Use suggested replies in the inbox

Let the inbox assistant draft answers for you to check and send, or ask it for a draft on any thread.

BusinessTeam memberAgencyWhite labelAgency clientWho can do it: owner, admin, member

The inbox assistant reads a new message and writes a suggested reply using the facts you gave it. You check it, change it if needed, and send it yourself. On email and text it can also be allowed to reply by itself, with a brake that stops it when a person is needed.

Before you start

The inbox assistant is set up and live under AI Agents › Agents › Inbox assistant, with your business facts filled in. Setting it up is covered in the AI articles.
For each channel, the assistant has one of three modes: Off (nothing is drafted), Assist (a reply is drafted for you and you send it) or Auto with brake (it replies by itself when every check passes, and stops the moment you answer). WhatsApp can only be Off or Assist.

Steps

Open Conversations and press a thread with a new message from the person.
Above the reply box, look for the Suggested reply card. It names the assistant and shows the draft, with the subject for an email.
Read the draft. If an amber line appears under it, the assistant is telling you why a person should answer, for example They asked for a person, so nothing was sent automatically.
Press Use to put the draft in the reply box. The channel below the box switches to the one the draft was written for, when that channel can send.
Edit the text if you like, check the channel, and press Send.
Or press Dismiss to throw the draft away and write your own.
No card? If the assistant is on for the channel the person last wrote on, press Draft a reply. It shows Writing… while it works.

What happens next

Nothing is sent until you press Send; the card says so. It also reminds you which channel it was written for, for example Written for a text message — check the composer is on that before you send.
New drafts appear by themselves a few seconds after a message arrives. Leave the thread open and the card appears.
On a channel set to Auto with brake, replies the assistant sent itself are marked Sent by the assistant under the message.
When you reply to someone yourself, the assistant stands back on that thread for a while (60 minutes as standard). A line such as Assistant paused for 60 minutes — you answered this one. appears under your reply.
The AI Agents pages count drafts written, used, dismissed and flagged for a person.

For agencies

Open the client first (Sub-accounts › Open). Each client has its own assistant, facts and modes.

Troubleshooting

No Suggested reply card and no Draft a reply button. The assistant is off for the channel of their newest message, or it is not live. Check its modes under AI Agents › Agents › Inbox assistant.

"No suggestion this time." The assistant decided not to write one, for example because you have already replied, the person opted out, or the assistant is off for that channel.

"There is no message from them to answer yet." The thread has no incoming message to reply to, only messages you sent.

The draft is for a text but my reply box is on Email. Use only switches the channel when that channel can send to this person. Switch it yourself, or reply on the channel the box is on and adjust the wording.

An auto channel didn't reply by itself. The brake stopped it. The amber line on the draft says why, such as a message outside your hours or the day's automatic replies being used up. Answer it yourself.

Still stuck?

Email support@opusfunnel.com with the page you were on. A person replies, usually within one business day.

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