How to Reply to a Lead From the Inbox

Summary

Overview: The Inbox shows every conversation Pippin is having with your leads. You can open any conversation and send your own reply on the lead's channel: email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger or web chat.

Prerequisites:

• The channel you want to reply on is connected (for example Gmail or Zoho Mail for email, or your Twilio account for SMS and WhatsApp).
• Your workspace is active. In an inactive workspace you can read conversations but not send.

How Pippin Decides

1. When you send a reply yourself, Pippin treats it as you taking over. It stops replying to this lead until you hand the conversation back with Resume AI.
2. If Pippin had a reply waiting for approval in the Review Queue for this lead, your reply replaces it. The waiting draft is closed.
3. If the lead was on a follow-up sequence, a reply you send by email, SMS or WhatsApp stops that sequence.

Limits

• You can only reply on the channels that lead can receive:
  • Email and SMS leads (and web form leads): Email or SMS.
  • WhatsApp leads: WhatsApp only.
  • Messenger leads: Messenger only.
  • Web chat leads: Web chat, plus Email once Pippin has the visitor's email address.
• WhatsApp only allows a reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message.
• Messenger allows a normal reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message. Between 24 hours and 7 days your reply goes out as a human-agent message. After 7 days you can't reply until the customer writes again.
• Formatting, links, emoji, images and attachments are available on Email only. Each uploaded file can be up to 10 MB.
• You can add up to 10 Cc and 10 Bcc addresses to an email reply.
• An archived lead can't be replied to. Unarchive it first.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open the conversation

1. In the left menu, click Inbox.
2. Click a lead in the list. The conversation opens in the middle of the screen.
   • Other ways in: click a "New message from…" notification in the bell menu, or a lead link in Pippify Coach. These open the same conversation in the Inbox.
3. To see the lead's contact details while you reply, click the Show lead details (information) button at the top of the conversation.

Step 2: Check whether Pippin already drafted a reply

If your automation level is Review every reply, Pippin doesn't send its replies straight away. When a reply for this lead is waiting, a bar above the reply box says "Pippin drafted a reply and is waiting for your approval."

1. To use Pippin's draft, click Open Review Queue.
2. In the Review Queue, the card shows Customer wrote with the customer's message, next to Pippin's reply under Pippin's draft.
3. Click Approve & Send to send it as it is, or Edit Before Sending to change it first and then click Approve & Send.

If you'd rather write your own reply, continue with Step 3. Pippin's waiting draft is closed when you send.

Step 3: Write your reply

1. Click Reply to <lead name>… at the bottom of the conversation. The reply box opens.
2. Check the channel button at the bottom left of the reply box (for example Email or SMS). To change it, click it and choose another channel.
3. Type your message.
   • On Email, the To: line shows the address the reply goes to. Click Cc or Bcc to add more people. Press Enter or type a comma after each address.
   • On Email, the Auto-added when you send: line shows the sign-off Pippify adds for you, so you don't need to type your own.
   • On Email, use the toolbar for bold, italic, underline, lists, Insert link, Insert emoji, Insert image and Attach file.
   • On SMS, a counter shows the number of characters and how many SMS messages the text will use.
4. If your text still contains a placeholder in square brackets, such as [Contact Name], replace it. Pippify won't send a message that still has one.

Step 4: Send

1. Press Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter on a Mac), or click Send.
2. Your message appears in the conversation and the reply box closes.
3. At the top of the conversation, the label changes to You've taken over this thread. To let Pippin answer this lead again, click Resume AI. See How to Take Over a Conversation From Pippin.

Step 5: Resend an SMS or WhatsApp message that wasn't delivered

1. If an SMS or WhatsApp message shows Not delivered under it, click Resend.
2. The text is loaded back into the reply box. Change it if you need to, then click Send.

Verify It Worked

Success criteria:

• Your message appears in the conversation with your name on it.
• For SMS and WhatsApp, Delivered appears next to the time once delivery is confirmed.
• The top of the conversation shows You've taken over this thread.

Troubleshooting

Common errors

• "This workspace is inactive, so replies can't be sent.": the workspace's subscription or trial has ended. Fix: an Admin clicks Go to Billing and reactivates the workspace. Other roles see "Ask your workspace admin to reactivate it."
• "This lead has no email address on file — only a phone number. Reply by SMS instead, or ask the customer for an email address.": the lead came in by phone, SMS or chat. Fix: switch the channel to SMS, or add an email address in Email on the lead's Overview › Lead Details.
• "This lead has no SMS number on file.": there is no phone number for this lead. Fix: add one in Phone on the lead's Overview › Lead Details (click View Full Lead), or reply by email.
• "SMS channel not connected. Please configure your SMS channel in Settings." or "Email channel not connected. Please configure your email channel in Settings.": the channel isn't connected. Fix: an Admin connects it in Settings › Channels.
• "Gmail authentication has expired. Please reconnect your Gmail channel in Settings → Channels." or "Gmail credentials are invalid. Please reconnect your Gmail channel in Settings → Channels.": Google no longer accepts the saved connection. Fix: an Admin clicks Reconnect Gmail on the Email card in Settings › Channels.
• "Zoho Mail stopped accepting this connection. Please reconnect your email in Settings → Channels.": Zoho no longer accepts the saved connection. Fix: an Admin clicks Reconnect Zoho Mail on the Email card in Settings › Channels.
• "WhatsApp only allows a reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message. They must message you again before you can reply.": the 24-hour window has closed. Fix: wait for the customer to message you again.
• "Messenger's messaging window has closed — the customer must message you first.": more than 7 days have passed since the customer last wrote. Fix: wait for the customer to message you again.
• "Fill in all placeholders before sending — e.g. [Contact Name]": your text still has a placeholder in square brackets. Fix: replace or delete it.
• "Attachments are not sent by SMS — only the text will go out.": you attached a file and then switched to SMS. Fix: switch back to Email if the file must go out.
• This lead is archived. Pippin is not replying and follow-ups are stopped. shows instead of the reply box: the lead is archived. Fix: click Unarchive in that bar.

Limitations & considerations

• "Heads up: this lead has opted out of messages. Your message was sent, but the AI will stay silent on this thread.": Pippify lets you message a lead who opted out, but Pippin won't contact them.
• "Heads up: this visitor has left the chat, so they will not see this reply. It is saved on the thread — reach them another way if you need an answer.": web chat replies only reach a visitor who still has the chat open.
• The reply box is not on the lead's page. The Conversations tab there is read-only; reply from the Inbox.

Next Steps & Related Resources

• Next steps:
  • How to Take Over a Conversation From Pippin
  • How to Approve or Reject Items in the Review Queue
• Related articles:
  • How to Find a Lead in the Inbox
  • How to Choose Quotes or Meetings and the Automation Level
  • Why Can't I Reply on WhatsApp or Messenger?
  • How to Disconnect or Reconnect Gmail

Need more help? For more information and assistance, please send an email to support@pippify.ai.

Last Updated: 10/19/2026