> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.runspark.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Inbox

> One unified view of every customer conversation — texts, connected channels, and full context

The Inbox is where every customer conversation lives. Each SMS thread — plus messages from your connected channels — appears in one place, so you never hunt across tools to find what a lead said or what was sent back.

## Layout

The Inbox has two panels:

| Panel                    | What it shows                                                                              |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Conversation list (left) | Every conversation, searchable, with a preview of the last message and an unread indicator |
| Thread view              | The full message history for the selected conversation, with clear sender labels           |

Every message is labeled by sender — the **contact**, **you**, or **your AI agent** — so the history is always unambiguous, even when conversations move between automated and human handling.

Calls and key events also appear on the contact's timeline, so the context around a conversation is never split between views. Open the contact from a thread and you'll see the texts alongside everything else that's happened.

## Working a Conversation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the conversation">
    Search the conversation list or scan for unread indicators. The last-message preview tells you where each thread stands before you open it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the thread">
    The thread view shows the full history. Sender labels make it clear what the contact said, what you sent, and what your AI agent handled.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reply">
    Type your reply and send. Texts go out from your workspace number — see [Phone Numbers](/phone/phone-numbers) for setting that up.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Sending Guardrails

Two guardrails apply to every outbound text:

| Guardrail   | Behavior                                                                                           |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Quiet hours | Texts to a lead outside **8am–9pm in the lead's local time** are held and delivered in the morning |
| Opt-outs    | If a contact has opted out (replied STOP), sending to them is blocked                              |

For the full picture of opt-out handling and texting rules, see [Texting Compliance](/messaging/compliance).

## Who Can Send

| Sender         | When                                          | Labeled as                      |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| You            | Anytime, from the thread view                 | You                             |
| Your AI agent  | When handling a conversation on your behalf   | Your AI agent                   |
| Drip campaigns | Automated sequences until the contact replies | Campaign messages in the thread |

## How Conversations Start and Hand Off

* **Inbound texts from new numbers automatically create a contact** — no lead falls through because they texted before they were in your CRM
* **A reply pauses any active drip** — when a lead responds to an automated message from an [SMS drip](/messaging/sms-drips), the drip pauses instantly and the conversation moves to human/agent handling

<Tip>
  Watch the unread indicators after a drip send goes out. Replies are exactly the moment a lead is engaged — the drip has already stepped aside, so the conversation is yours to take.
</Tip>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What happens if I text someone at night?">
    Nothing bad — Spark holds the message. Texts to a lead outside 8am–9pm in the lead's local time are queued and delivered in the morning.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can't I send to a particular contact?">
    They've opted out, most likely by replying STOP. Spark blocks all texting to opted-out contacts. See [Texting Compliance](/messaging/compliance) for how opt-outs work.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A lead replied to a drip — will the campaign keep texting them?">
    No. The drip pauses the moment they reply, and the conversation is handed to you or your AI agent. See [SMS Drip Campaigns](/messaging/sms-drips).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Someone texted my number who isn't in my CRM — where did they go?">
    Spark created a contact for them automatically. The conversation is in your Inbox and the new contact record holds the thread.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I tell whether my AI agent or I sent a message?">
    Every message in the thread view carries a sender label — contact, you, or your AI agent — so the history is always unambiguous.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>