Two-Way Conversations
Once inbound is configured, messaging becomes a conversation rather than a broadcast — which changes what you need to think about.
Where to find it
Architect Panel → Communication:
- Received Messages — the inbound side of the thread
- Message Log — the outbound side
Keep the thread on the record
Both directions should file against the same record so the exchange reads as a conversation. A case where the outbound messages are on the file and the replies are in a separate list is a case nobody can follow.
Somebody must be listening
The commonest failure of two-way messaging is organisational, not technical: replies arrive and nobody is responsible for reading them. Decide who owns the queue and how quickly they respond before you invite anyone to reply.
The WhatsApp session window
WhatsApp allows free-form replies only within a window after the user's last message. Outside it, you must use an approved template. A conversation that stalls because the window closed looks to the user like being ignored, so design flows that keep exchanges within it or fall back to a template gracefully.
Set expectations
Tell people what the number is for and when it is monitored. "This number is not monitored" on an outbound message is honest; silence is not, and somebody in difficulty will message it anyway.
Safeguarding
Where the people you message may be vulnerable, an inbound channel will eventually receive a disclosure or a crisis message. Have a route for that decided in advance — a rule that flags certain content for immediate human attention is worth configuring before you need it.