Manage SMS/WhatsApp Message Conversations
The SMS and WhatsApp channels allow customers to contact your business easily by sending a message from virtually anywhere—even in environments with limited or no data connectivity (for SMS).
Customers can reach your agents using:
Long codes
Short codes
Toll-free numbers
When a customer sends an SMS or WhatsApp message, a new chat conversation is automatically created in the SMS/WhatsApp conversation list. Agents can then view the conversation, respond to the customer, and manage the interaction directly from the Digital Engagement interface.
Creating Message Routing Rules
To route inbound SMS or WhatsApp messages to a ring group or call queue, you must create a corresponding inbound message rule in PortSIP PBX.
Example Scenario
In the example shown in the screenshot:
A customer sends an SMS to the DID 16313808000
The inbound rule routes the message to the queue with extension 8000
This ensures that inbound messages are handled by a group of agents rather than a single extension, enabling scalable and efficient customer engagement.
Agent Assignment and Message Visibility
When SMS or WhatsApp messages are routed to a ring group or call queue:
All agents in the group can view the full conversation and message history
The PBX automatically selects and assigns a designated agent to handle the customer interaction
The assigned agent receives an @mention notification, indicating responsibility for responding
Other agents are not actively alerted, but can still monitor the conversation if needed
Notification Indicators
As illustrated in the screenshot:
Red @mention text indicates the agent who has been assigned and notified to respond
Blue text indicates another agent who has been referenced or alerted within the conversation
This approach ensures clear agent ownership while maintaining full visibility and collaboration within the team.
Transferring a Message Conversation
If an agent is unable to fully resolve a customer inquiry or needs to escalate the issue, the active message conversation can be transferred to another agent for continued handling.
❗Note Only the currently assigned (designated) agent is authorized to transfer a message conversation.
To transfer a conversation:
In the message conversation window, click the ⋯ (More Options) icon.
Select Transfer Handler from the menu.
In the pop-up window, choose the target agent.
Click CONFIRM to complete the transfer.
Transfer Behavior
Once the transfer is completed:
The selected agent becomes the new designated handler for the conversation.
All subsequent messages from the customer—sent to the same ring group or queue—are automatically routed to the newly assigned agent.
The conversation history remains intact, ensuring full context is preserved for the new agent.
This transfer mechanism ensures seamless escalation, clear agent ownership, and a consistent customer experience without requiring the customer to restart the conversation.
In the PortSIP ONE mobile app, the currently assigned agent can tap and hold their own message, then select Transfer from the pop-up menu to initiate a conversation transfer.
From there, the agent can select another agent to whom the conversation will be transferred.
Selecting the Destination Number and Outbound Caller ID
When replying to a customer, you can control which phone number is used as the destination and which outbound caller ID is presented, depending on your configuration and available numbers.
If the customer is saved as a contact with multiple phone numbers, or if you want to present a different outbound caller ID:
Click the down arrow icon next to the phone number field.
Select the desired destination phone number or outbound Caller ID from the list.
This flexibility allows agents to ensure replies are sent to the correct number while presenting the appropriate caller identity to the customer.
Refer to the screenshot below for an example of this selection in the user interface.
In the PortSIP ONE mobile app, tap the message icon at the top of the conversation to open the selection window, where you can choose the destination phone number and the outbound Caller ID.
As shown in the screenshot below, tap the drop-down list to select the destination number or choose a different outbound Caller ID.
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