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 database 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.
Message thread
Click a conversation to open it (it's highlighted with a darker background and a stripe on the left edge). Inside the thread:
Lead's messages (inbound) appear on the LEFT as light 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
Use the search box at the top of the conversation list to filter by lead name, message text, or phone number. It's case-insensitive and updates live as you type. Clear it to return to the full list.
Real-time updates
You don't need to refresh — new replies appear in the open thread and bump the conversation to the top of the list automatically, and messages you send show up immediately.
Settings (the gear)
Click Settings (the gear icon, top-right) to open Message settings. From there you can manage who gets emailed when a lead replies (Notify on reply) and turn two-way SMS off (Disable).
Opt-out messages
When a lead texts an opt-out keyword (STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, and the like), that message is tucked out of the way so it doesn't clutter your inbox. If there are any, a "Show N opt-out messages" bar appears above the conversation list — click it to reveal them, click again to hide. Leads who've opted out are tagged Opted out, and their compose box is replaced with a note since you can no longer text them.
How a conversation enters the inbox
A lead appears in the inbox once any message has been exchanged with them — inbound or outbound. Two ways the first message can happen:
They reply to one of your outbound campaigns — their inbound message lands in the inbox automatically
You start a new conversation from the portal — click the + New button above the conversation list, search for any lead in your database, and send your first message (see Sending and Replying to Messages)
One person, one conversation
Someone who signed up for multiple events has multiple lead records — but all their messages appear as a single conversation, regardless of which signup a reply came in under. You don't have to track which event they were on; replies thread together automatically.
Conversations from unknown numbers
If someone texts your SMS number but their phone isn't in your lead database, you won't see them in the inbox (the system needs a matched lead to display the conversation). Their message is stored but hidden. Add the contact to your lead database with the matching phone number and future replies from that number will appear normally.