Finding the right conversation shouldn’t feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Interakt’s Inbox Search and Advanced Filters allow you to locate customers and specific message content in seconds, ensuring your team stays productive and responsive.

What can you do with Search?

The search functionality is designed to help you manage high volumes of conversations by looking through three key areas:

  • Customer Names: Quickly find a specific user.
  • Contact Details: Search by phone number if the name isn’t known.
  • Message Content: Locate specific keywords or past discussions within chat histories.

 

Note on Permissions: Search is a permission-restricted feature. To use it, you must have access to the Contact Hub and the ‘All’ section of the Inbox. If the search icon is greyed out, please contact your admin to update your permissions in Settings > Role Permission.

Refining Results with Advanced Filters

To narrow down your search even further, use the Filter menu by clicking on the icon before you try to search for any contact.

 

Filter Category

Description

Labels & Tags

Filter by custom categories like “Loyal,” “New Customer,” or specific campaign tags (e.g., “Diwali”).

Chat Status

Toggle between All, Open, or Closed chats.

Assignee

Find chats assigned to you, specific team members, or those currently unassigned.

Reply Status

Filter by Unreplied, Replied Manually, or Replied by Bot.

Read/Unread

Quickly spot messages that haven’t been opened yet.

Response Window

View Active chats (within the 24-hour window) or Inactive.

Time & Spam

Filter by Last Message Time (using the date picker) or view Spam Chats.

1. Labels & Tags

Filter by custom categories like “Loyal,” “New Customer,” or specific campaign tags (e.g., “Diwali”).

You can search for a particular Label/Tag by typing the name or scrolling through the list to select the one you are looking for. Once selected, click on Apply Filter, and all the users/chats with the selected Tag will be visible on the left-hand side of the screen.

 

 

2. Chat Status

Toggle between All, Open, or Closed chats by selecting the relevant filter.

Suppose you want to check all the chats that haven’t been closed by your agents. All you need to do is select the Open option, and all the chats that haven’t been resolved or left open will be visible on the left-hand side.

3. Assignee

The Assignee Filter is your primary tool for managing ownership within the shared inbox. Instead of scrolling through every conversation, it allows you to isolate chats based on who is responsible for handling them. Just select the name of the agent(s) you want to check the chats of and apply the filter, and you will get all the chats assigned to that person.

 

Key Options Explained:

  • Unassigned: Focuses on incoming chats that haven’t been picked up yet—perfect for managers or agents looking to claim new tickets.
  • Assigned to me: Your personalized workspace. This removes all distractions and shows only the customers you are personally responsible for.
  • Search Agent Name: Looking to check the progress of a specific team member? Use the search bar to find and select any agent on your team.

 

Pro-Tip: Use this filter to prevent “double-handling” of chats. By filtering for Unassigned messages, your team can ensure that every customer query is promptly claimed and addressed by the right person.

Reply Status

This filter helps you understand a conversation’s current state based on the last message sent. It is essential for distinguishing between chats that require human intervention and those already being handled.

The Filter Options:

  • Unreplied: Shows chats where the customer has sent a message, but no one (neither a human nor a bot) has responded yet. This is your primary “To-Do” list.
  • Replied Manually: Filters for chats where a team member has personally typed out and sent a response. This helps you track active human conversations.
  • Replied by Bot: Shows chats where your automated workflows or chatbots have sent the last message. This is useful for monitoring bot performance or identifying when a user might need to be “handed over” to a real person.

Read/Unread Status

  • Read: Conversations you or your team have already opened.
  • Unread: New activity that hasn’t been acknowledged yet. This is a great secondary check to ensure no new message has slipped through the cracks.

Last Message Time

This includes a Date & Time Picker. Use it to find conversations from a specific day or time range (e.g., “Find all messages from 11th March 2026 to 13th March 2026).

Spam Chats

Select Show Spam Chats to isolate messages that have been flagged. This keeps your main inbox clean while allowing you to occasionally check for false positives.

