saved quick replies by shortcut; inserting one fills the composer and never sends on its own.
Contact context
Open the contact panel for opt-in status, last activity, tags, private notes, and the media, links, and documents shared in the thread.
Delivery and read status
Sent, delivered, read, and failed are taken from WhatsApp webhooks. If no status has arrived, the inbox does not show one.
Working-hours auto reply
Set your hours and timezone, and send an automatic reply to messages that arrive outside them.
Use cases
Where a shared inbox helps most
Sales enquiries
Route each new enquiry to the salesperson who owns that region or product and use the unassigned filter so no lead waits without an owner.
Customer support
Use pending for conversations waiting on the customer and resolved for closed issues, with notes on the contact for the next agent.
Small teams after hours
Let the working-hours auto reply set expectations overnight, then pick up the open conversations in the morning.
Part of the platform
How the inbox connects to everything else
Templates are available in the composer whenever the service window has closed.
Campaigns replies arrive in the inbox as normal conversations, ready to assign.
Conversation flows can hand a customer off to the inbox; the thread shows when a flow is active.
Automation can respond to inbound messages before an agent opens the thread.
Shared inbox questions
Can several people use the same WhatsApp number?
Yes, within one company. Each member signs in to Vowels Connect with their own account and works from the shared inbox for the connected number.
When can I send a free-form reply?
After a customer messages you, WhatsApp allows free-form replies during the customer service window, which is 24 hours from their last message. After that, send an approved template.
Can agents see every conversation?
Agents work in the inbox with the permissions shown in the product. Owners and admins manage assignment, contacts, templates, and settings.
Does the inbox mark messages as delivered when I press Send?
No. Delivered and read only appear after WhatsApp reports them through its webhooks.
Put your WhatsApp number in front of the whole team
Create a free account, connect your number with Meta Embedded Signup, and invite your teammates when you move to a paid plan.