The thread list shows every conversation: team threads on the left, customer SMS conversations flagged with a Customer label, and unread badges on anything that needs attention. Opening a thread marks it read, and while a thread is open Conduit polls for new messages so replies appear without refreshing.
- Look over the thread list: unread badges on conversations that need a reply, the total unread count in the header, and the Customer label that marks SMS conversations from customers versus internal team threads.
- Open a conversation. The thread loads and its unread badge clears.
- Type a reply in the open thread and send it. Your message appears immediately and the conversation list updates.
- Start a new team conversation: click the compose button, check the team members to include, and start the conversation.
- Notice that an open thread stays live: Conduit polls for new messages every few seconds, so a teammate's reply shows up on its own (watch the customer message from the lesson below arrive).
You can also see project-linked conversations from the project’s Messages tab.
Chat on a customer’s public page
A customer can open the chat panel on a shared bid page and send a message without signing in. Their message creates or continues a conversation tied to that specific bid, staff replies appear in the same panel, and the customer sees a notification dot when a new reply arrives while the panel is closed. Play the customer below; your message lands in the inbox widget above within a few seconds, the same way it lands in your real Messages page.
- Read the conversation as the customer sees it on their shared bid page: no login, just the thread for that one bid.
- Send a message as the customer, asking a question about the bid.
- Watch the message you just sent appear in the Messages inbox above as an unread customer conversation, exactly where your team would pick it up.
Conduit also accepts an invoice public link as the context for a customer conversation, though the shared invoice page does not display the chat panel yet. Shared completion receipt pages show receipt details and company contact information but no chat, so receipt questions should go through the email or SMS that delivered them.
For one-way alerts and automated reminders, see Customer Text Messages.