The Scale Inbox is the screen that brings every customer conversation on WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger into one place. The AI assistant replies to customers automatically, and you and your team can follow any conversation and take it over by hand whenever you want. You open it from Inbox in the dashboard sidebar.
This guide covers every control in the Scale Inbox: the conversation list and its filters, the thread, the sending tools, the messaging window, internal comments and the Lead details panel.
What the Scale Inbox shows
The screen has three parts. The conversation list holds the search box, the filters and one row per conversation. The thread opens when you click a row and holds the messages, the composer and the control buttons. The Lead details panel opens from the Lead details button and holds the assigned agent, qualification, purchases and the AI summary.
Until you choose a conversation, the screen says Pick a conversation from the list. An open thread refreshes itself every 4 seconds, so new messages appear without reloading the page.
How to find a conversation in the list
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Search by name or phone… | Searches by customer name or phone number and shows up to 50 results. Clear the box to get the list back. |
| All | Every open conversation, with its count. |
| Unread | Conversations with a new customer message that you have not opened yet. Read state is per user, so a colleague opening the chat does not clear your marker. |
| Qualified | Conversations whose stage is Qualified. |
| Appointments | Conversations whose stage is Appointment Booked. |
| Follow-up | Conversations the AI flagged as needing a follow-up. |
| All channels, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram | The channel filter. It appears only once the list contains a conversation from a channel other than WhatsApp, and it works together with the stage filter. |
| Refresh button | Reloads the list immediately. |
| Conversation row | Name, time of the last activity, the start of the last message, the channel mark, the stage icon and the assigned agent's face. An unread row is bold with a dot beside it. |
| Row icons | The alarm clock means the conversation needs a follow-up, the calendar means the customer asked for a meeting, and the sticky note means New internal comment. |
How to read a thread and tell who wrote each message
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Customer messages | Shown on one side, with your business's replies on the opposite side. |
| AI replies and team replies | Drawn the same way inside Scale. To know who was replying, read the mode strip and the timeline lines. |
| A line in the middle of the thread | An internal event the customer never sees, such as a team member taking the conversation over, the AI being resumed, the AI handing the conversation to the team, a recorded purchase or a blocked customer. |
| Template chip | The message is a WhatsApp template, shown with its name, header, footer and buttons as the customer received it. The buttons are a record only. |
| WhatsApp app chip | A reply typed by hand in the WhatsApp app on the phone, not in Scale. |
| Page inbox chip | A reply typed by hand in the Page inbox at Meta. |
| Amber card with a lock | An Internal comment written by a team member, placed under the message it was written about. |
| Images, files and audio | An image opens when clicked, a file appears as a downloadable card, and a voice message has a player. |
| Emoji under a message | Reactions left on that message, with a count of how many chose each emoji. |
How to switch a conversation between AI and manual mode
| Mode | What happens |
|---|---|
| AI active | The AI replies automatically to the customer in this conversation. The strip above the composer reads AI is replying automatically on this chat. |
| Manual | The AI stops replying in this conversation only. Customer messages keep arriving, and the AI keeps updating the lead stage. The strip reads You are in control — AI is paused for this chat. |
Open the conversation
Click its row in the list. The chip beside the customer's name shows the current mode.
Click Take over
The conversation switches to manual and the AI stops replying. The timeline records who took over; nothing is sent to the customer.
Write your replies
Answer the customer from the composer. Your name is recorded with your replies and notes.
Click Resume AI when you are done
The AI starts replying automatically again, and the timeline records that too.
What the workspace AI switch does
The AI Assistant switch in the sidebar turns AI replies off or on for every conversation in the workspace at once, and only the account owner sees it. It reads AI ON or AI OFF, and the same switch is available under Settings → AI Assistant as Auto-reply.
While the switch is off, customer messages still arrive and appear in the Inbox, but the AI answers no conversation and you and your team reply by hand. That is different from Take over, which pauses the AI in one conversation only. To set the assistant's personality and behaviour, see AI assistant settings.
