Volts Connect Documentation - Using the Inbox

Inbox Overview

The Inbox displays all SMS and MMS conversations across your connected Twilio phone numbers in a single, shared view.

What you’ll see

• Conversation list with contact name or phone number
• Unread message indicators
• Last message preview and timestamp
• Active conversation panel with full message history
• Contact card with tags, notes, and editable details

All messages sent or received through Volts Connect appear here automatically.

Sending & Receiving Messages

Receiving messages

• Incoming SMS and MMS messages appear instantly in the Inbox.
• If the phone number is new, a contact is created automatically.
• Messages are linked to the correct Twilio number and contact.

Sending messages

1. Select a conversation from the Inbox.
2. Type your message in the message input field.
3. (Optional) Attach media files if MMS is enabled.
4. Select the Send From number if multiple numbers are available.
5. Click Send

Messages are delivered through Twilio and logged in the conversation thread.

MMS & Attachments

Volts Connect supports sending and receiving media messages (MMS).

Supported features

• Image and file attachments
• Inline media previews inside conversations
• Multiple attachments per message (configurable)

Configuration notes

• MMS must be enabled in Settings → Messaging Options
• Allowed MIME types can be customized
• Maximum attachments per message can be limited

Media files are delivered via Twilio and referenced securely, avoiding heavy storage on your site.

Archiving & Message Status

Unread messages

• New incoming messages are marked with an unread indicator.
• Messages can be manually marked as read.

Archiving conversations

• Archive conversations to remove them from the active inbox.
• Archived conversations can be restored at any time.
• Archiving does not delete message history.

Message status

• Sent and received messages are visually distinguished.
• Conversation history is preserved even after archiving.

Archiving helps keep the Inbox organized without losing data.

Contact Cards in the Inbox

Each conversation includes a contact card that provides full context.

Available actions

• Edit contact name, email, and phone number
• Add or remove tags
• Add internal notes
• Edit custom fields
• View contact history

Changes made in the Inbox are reflected everywhere contacts are used.

Search & Filtering

Use search and filters to quickly locate conversations.

Search options

• Contact name
• Phone number
• Message content

Filtering

• Filter by unread messages
• Filter by tags
• Filter by archived status

Search and filters apply instantly and do not affect message data.

Encoding & Message Length

While typing a message, Volts Connect displays:

• Character count
• SMS segment count
• Encoding type (GSM-7 or Unicode)

Encoding behavior

• Default encoding can be set in Settings
• Unicode is automatically used when required
• Segment count updates in real time

This helps avoid unexpected message splitting or costs.

Best Practices

• Keep important conversations unarchived for visibility
• Use tags to organize ongoing conversations
• Monitor character and segment count for long messages
• Enable MMS only when needed to control costs

Next Steps

Continue with:

• Managing Contacts – tags, notes, and custom fields
• Analytics & Reporting– message and engagement insights
• Add-ons – campaigns, automations, and WooCommerce SMS

For message delivery issues, see Troubleshooting.