> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.yedric.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/team-inbox.md). # Live chat and the inbox Hand Yedric conversations to your team: take live chats in Chats and support emails or WhatsApp messages in the inbox, opened from Shopify. Your assistant answers first, but some conversations need a person. Your team picks those up in the Yedric dashboard: live chats in **Chats**, and support emails and WhatsApp messages in the **inbox**. Both open from the Yedric app in a new tab, already signed in as you, with a **Back to Shopify** link to return. Whether your team takes chats at all is set by **Who answers** on the [Assistant](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/assistant/) page. *** ## Live chat When a shopper asks for a person, or your assistant decides one is needed, the chat waits in **Chats** for a teammate. The shopper stays in the same chat panel on your storefront, and your teammate's replies appear there. To answer, click **Open chats** on the Assistant card on [Home](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/home/). The badge beside it shows how many chats are waiting. Teammates mark themselves available in the console and take chats from the queue. ![Screenshot of the Assistant card on the Yedric Home page (Apps > Yedric), showing the three rows "{Name} answers shoppers" with an Active badge, "Your team answers emails" with a "0 waiting" badge and an "Open inbox" button, and "Your team takes over in live chat" with a "0 waiting" badge and an "Open chats" button, focused on the "Open chats" button](https://docs.yedric.ai/assets/2026-10-23-shopify-going-deeper-team-inbox-open-chats.png) In the console your team can see who the shopper is, including their Shopify customer details when they are signed in, and send product and discount cards. Everything about answering chats, from availability to canned responses, transfers and notes, is covered in [Live Chat](https://docs.yedric.ai/going-further/live-chat/). ### Staff hours Tell Yedric when your team is around to chat. Outside those hours, when a shopper asks for a person, your assistant tells them when your team is back instead of leaving them waiting. Open **Staff hours** from **Add your staff's available hours**, under **Who answers** in the setup guide, or from the **To-dos** card on [Home](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/home/), which reminds you until hours are set. For each day, switch it on and pick the times your team is available, then click **Save**. Times are in your store's time zone. ![Screenshot of the Yedric Staff hours page (from Apps > Yedric > Home, the To-dos card's "Add hours" button), showing the "Available hours" section with a row per day of the week, each with "from" and "to" time dropdowns and a switch, weekdays switched on from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and the weekend off, and the line "Times are in your store's time zone", focused on the Monday row](https://docs.yedric.ai/assets/2026-10-23-shopify-going-deeper-team-inbox-staff-hours.png) When your assistant handles everything (see [Who answers](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/assistant/#who-answers)), there is no live chat to staff, and the page says so. You choose when your team is pinged about hand-offs. For example, a [Shopify Flow](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/capabilities/shopify-flow/) workflow can email your team whenever one is requested. *** ## Email Forward your store's support address to Yedric, and support emails arrive in the inbox with a reply drafted for each one by your assistant. Your team reviews and sends, or lets the assistant send. ### Setting it up 1. In [Settings](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/settings/), find the **Email** section and check **Answer emails sent to this address**, then save. 2. Copy the address under **Forward your support email to**. It is made from your store's name. 3. In your email provider, forward your store's support address to it. [image:Screenshot of the Email section of the Yedric Settings page (Apps > Yedric > Settings), with "Answer emails sent to this address" checked, the read-only "Forward your support email to" field showing the store's Yedric address, and the Replies, "Name replies come from", "Reply-to address" and Signature fields below. Spotlight the "Forward your support email to" field.] ### Options * **Replies**: * **The assistant drafts a reply; your team reviews and sends it**: The default. * **The assistant sends replies itself**: Refunds, upset customers and anything that needs a person are left as drafts. After three replies to the same person in a day, the next one waits for your team. * **Your team answers everything**: No drafts. * **Name replies come from**: Defaults to your store's name. * **Reply-to address**: Where customers' answers go. Leave it empty to use the Yedric address. If you use your own support address, keep it forwarded to Yedric so threads stay together. * **Support email address** (Pro): The address replies come from, once its domain is set up under **Send from your own address**. Until then, replies come from Yedric's shared address with your store's name. * **Signature**: Added to every reply. Replies you write in the inbox can use bold, italics, lists, emoji and links to your help pages, and you can paste formatted text. ### Send from your own address On Pro, replies can leave from your own support address, like support@yourstore.com, instead of Yedric's shared one. Add two records where you manage DNS for your domain, and Yedric signs your replies as your domain. Nothing else changes: keep your SPF, MX and email forwarding as they are. 1. Enter your **Support email address** in the **Email** section and save. 2. Under **Send from your own address**, copy the two **CNAME** records, each with its **Name** and what it **Points to**. 3. Add both at your DNS host. That is usually where you bought the domain, or Cloudflare if you use it. On Cloudflare, set **Proxy status** to **DNS only**. Some DNS hosts add your domain to the name for you; if yours does, enter only the first part. 4. Back in Yedric, click **Check now**, or wait: Yedric checks every few minutes. Changes usually show up within an hour and can take up to 48. [image:Screenshot of the "Send from your own address" section of the Yedric Settings page (Apps > Yedric > Settings) on a Pro store, showing the store's domain with a "Waiting for DNS" badge, the two CNAME records each with read-only "Name" and "Points to" fields, and the "Check now" button. Spotlight the two CNAME records.] Until the records are found, replies go out from the shared address with your store's name, and customers can still reply to them. Once they are, the badge reads **Verified**. If the records later go missing, replies switch back to the shared address until you put them back, and Yedric switches over again on its own. On Free, the section shows **Pro** and replies come from the shared address with your store's name. Click **Open inbox** on Home to work the inbox. Email conversations also appear in [Conversations](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/conversations/), with a **Reply** button that opens the thread in the inbox. *** ## WhatsApp On the Pro plan, you can answer customers on WhatsApp from your own number. Messages arrive in the same inbox as email, with a reply drafted for each. ### Connecting your number 1. In [Settings](https://docs.yedric.ai/shopify/going-deeper/settings/), find the **WhatsApp** section and click **Connect WhatsApp**. 2. A Meta window opens. Log in with Facebook, choose your business, and pick the number to use. If your number is already in the WhatsApp Business app, you can keep using the app on it. 3. Come back to the Yedric tab. It updates on its own when your number is connected. [image:Screenshot of the WhatsApp section of the Yedric Settings page (Apps > Yedric > Settings) on a Pro store with a number connected, showing the phone number and business name, the "X of 1,000 free replies used this month" line, the "Open WhatsApp Manager (payment method, templates)" link, the "Answer WhatsApp messages" checkbox and the Replies dropdown. Spotlight the free replies line.] ### Options and costs * **Answer WhatsApp messages** and **Replies**: The same three reply options as email. * Meta charges your store directly for WhatsApp. The first 1,000 replies to customers each month are free; the section counts them. Past those, Meta charges for each reply and stops delivering them unless a payment method is on file in WhatsApp Manager. * WhatsApp only allows a free-form reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, the inbox offers your approved message templates instead. Manage templates in WhatsApp Manager. **Disconnect** removes the number. Past conversations stay in the inbox.