WhatsApp CRM

WhatsApp shared inbox: how teams answer from one number

A WhatsApp shared inbox lets a whole team answer from one number. See assignment, notes, status, quick replies and routing, and how to set one up.

  • 2 min read
  • Updated
  • By Ashmit Arya
On this page (8)
  1. What a shared inbox gives a team
  2. Quick replies for the questions you get daily
  3. Send chats to the right person automatically
  4. Rules that keep a team sharp
  5. Setting up a shared inbox in a week
  6. What to measure
  7. Sources
  8. Frequently asked questions

On the free Business app, "sharing" a number means passing a phone around. On a shared inbox, five people can work the same number at once, and everyone can see who is handling what.

What a shared inbox gives a team

  1. 1

    Everyone sees the same chatsthe basics

    One list of conversations, with unread counts and search.

  2. 2

    Ownership is clearassignment

    A chat is assigned to a person, so no two people reply to the same customer.

  3. 3

    Context travels with the chatnotes

    Private notes the customer never sees, plus tags and the contact's details beside the conversation.

  4. 4

    Priorities are visiblestatus and priority

    Open, pending or resolved, and a priority flag for urgent ones.

  5. 5

    Answers are fasterquick replies

    Type a slash to insert a saved answer for questions you get every day.

Responseify shared inbox showing a conversation with the customer's details beside it

Quick replies for the questions you get daily

Save the answers to your top ten questions (timings, address, price range, payment options). Everyone on the team then answers the same way.

Responseify message box showing the slash menu of saved quick replies

What to notice: typing a slash lists your saved replies. Save time with quick replies.

Send chats to the right person automatically

Routing rules assign new conversations by a trigger such as a keyword, tag, time of day or contact field, and share them by round robin, a specific agent, skill or rotation.

Responseify routing rules page with the new rule button

What to notice: you pick when a rule applies and how chats are shared. Route new conversations automatically.

Rules that keep a team sharp

  • One owner per chat. If you open someone else's chat, add a note instead of replying.
  • Use notes for hand-offs. "Customer wants Saturday visit, budget 90 lakh" saves the next person a scroll.
  • Close what is done. Resolved chats keep the open list honest.
  • Check the window. The time left to send a free-form reply shows beside the contact. See the 24-hour window.

Setting up a shared inbox in a week

  1. 1

    Day 1connect and invite

    Connect your number and invite teammates with the right roles.

  2. 2

    Day 2quick replies

    Save answers to your top ten questions so everyone speaks the same way.

  3. 3

    Day 3business hours

    Set your hours and an out-of-office message. See [the out-of-office guide](/blog/whatsapp-out-of-office-message).

  4. 4

    Day 4routing

    Create one rule per team or topic so new chats find the right person.

  5. 5

    Day 5habits

    Agree who owns a chat, when to add a note and when to close it.

What to measure

After a couple of weeks, look at three things: how long a new chat waits before the first reply, how many chats are still open at the end of the day, and which questions come up most. The last one tells you what to turn into quick replies or a chatbot flow. For service habits that keep customers happy, read WhatsApp customer support best practices.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can multiple people use one WhatsApp number?

Yes, through the WhatsApp Business API with a shared inbox. The free Business app is meant for one person on one phone.

Can customers see my internal notes?

No. Notes are private to your team.

Can I limit what a teammate can see?

Yes. Roles such as Admin, Agent and Viewer control what each person can do.

How many team members can I add?

It depends on your plan: 1 on Free, 3 on Starter, 8 on Growth and 20 on Business, with extra agents at ₹500 each per month.

About the author

Ashmit Arya · Founder, Responseify

Builds Responseify, a WhatsApp CRM for Indian businesses, and tests what these guides describe in the product himself. Every number here is sourced and dated, and posts are updated when the rules change.

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