# Reply from the inbox

> Open a conversation from any channel, reply or leave a private note, use canned responses and WhatsApp templates, take over from the AI agent, then snooze or close it.

Source: https://docs.fufa.ai/inbox/reply/

You answer a customer from Fufa, and your reply goes out on the channel they wrote from, whether that's WhatsApp, live chat, Instagram, email or Telegram. The conversation stays in the inbox until you snooze or close it.

## Before you start

- At least one connected channel, such as [WhatsApp](/channels/whatsapp/) or [live chat](/channels/live-chat/).
- Access to the inbox the conversation is in. Your role and inbox access are set in [Invite your team](/workspace/team/).

## Find the conversation

1. Open **Inbox**. Your inboxes and saved views are in the left panel.
2. The list shows **Open** conversations. Switch to **Snoozed** or **Closed** to see the others, and use **Sort by** for **Latest**, **Oldest** or **Priority**.
3. Select a conversation. To skim it first, use **Preview AI summary** in the list. Fufa writes the summary as the conversation progresses.

## Reply

1. In the composer at the bottom, make sure **Reply** is selected.
2. Type your message. Attach files, add emoji, or type `/` to insert a canned response or a WhatsApp template.
3. Select **Send**. To send it later, choose **Schedule send** instead, or **Save as draft** to finish it later.

To talk to your team without the customer seeing it, switch to **Note**. Notes are visible only to your team and are never sent to the contact.

## Take over from the AI agent

If an AI agent is handling the conversation, the header says someone else is handling it. Select **Take over**, then **Take over for 30 minutes** or **Take over forever**, and reply yourself. Select **Hand back** when the agent can continue.

## Snooze or close it

From the conversation header:

- **Snooze** hides the conversation until **Later today**, **Tomorrow**, **Monday**, **One week**, **One month**, or a **Custom** time. It reopens when the time comes or when the customer writes again.
- **Close** marks it done. **Reopen** brings it back.
- **Add tag**, **Mark as unread**, **Report spam** and **Move to trash** are also in the header.

To act on many conversations at once, select them in the list and use the bar that appears: **Close**, **Add tag**, **Assign**, **Reopen** and more.

## Common questions

### Why does the composer ask me to choose a template?

On WhatsApp you can only send a free-form message within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, select **Choose template** and send an approved WhatsApp template. When the customer replies, you can write freely again.

### How do I create canned responses?

Go to **Settings → Templates → Canned responses** and add the replies your team sends often. In any conversation, type `/` and start typing the name to insert one.

### Can my team see who is replying?

Yes. Assigned conversations show who owns them. Assign a conversation from the header or with **Assign** in the bulk actions bar. Turn on **Auto-assignment** in an inbox's settings to spread new conversations across available teammates.

### Does the customer see my notes?

No. Notes are visible only to your team and are never sent to the contact.

## Related

- [Invite your team](/workspace/team/)
- [Create an agent](/agents/create-an-agent/)
- [Connect WhatsApp](/channels/whatsapp/)