Managing multiple channels in one inbox
Tips and best practices for efficiently handling conversations across WhatsApp, email, Instagram and more.
Overview
When you connect multiple channels to Bugalou, all conversations flow into one unified inbox. This guide shares best practices for keeping things organized and efficient.
Opening the inbox
Click "Inbox" in the left sidebar to access your team inbox. You'll see three panels: the filter sidebar on the left, the conversation list in the middle, and the conversation detail on the right.
Filtering by channel
Use the "Channels" section in the left filter sidebar to quickly view conversations from a specific channel. The available channel filters are:
- 🌐 All platforms — show all conversations
- 💻 Website (live chat)
- 📧 Email — with sub-filters per connected email account
Only connected channels appear in the filter list.
Using conversation filters
Above the channel filters, you'll find quick filter buttons:
- All — show all conversations
- Mine — conversations assigned to you (with unread count badge)
- Unassigned — conversations not yet assigned to anyone (with red count badge)
- Mentioned — conversations where you've been @mentioned
- Closed — resolved/archived conversations
- Spam — conversations marked as spam
Assigning conversations
Assigning conversations to the right team member is key for efficient multi-channel support:
- Assign to a user — open a conversation and use the assignment dropdown. Search for a team member by name and assign.
- Assign to a team — switch to the "Team" tab in the assignment dropdown to assign to an entire team.
- Team Inboxes — the left sidebar shows Team Inboxes where you can view conversations per team.
For automatic assignment, set up an automation workflow in the Automations section. Use the "Assign to team" action to automatically route conversations based on channel, keywords, or other criteria.
Using labels for organization
Labels help you categorize conversations regardless of channel:
- Create labels with a name and color in your settings
- Labels can be channel-specific — for example, only show certain labels for WhatsApp conversations
- Add labels to conversations using the label selector in the conversation detail view
- Filter your inbox by label using the "Labels" section in the left sidebar
Priority levels
Assign priority levels to conversations to handle urgent issues first. Use the "Priority" section in the filter sidebar:
- 🔴 High — urgent issues
- 🟡 Medium — important but not urgent
- 🔵 Low — can wait
Search
Use the search icon at the top of the conversation list to search across all conversations. This searches message content, contact names, and other details.
Sorting conversations
You can sort conversations by:
- Newest — most recent messages first (default)
- Oldest — oldest messages first
- Longest open — conversations that have been open the longest
- Shortest open — most recently opened conversations
Internal notes
Use internal notes to communicate with your team about a conversation without the customer seeing it. You can @mention team members in notes to notify them.
Channel-specific tips
- Respond within 24 hours to stay within the messaging window
- Use template messages to re-open expired conversations
- Filter by specific email account if you have multiple connected
- Use rich text formatting in email replies
Instagram & Messenger
- Respond quickly — social media users expect fast replies
- Instagram supports story mentions and replies
Website Chat
- Configure opening hours and autoresponder messages in the Website Chat channel settings
- Enable the pre-chat form to capture contact information
Analytics
Monitor your multi-channel performance by clicking "Analytics" in the sidebar. Track response times, conversation volume, and resolution times across all channels.