How to send text images files and voice messages
| Tool | What it does | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| The Reply… box and Send button | Sends a text message. Enter sends, Shift+Enter starts a new line. | Up to 4096 characters per message. |
| Send an image | Sends a picture from your device, previewed in the thread straight away. | Up to 5 MB, image files only. |
| Send a file | Sends a PDF or any other file as an attachment. | Up to 20 MB. Executable files are refused, and Instagram conversations do not accept files. |
| Record a voice message | Records from the microphone. Click Stop to listen to the take, then Send or Cancel. Nothing leaves the browser until you click Send. | Up to 5 minutes and 16 MB. The browser must be allowed to use the microphone. |
| Reply and Internal comment switch | Decides whether what you type goes to the customer or stays with the team. | Every conversation opens on Reply. |
What the 24 hour messaging window means
The messaging window is a Meta rule: you can send a normal message to a customer for 24 hours after the last message the customer sent. Your own reply does not extend the window, and a new message from the customer opens it again. The same rule applies on WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.
Scale shows the window in a line above the composer, for example WhatsApp messaging window · 18h 29m remaining. In the last hour the line changes colour and adds the word closing. Once the window has shut it reads expired beside a clock icon, and for a customer who has never written to you it reads not open yet.
When the window is closed, the Send button and the image, file and voice buttons are locked, and the text you typed stays in the composer instead of being lost. Internal comments are not affected by the window.
| Channel | When the window is closed | The way back in |
|---|---|---|
| A normal message cannot be sent. | An approved WhatsApp template can be sent at any time, and the window reopens when the customer answers. | |
| Messenger | A normal message cannot be sent, and there are no templates. | Wait for the customer to message you again. |
| A normal message cannot be sent, and there are no templates. | Wait for the customer to message you again. |
How to write an internal comment for your team
Choose Internal comment
Click Internal comment above the composer. The composer changes colour so it cannot be mistaken for a normal reply.
Type the comment and press Enter
The limit is 2000 characters. The comment is saved as a card under the latest message in the thread, with your name, your role and the time.
Edit or delete it if needed
Edit is offered to the comment's author only. Delete is offered to the author and to the account owner.
Switch back to Reply
Click Reply to write to the customer again. Every conversation you open starts on Reply.
How to manage the lead from the Lead details panel
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open in WhatsApp and Copy number | Opens the customer's chat in WhatsApp or copies their number. On Instagram and Messenger you get Open profile or Open in Meta inbox instead. |
| Assigned agent | Shows who owns the conversation. Only the account owner sees a list for assigning the conversation to an active team member or taking it back. See managing your team. |
| Qualification | The stage list: New Lead, Interested, Qualified, Appointment Booked, Customer, Lost, Not a Lead. Choosing a stage yourself switches qualification to Manual, so the AI no longer changes it. |
| AI or Manual | Who decides the stage. On AI, the stage is updated automatically as the conversation develops. |
| Status | What the customer is asking for: Price, Inquiry, Booking, Objection, Support, Job Enquiry, Partnership, Other. Leave it on Automatic (AI) to let the AI decide. |
| Expected value | An amount the team types for what this deal is expected to be worth, then Save. |
| Purchases and Record a purchase | Enter the amount, the date and an optional note, then Save purchase. Recording a purchase moves the lead to Customer and shows the lifetime value. The sparkle icon means the purchase was recorded automatically. |
| AI summary | An AI-generated summary of at most three lines, refreshed after new activity in the conversation and when it is closed, and written in the account owner's dashboard language. |
| Notes | What the AI noted about the customer during the conversation. The section appears only when there are notes. |
| Set a reminder and Close & archive conversation | The same reminder and close actions found at the top of the thread. |
How to set a follow up reminder from a conversation
Click the bell button
Click the bell at the top of the thread, or Set a reminder at the bottom of the Lead details panel. The thread closes and the Follow-up reminder dialog opens with the customer's name on it.
Choose the time
The suggested time is tomorrow at 10 in the morning. Change it in the field, or use the add buttons: 1 hour, 3 hours, 1 day, 1 week. Each click adds to the time already chosen.
Write the reason and save
Type what will jog your memory in Reason, then click Save reminder. The reminder is internal; no message is sent to the customer.
Work the reminder from the thread
A Follow-up reminders strip appears at the top of the thread, with Done, Tomorrow to push it back 24 hours, and delete.
Every reminder is also listed under Follow-ups → Reminders. Meetings are not created from inside the thread: the AI assistant books them with the customer, they are listed under Follow-ups → Meetings, and their conversations sit under the Appointments filter in the Inbox. More in follow-ups and reminders.
