The messaging module is where 1:1 conversations live: WhatsApp, SMS, email, in-app, tablet, all unified into one inbox. Every conversation hangs off a patient or a lead, every message is logged on their record, and the team can take a conversation on or hand it off cleanly. This guide walks the operating rhythm: who picks up a message, when AI replies for you, when a human must, and the WhatsApp rules that change what you can send and when.

Where it lives#

Marketing → Messaging: the inbox.
Patient profile → Messages tab: just this patient's conversations.
Lead card → Messages tab: just this lead's conversations.
Mobile app inbox: same data, on-the-go.

Inbox anatomy#

Unread: conversations with new patient messages.
Assigned to me: conversations owned by the logged-in user.
Unassigned: incoming messages with no owner yet.
Resolved: archived conversations, searchable.
Filters: by channel (WhatsApp, SMS, email), by team, by tag.

Assignment and routing#

Per-channel routing: each WhatsApp / Facebook / Instagram adapter is mapped to one or more branches and to a default reply team in Settings → Channels. Inbound on that channel lands on that team's pool.
Auto-assign only fires in the Auto-assign to least-busy online agent mode. The picker looks at the team's online members, filters out anyone at the per-agent chat cap, and gives the chat to the one with the fewest active threads. If no one is online, the chat stays unassigned in the pool.
Open pool: the chat stays unassigned and any team member can claim it from the inbox.
Supervisor distributes: only the supervisor can claim or assign.
Manual reassign: any member with permission can reassign at any time. Source-based routing (campaign reply → marketing team) is not in product today, campaign replies land on the team mapped to the channel.

The WhatsApp 24-hour window, the rule that shapes everything#

What it is#

WhatsApp Business policy: once a user messages your number, you have a 24-hour window to reply with anything (free-form text, media, anything). After 24 hours of silence, you can only send pre-approved template messages. This is a Meta-enforced rule, not a Hoopoe choice.

What it means at the desk#

Inside the window: reply normally, send media, send links.
Outside the window: only an approved template will deliver. The compose box switches to "template only" and shows your approved templates.
The patient replying re-opens the window for another 24 hours.

What templates look like