The Messages page is your one-stop view for every SMS conversation with your leads. Once two-way SMS is enabled, this is where you'll spend most of your time.
Layout
The page is split into two columns:
Left: Conversation list — every lead you've exchanged messages with, ordered by most recent activity. Each entry shows the lead's name, a snippet of the most recent message, and how long ago it was sent.
Right: Active thread — when you click on a conversation in the list, this column shows the full message history with that lead, plus a box at the bottom where you can type a reply.
When you first open the page (without selecting a conversation), the right side shows a "Select a conversation" placeholder.
Conversation list details
Each conversation row shows:
Lead name (or phone number if the lead isn't in your lead databases yet)
Last message preview — the first 80 characters of the most recent message. If the most recent was sent BY you, the preview starts with "You: " so you know at a glance whose turn it is.
Time ago — "5m" for 5 minutes, "2h" for 2 hours, "3d" for 3 days, etc.
The list is sorted by recency — the most recently active conversation is always at the top.
Active conversation indicator
When you click on a conversation, it's highlighted in the list with a darker background and a vertical stripe on the left edge. The right column updates to show that lead's thread.
Message thread
Inside the thread:
Lead's messages (inbound) appear on the LEFT as light-gray bubbles
Your messages (outbound, sent from the portal) appear on the RIGHT as dark bubbles
Each message shows the time it was sent below the bubble
The thread auto-scrolls to the most recent message when you open it.
Searching
There's a search box at the top of the conversation list. Type any text and it filters the list to conversations where the lead's name OR any visible message preview contains your search term.
The search is case-insensitive and updates live as you type. Clear the search box to return to the full list.
Real-time updates
You don't need to refresh the page to see new replies. When a lead texts you, the new message appears in the active thread (if you have that lead open) and the conversation list refreshes to show the lead bumped to the top with the new preview.
Same for messages you send — they appear in the thread immediately after sending without a refresh.
Conversations from unknown numbers
If someone texts your SMS number but their phone number isn't in your lead database, you won't see them in the Messages list (the system needs a matched lead to display conversations). Their message is stored but invisible in the inbox. If you want it visible, the contact has to be added to your lead database with the matching phone number — once they're added, future replies from that number will appear normally.