Set up inbox and saved replies

Goal

Configure the unified inbox and saved replies so your team can claim, reply to, and resolve inbound conversations from Slack. When this tutorial succeeds, conversations from connected platforms appear in Inbox, teammates can reply with consistent templates, and a test reply reaches reply sent or resolved.

Before you begin

Complete these checks before you open Inbox:

• Connected accounts that receive inbound comments or direct messages for the brand you manage.
• Unified inbox, reply workflows, and saved reply variables require the Team plan or Scale plan.
• Admin access to Settings so you can create reply templates.

Inbound events depend on healthy platform connections. If accounts were recently connected, allow a short window for the first conversations to sync.

Set it up

Open and confirm inbox access

1. Type /social, search for Inbox, or switch to the Inbox work center in App Home.
2. Confirm the active brand matches the accounts that receive inbound traffic.
3. Check that conversations appear for the connected platforms you expect.
4. Use inbox tabs and filters when you need to narrow the list by status or assignment.

Inbox cards show assignment, SLA, and reply actions where your team already works in Slack. If the list is empty, clear active filters and confirm account connections for that brand.

Review a conversation

1. Open a conversation row to see the thread, platform source, and current assignee.
2. Claim the conversation when you are taking ownership, or leave it unassigned when another teammate should respond.
3. Snooze the conversation when you need to follow up later without leaving it open in the active queue.

From the conversation view you can close resolved threads or move items through assign, snooze, and resolve actions supported for your role.

Add saved replies

1. From Settings, open Reply templates.
2. Create templates for answers your team sends often (shipping updates, support escalations, thank-you replies).
3. Add saved reply variables where replies need names, links, or brand-specific text. Variables are available on Team and Scale plans.
4. Preview a template before you publish it to the brand library.
5. Duplicate a template to another brand when you manage multiple brands with the same playbook.

Test the reply flow

1. Open a test conversation from Inbox.
2. Insert a saved reply from the reply modal.
3. Fill variable fields when the template prompts you.
4. Edit the text for context, then send the reply.

Some templates insert directly. Others open a fill-variables step when required placeholders are missing.

Confirm it works

Verify both inbox visibility and template usage:

Ask a second teammate to claim a different row if you want to confirm assignment handoffs work before you rely on Inbox for daily coverage.

Recovery paths

Inbox list is empty

Clear filters and confirm you selected the brand tied to the connected accounts. Verify the accounts still receive inbound traffic on the native platform. See Inbox events are missing when messages never arrive in Slash Social.

Cannot open Reply templates

Confirm you have admin permissions for Settings. Unified inbox and saved reply features require the Team plan or Scale plan.

Saved reply variables do not resolve

Open the fill-variables modal and complete every required field. Edit the template in Settings if a variable name no longer matches your brand configuration.

Reply fails to send

Check platform account health for the conversation source. Reconnect expired accounts, then retry from the same conversation row.

Next step

Read Inbox, conversations, and SLA for how assignment, SLA timers, and escalation fit together. If messages never arrive after connections look healthy, see Inbox events are missing.