Pro Tip: Use the “Reset All” button at the bottom of the filter sidebar to quickly clear your selections and start fresh.

NOTE: Use this ‘Power-View’ to clear your pending replies based on urgency, ensuring no customer session expires before you’ve had a chance to respond – “Open + Assigned to Me + Unreplied + Unread + Response Window = open AND sorted by shortest response window first 

How to Search for Customers inside Shared Team Inbox

Whether you have a name or just a number, here is how to find your customers:

1. Search by Name: Type the customer’s name directly into the search bar. You will get all results that match that name.

2. Phone Number Matches: If you only have a partial or full phone number, Interakt will surface all matching profiles.

3. Initiate New Chats: Found a customer you haven’t messaged yet? You can initiate a new chat directly from the inbox by clicking on the ‘+’ sign.

4. Click on the New Contact button, add the details, and start chatting! No need to go back to the ‘Contact’ page.

5. Exiting Search: To return to your standard inbox view, simply click the “Left Arrow” icon in the header.

How to Search for Chat Content

Need to find a specific order ID or a past query mentioned in a chat?

  • Step 1: Click the Search Icon next to the filter button.
  • Step 2: Enter the keyword or phrase.
  • Step 3: Results are sorted chronologically (based on when the message was sent), and the matching text is highlighted in the conversation list for quick identification.

Sort By Option

To ensure your team prioritizes the right conversations at the right time, Interakt provides four powerful Sort By options. These allow you to reorganize your inbox based on urgency and message history.

Here is a breakdown of what each sorting option does:

1. Newest Customer Message

  • What it does: This is the default view. It places the most recent messages received from customers at the very top of your list.
  • Best for: Staying on top of live, incoming queries, and ensuring “real-time” responsiveness.

2. Oldest Customer Message

  • What it does: This reverses the order, bringing the customers who have been waiting the longest for a reply to the top.
  • Best for: Clearing out backlogs. It ensures that no customer is left hanging just because newer messages are coming in. Use this to meet your SLA (Service Level Agreement) goals.

3. Shortest Response Window

  • What it does: WhatsApp has a 24-hour “Customer Service Window.” This sort option shows chats where the 24-hour timer is about to expire.
  • Best for: Critical prioritization. It helps you identify which customers you need to reply to immediately before the window closes (after which you might be required to use a pre-approved Template Message to re-engage them).

4. Longest Response Window

  • What it does: This shows conversations where the 24-hour window has only just started (i.e., the customer messaged very recently).
  • Best for: Identifying “fresh” leads or new conversations where you have the maximum amount of time available to converse freely without worrying about the window closing soon.

Sort Option

Priority Type

Goal

Newest Message

Recency

Real-time engagement.

Oldest Message

Patience

Clearing old tickets/backlogs.

Shortest Window

Expiration

Avoiding “Window Expired” errors.

Longest Window

Safety

Focusing on newly opened sessions.

To ensure your team never misses the chance to reply to a customer for free (within the 24-hour window), follow these two steps:

Step 1: Set the filter to “Active”

Go to the Response Window in the filter sidebar and select Active.

  • Why? This hides all “Expired” chats where the 24-hour window has already closed, leaving only the conversations where you can still send free-form messages.

 

Step 2: Sort by “Shortest Response Window”

 

Click the Sort icon and select Shortest Response Window.

  • Why? This moves the chats that are closest to expiring to the very top.

 

The Result: Your team sees a “To-Do” list ranked by urgency. The person at the top might only have 10 minutes left in their window, while the person at the bottom might have 23 hours.

Why this matters

  • Cost Efficiency: Replying within the active window is free-form. Once it expires, you must use a paid Template Message to reopen the conversation.
  • Customer Experience: It ensures that customers who messaged you yesterday aren’t forgotten just because new messages are flying in today.

 

Note: If a chat is marked as ‘Inactive’ in your filters, you will need to use an approved WhatsApp Template to resume the conversation.