How to close reopen block rename export or delete a conversation
| Action | Where it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Close conversation | The archive button at the top of the thread | Asks for an optional note, then moves the conversation to Leads → Closed. Closing is a label and does not stop the AI, but it cancels the scheduled automatic follow-up and refreshes the AI summary. |
| Reopen | Leads → Closed → Reopen | Returns the conversation to the Inbox. Any new message from the customer also reopens it automatically. |
| Edit customer name | The pencil beside the name | Changes the name the team sees. Save an empty name to go back to the name the channel reports. |
| Block customer (spam) | The More actions menu, account owner only | This customer's messages no longer reach you and the AI does not answer them. The chat moves to Closed and shows a Blocked chip. Unblock customer in the same menu brings it back. |
| CSV download | The More actions menu | A file with one row per message: date and time, role, contact name, phone and message text. |
| JSON download | The More actions menu | A file with the contact's details, stage and summary, followed by every message. |
| Delete chat | The More actions menu, account owner only | Permanently deletes the conversation and its messages, and removes the sales recorded on it from your sales totals. |
What the delivery statuses and a failed message mean
| What the message shows | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sending… | The message is on its way to the channel. |
| just now, then the time | The channel accepted the message. Ordinary replies show the time only, with no ticks. |
| One tick on a template | Sent: the WhatsApp template was sent. |
| Two ticks on a template | Delivered: the template reached the customer's phone. |
| Two highlighted ticks on a template | Read: the customer opened the message. |
| An exclamation mark on a template | Failed to send: the template did not go through. |
| A reason under your reply, with Retry | The message was not sent. Retry is offered for text messages only, and not when the reason is an expired messaging window. |
| Failure reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| Message window expired | Wait for the customer to message you, or send an approved WhatsApp template. |
| The channel connection is not authorised to send | Reconnect the channel in Settings and try again. |
| The channel is rate-limiting messages | Wait a moment and send again. |
| The customer cannot receive messages right now | Nothing can be sent to this customer on this channel for now. |
| The channel does not accept this kind of message | Send the content another way, such as text or an image. |
| A restriction on the connected business account | Check the account status in Meta Business Manager. |
| The attached file could not be fetched | Send it again, or try a smaller file. |
| The channel could not be reached | Check the connection and try again. |
What happens when the plan expires or runs out of messages
Every message stored in Scale uses one message from the plan: a customer message, an AI reply, a team reply or a media message. When the subscription expires or the message balance reaches zero, a banner at the top of the dashboard says the service is stopped and shows how many customer messages are waiting.
In that state the AI stops replying, and manual replies from the Inbox are refused, whether text, image, file or voice. New customer messages are kept and not lost, but they do not appear in the Inbox and the customer receives no automatic reply. After you renew or top up, those messages appear and are counted against the new plan. More in plans and billing.
Frequently asked questions about the Scale Inbox
Why is the Send button locked so I cannot reply to a customer?
The messaging window is closed: more than 24 hours have passed since the customer's last message, or they have never messaged you. Wait for their message, or on WhatsApp send them an approved template from Campaigns.
Why did the AI stop replying in one conversation?
The conversation is in manual mode, which happens when anyone sends a manual reply or when the AI hands the conversation to the team. Click Resume AI at the top of the thread, and check that the workspace AI switch reads AI ON.
Can the customer or the AI see internal comments?
No. An internal comment in Scale is visible to your team only. It is never sent to the customer, never read by the AI and never included in an export.
Can I send a WhatsApp template from inside a conversation?
The thread composer has no template button. Send the approved template from Campaigns, and it will appear in the thread with a Template chip and its delivery status.
Why can I not see a conversation my colleague can see?
A team member sees only the conversations assigned to them, while the account owner sees all of them. Ask the account owner to assign the conversation to you from the Assigned agent section.
Does closing a conversation stop the AI or delete the chat?
No. Closing only moves the conversation to Leads → Closed, and any new customer message brings it back to the Inbox, where the AI answers as usual.
Why are new customer messages not showing in the Inbox?
If the subscription has expired or the message balance is used up, new messages are kept but hidden until you renew or top up. If the customer is blocked, their messages are not received at all.