Use Inbox search and filters to move from a broad conversation list to the work that needs a specific teammate’s attention.
Search and filters work together. Choose the operational view first, narrow it by teammate or label when needed, and then search inside that result set.
Search for a conversation
Use the search field at the top of the conversation list.
You can search with:
- Customer name or part of the name.
- An alias saved on the customer profile.
- Email address.
- Phone number, including a partial local number.
- A conversation ID copied from Hellotext.
Search is designed to find conversations through customer identity or a conversation ID. It does not search the complete message history for a word or phrase.
The active state, teammate, and label filters also apply to search results. If a customer does not appear, clear or widen those filters before assuming the conversation is missing.
Understand the state filters
Open the filter menu next to the search field to choose the type of work you want to see.
Open
Shows active conversations that are unassigned or assigned to the selected teammates. Your account is selected by default, so this is normally your active work together with conversations that still have no owner.
Add another teammate when you need to review their active work too.
Needs attention
Shows conversations where the customer or workflow is waiting for an action.
Needs attention is a priority signal, not the owner or lifecycle state. A conversation can be assigned and still need attention.
Assigned
Shows active conversations assigned to the selected teammates. Use this view when you need a focused list of owned work without unassigned conversations.
Unassigned
Shows active conversations that do not currently have a human owner. Review this view to claim work or route it to the right teammate or team.
Closed
Shows conversations completed by the team. When you narrow this view by teammate, it shows conversations that teammate moved to Closed.
A closed conversation is not deleted. It can reopen when the customer replies or new activity requires action.
Reminders
Shows conversations that were snoozed until a later time. When you narrow this view by teammate, it shows reminders created by that teammate.
Use reminders for work that should return at a specific time, not as a substitute for assignment or completion.
Mentioned
Shows conversations where the selected teammate was mentioned in an internal note. Your account is selected by default.
A mention requests attention or context. It does not assign the conversation automatically.
Filter by teammate
The teammate section changes the meaning of the selected view:
- In Open or Needs attention, it includes unassigned conversations and conversations assigned to the selected teammates.
- In Assigned, it shows conversations currently assigned to the selected teammates.
- In Closed, it shows conversations those teammates closed.
- In Reminders, it shows conversations those teammates snoozed.
- In Mentioned, it shows conversations where those teammates were mentioned.
The Unassigned view does not need a teammate filter because those conversations have no human owner.
Choose more than one teammate when a lead needs to review a group of people. Remove teammates from the filter when you want to return to your own view.
Filter by label
Use labels for durable operational categories such as returns, product issues, sales opportunities, or follow-up types.
When you select labels, the Inbox keeps conversations with any of those labels inside the active state and teammate view. Labels do not change the conversation state or owner.
If the label list is empty, create and apply the labels your team needs before using them as a filter.
Combine search and filters
A useful order is:
- Choose the state, such as Needs attention or Unassigned.
- Select the teammates responsible for that view.
- Add one or more labels when you need an operational category.
- Search for a specific customer inside that result set.
- Clear the search or individual filters to widen the list again.
This is especially useful when a team lead needs to find one customer without losing the operational context of the current queue.
Suggested daily workflow
- Review Needs attention.
- Claim or route Unassigned conversations.
- Continue work in Assigned or Open.
- Check Mentioned for questions or decisions.
- Review Reminders that have returned.
- Close conversations when no further action is required.
If the expected conversation does not appear
Check:
- The correct Hellotext business is open.
- The customer name, alias, email, phone, or conversation ID is correct.
- The selected state includes the conversation’s current lifecycle state.
- The teammate filter matches the assignment, closer, reminder creator, or mentioned person for that view.
- The selected labels are actually applied to the conversation.
- Another customer profile contains the activity because identity was duplicated.
If the conversation exists but its event or customer activity is missing, use Troubleshoot missing signals or activity.