# Inbox

> Read and answer customer conversations, start a thread from a lead, filter by channel, and see read-only ContractorsNearMe threads.

Source: https://docs.buildx.pro/docs/dashboard/inbox/

The Inbox lives at https://mybuildx.com/inbox. General Contractor and Subcontractor accounts have it. It holds your conversations with customers. Senders BuildX can't match to a customer show as **Unknown Customer**.

## What you can do

- Switch **Source** between **Local** (your MyBuildX conversations) and **CNM** (messages from ContractorsNearMe).
- Filter by **Channel**: **All**, **Email**, **SMS**, **Lead**, **Connection**.
- Tick **Unread only**, or search with **Search customer or message**.
- Open a thread, write a reply, and press **Reply**.
- **Archive** a thread you're done with.
- Start a conversation from a lead with **Start conversation**.

## Reply to a customer

1. Open https://mybuildx.com/inbox. **Local** is selected.
2. Click a thread in the list. The messages show on the right, labeled **You** for yours and with the customer's name for theirs.
3. Type in the reply box and press **Reply**.

On email threads, your reply is also emailed to the customer from your business. The reply is saved in the thread even if the email fails to send.

## Start a conversation from a lead

1. On [Leads](https://docs.buildx.pro/docs/dashboard/leads.md), press **Respond** on the lead.
2. The Inbox opens with a **Responding to lead** banner and the customer's name.
3. If there's no thread yet, press **Start conversation**, then reply as usual.

## See ContractorsNearMe messages

1. Press **CNM** under **Source**. The button shows how many threads you have and how many are unread.
2. Click a thread to read it.

CNM threads are marked **Read-only**: "Replies stay in your local Inbox." To answer that customer, reply from a Local thread. If the CNM connection is down, the list shows "CNM threads unavailable right now."

## Where messages come from

- Replies a customer sends to your emails.
- Replies a customer types on an invoice link ("Questions about this invoice? Reply below"). These start or continue a thread for that customer's email. See [Invoices](https://docs.buildx.pro/docs/dashboard/invoices.md).
- Threads you start from a lead.

## Good to know

- There's no "new message" button for a customer who isn't a lead. Start from a lead, or ask **Ask BuildX**.
- You can't send SMS from MyBuildX. The **SMS** chip only filters threads.
- Turn on phone alerts to hear about new customer replies. See [Home](https://docs.buildx.pro/docs/dashboard/home.md).

## Related

- [Leads](https://docs.buildx.pro/docs/dashboard/leads.md)
- [Invoices](https://docs.buildx.pro/docs/dashboard/invoices.md)
- [Home](https://docs.buildx.pro/docs/dashboard/home.md)