What Is Shopify Inbox
Shopify Inbox is a customer messaging platform that centralises conversations from your store chat widget, email, and social DMs in a single inbox. It is free and built into your Shopify admin: no additional app installation required.
When a customer messages you via the chat widget on your store, the conversation appears in Shopify Inbox. Your team can respond from a browser, the Shopify app, or the dedicated Inbox mobile app.
Setting Up Inbox
Enable Shopify Inbox by going to Inbox in your Shopify admin sidebar. Click "Start using Inbox" to activate it. This adds a chat widget to your store automatically.
Customise the chat widget: set the colour, button style, and greeting message. Configure your availability: set the hours when agents are available and the offline message shown when you are unavailable.
Automated Replies
Shopify Inbox includes an instant replies feature that automatically responds to common questions without agent involvement. Set up responses for: delivery time, returns policy, order status, and product FAQs.
These automated replies can be configured with quick answer shortcuts: customers tap a common question, and the automated answer appears instantly. This reduces handle time and responds to customers even when agents are unavailable.
Product Sharing
One of Shopify Inbox's strongest features is product sharing. During a conversation, agents can search your product catalogue and share a product card directly in chat. The customer sees the product image, price, and a link to buy it without leaving the chat.
This is particularly effective for customers who ask "do you have X in my size?" or "what do you recommend for Y?". The agent can instantly share the relevant product rather than giving a URL.
Conversation Management
Assign conversations to specific team members for accountability. Add internal notes to conversations that are visible to your team but not the customer. Tag conversations by topic (returns, product query, order issue) for reporting and routing.
Set up email follow-ups for conversations that go offline: if a customer closes the chat, any response is automatically sent to their email.
Mobile App
The Shopify Inbox mobile app lets your team respond to customer messages from their phones. It sends push notifications for new messages, so you can respond quickly even when away from the computer.
The mobile app is particularly useful for small teams where one person handles both operations and customer service. Real-time notifications mean you do not miss messages during busy periods.
Inbox Analytics
Inbox shows basic analytics: total conversations, response time, and conversation outcomes. Use this data to identify peak conversation times, common question topics, and how quickly your team is responding.
If you want deeper customer service analytics, consider upgrading to Gorgias or another dedicated customer service platform.
