# Messaging conversations Handle messages from connected services as INSIDE conversations while retaining the customer and business account used. *Release 3.3 · developer, operator, visitor* **Settings › General Settings › Integrations** ## What it is Messages from connected services appear as conversations in INSIDE. The conversation keeps the messaging service and business account used by the customer, so an operator can reply through that account. Customers continue using their own messaging app. ## Who uses it and why - Operators answer external messages using the conversation tools in INSIDE. - Developers need to understand that a customer's identity belongs to a service and business account, rather than assuming every sender has a telephone number. - Visitors contact your business through their preferred connected service. ## Where to find it Open the customer's conversation on the operator floor. Messaging accounts are connected by Powerfront through **Settings › General Settings › Integrations**. ## How it works 1. The service sends INSIDE a message identifying the sender and receiving business account. 2. INSIDE finds or creates the corresponding platform identity and visitor session. 3. The message enters an appropriate conversation and follows the website's assignment behaviour. 4. Operators see the transcript and reply in INSIDE. The reply uses the account recorded on that conversation. The conversation's account takes priority over account details on the current visitor record. This matters when the same person contacts more than one business account. Platform identities can link to an INSIDE contact. A shared display name does not establish that two identities belong to the same person. WhatsApp can supply a business-scoped identifier without a telephone number, and INSIDE does not create a mobile number from that identifier. ## Configure it There is no separate identity-mapping switch for operators. Ask Powerfront to connect the correct business accounts and associate their subsites. Use the contact linking features when you need to review whether identities belong to the same person. ## Limits and good to know - Two messaging identities do not automatically become one contact simply because their names match. - WhatsApp identity linking does not automatically merge two different existing contacts. - SMS conversation matching checks both the customer number and business number. A closed SMS conversation is not reused by that matching step. - Older conversations may lack the account information recorded by newer conversations. Ask Powerfront to review unexpected reply-account behaviour on historical records. - Seeing a customer on a messaging service does not mean they are currently browsing your website. ## Depends on and works with ### This feature uses - **Requires** [Starting, ending and expiring chats](CHAT-001.md): Messaging uses the shared conversation lifecycle. - **Requires** [Messages and rich content](CHAT-002.md): Messaging conversations use the shared message composer and transcript. - **Requires** [Webhooks and message status](CHN-003.md): Provider callbacks supply incoming messages and status updates. - **Configured in** [Website, channel and subsite access](ADM-009.md): Website, channel and subsite access determines operator visibility. - **Configured in** [Chat queue](CHAT-005.md): The shared queue controls operator assignment. - **Configured in** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Channel conditions and assignment settings determine which operators receive messaging conversations. - **Configured in** [Messaging channel connections](CHN-001.md): Messaging account records select the business account and subsite used for conversations. - **Configured in** [SMS number and channel setup](CHN-022.md): SMS number settings determine receiving accounts and fallback reply numbers. - **Works better with** [Contact merge preview and assignment](CRM-004.md): Contact linking and conflict review manage identities that belong to the same person. - **Works better with** [Customer contact identities across channels](CRM-005.md): Platform identities can be associated with an INSIDE contact. ### Used by - **Required by** [WhatsApp channel setup](CHN-006.md): Conversations retain the WhatsApp customer and business-account identity. - **Required by** [WhatsApp Business App connection](CHN-009.md): Imported messages retain the customer and account identity. - **Required by** [Facebook Messenger channel setup](CHN-010.md): Messenger conversations retain Page-specific customer identity. - **Required by** [Instagram messages and story replies](CHN-012.md): Messages belong to a conversation for the selected Instagram account. - **Required by** [LINE messaging channel setup](CHN-013.md): Conversations retain the receiving LINE account identity. - **Required by** [WeChat messaging channel setup](CHN-014.md): Conversations distinguish the connected WeChat account and customer. - **Required by** [KakaoTalk messaging conversations](CHN-015.md): Conversations retain the KakaoTalk account and customer identity. - **Required by** [Viber messaging channel setup](CHN-016.md): Each conversation retains the Viber sender account and customer identity. - **Required by** [Apple Messages conversations](CHN-018.md): Conversations retain the selected Apple account and customer identity. - **Required by** [Legacy Google Business Messages connection](CHN-020.md): Conversations retain the connected Google account and customer identity. - **Required by** [Legacy Twitter direct messages](CHN-021.md): Direct-message conversations retain their account and customer identity. - **Required by** [SMS number and channel setup](CHN-022.md): Conversation identity distinguishes both the customer's number and receiving business number. - **Enhances** [Current Chat workspace and panels](CON-014.md): Channel identity determines the conversation tabs and applicable actions. - **Enhances** [Operator replies and comments](CON-015.md): Connected messaging accounts add reply controls appropriate to their platforms. - **Enhances** [Customer contact identities across channels](CRM-005.md): Connected messaging services add customer identities that can share an INSIDE contact. - **Enhances** [Salesforce conversation records and transcripts](CRM-014.md): Social channel conversations can use a separate Salesforce conversation record type. - **Enhances** [Dynamics 365 conversation activities](CRM-017.md): Available channel identity and platform are recorded with the conversation activity. - **Enhances** [Social messaging and SMS reports](REP-012.md): Social channel conversations supply the messaging activity being measured. - **Enhances** [Audit search for retained customer records](REP-021.md): Social platforms appear within Chats with a Type filter. ## FAQ and troubleshooting ### Why does the same person appear more than once? They may have separate platform identities or have contacted different business accounts. Review their contact links before combining records. ### Why does a WhatsApp contact have no mobile number? WhatsApp can identify a customer without supplying a telephone number. The messaging identity can still be used for the conversation. ### Will replying to an older conversation use the customer's latest account? The conversation's recorded account takes priority. Historical conversations without that information need separate review. ### Why can another operator see a conversation that I cannot? Ask someone with the **Settings** or **Manager** role to check your operator account's website, channel and subsite access.