> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.helpyousponsor.com/guides/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.helpyousponsor.com/guides/core-features/communication-tools/message-manager.md).

# Conversations

Conversations is the shared inbox for sponsor and recipient messages in HelpYouSponsor. Use it when your team needs to review incoming messages from donors, compose and send messages to donors on behalf of recipients, approve or reject recipient-submitted messages, track conversation status, and keep all sponsor communication in one place.

Conversations was previously called Message Manager and still appears as **Conversations** in the sidebar.

<figure><img src="/files/6ngR0jnfM9qfOcjm7bPG" alt=""><figcaption><p>Conversations inbox with the three-panel layout: sidebar, message list, and message detail.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Before you start

Make sure the account and the admin user are ready for Conversations.

You need:

* Access to the **Conversations** page under **Communications**.
* The right permission set (see below).
* At least one recipient with assigned donors in a program.

Your permission set controls what you can do:

* **Email Manager** (`email_manager`) lets you view, reply, and manage conversations.
* **Manage Email** (`manage_email`) lets you manage conversations.
* **Group All** (`group_all`) includes full access to Conversations.
* **Disable Send Without Approval** (`disable_message_send_without_approval`) — when this is enabled for your account, all messages require approval from a super admin before they can be sent. The **Send** button is hidden for non-super-admin users.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you cannot see Conversations, ask an organization admin to review your permission set. You need either `group_all`, `email_manager`, or `manage_email` enabled in your permissions.
{% endhint %}

## Review messages

Use the inbox when you want to work through sponsor and recipient conversations.

1. Open **Communications**.
2. Choose **Conversations**.
3. Select the conversation you want to review from the message list.

The inbox shows the sender name, recipient name, a preview of the message body, the message status, and the date. Each message has a colored status badge:

* **New** (blue) — incoming message from a donor that has not been reviewed.
* **In Process** (yellow) — a message being reviewed by an administrator.
* **Sent** (green) — a message that has been sent to the donor.
* **Draft** (orange) — a saved draft that has not been sent yet.

<figure><img src="/files/6ngR0jnfM9qfOcjm7bPG" alt=""><figcaption><p>Message list showing status badges, sender and recipient names, and message previews.</p></figcaption></figure>

Unread messages from donors appear with a blue left border and a blue dot next to the sender name. The badge count on each category shows how many unread messages are in that section.

### Filter by mailbox category

Use the mailbox filters in the sidebar to focus the message list:

* **All Messages** — every conversation regardless of status.
* **New** — incoming messages from donors that have status **New**.
* **In Process** — messages that are being reviewed.
* **Drafts** — messages saved as drafts, including admin-composed drafts and recipient-submitted messages waiting for approval.
* **Sent** — messages that have been sent to donors.

### Filter by administrator

Use the **Admins** section in the sidebar when you want to see messages assigned to a specific team member.

1. Open **Communications**.
2. Choose **Conversations**.
3. Scroll to the **Admins** section in the sidebar.
4. Click an administrator name.

The message list updates to show only conversations assigned to that administrator. Each administrator name shows a badge with their current assigned message count. If you have more than three administrators, click **Show More** to expand the list.

<figure><img src="/files/mzleTfz5cfsvoCfKWyMV" alt=""><figcaption><p>Sidebar Admins section with names, message counts, and Show More button.</p></figcaption></figure>

### Search messages

Use the search bar when you need to find a specific conversation by sender name, recipient name, subject, or message content.

1. Click the search icon in the message list toolbar.
2. Choose the search type:
   * **Sender** — search by the sender name.
   * **Receiver** — search by the recipient name.
   * **Subject** — search by the message subject.
   * **Message** — search within the message body.
3. Type your search term.
4. Results appear in the message list with matching text highlighted.

To clear the search, click the clear button in the search bar. The message list returns to the current category view.

<figure><img src="/files/AMmvpeSIEqtilGzjjwTx" alt=""><figcaption><p>Search bar with search type selector and highlighted results in the message list.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Compose a message

Use the compose drawer when you need to send a message from a recipient to one or more of their donors.

1. Open **Communications**.
2. Choose **Conversations**.
3. Click **New Message** in the sidebar.
4. Fill in the compose form:
   * **From** — select the recipient (entity) who the message should appear to come from.
   * **To** — select one or more donors who should receive the message. If a recipient has more than one donor, you can select multiple.
   * **Subject** — enter the message subject.
   * **Message** — write the message body using the rich text editor.
5. Optionally attach a file (see below).
6. Choose **Send** to send immediately, or **Save As Draft** to save for later review.

<figure><img src="/files/2OhBjeQbGc0KXJyQwIFe" alt=""><figcaption><p>New Message compose drawer with From, To, Subject, and Message fields.</p></figcaption></figure>

### Add attachments

Use the attachment option when you want to include an image or other file with the message.

1. In the compose drawer, select a file from your computer.
2. Supported formats include JPG, JPEG, PNG, and HEIC — HEIC images are automatically converted to JPEG.
3. The file is uploaded and attached to the message when you send or save it as a draft.

The attachment appears in the message body when the recipient views it.

### Send or save as draft

When composing a message you have two options:

* **Send** — delivers the message to the donor immediately. The **Send** button may be hidden if your account has **Disable Send Without Approval** enabled.
* **Save As Draft** — saves the message as a draft without sending. Drafts appear in the **Drafts** category and must be approved by a super admin before they can be sent.

## Reply to a message

Use the reply option when you want to respond to an incoming message from a donor.

1. Open the message you want to reply to in the detail panel.
2. Click **Reply** below the message content.
3. Write your response in the editor.
4. Choose from these options:
   * **Send** — sends the reply to the donor immediately.
   * **Save As Draft** — saves the reply as a draft for later review.
   * **Discard** — discards the reply without saving.

<figure><img src="/files/5CKTvz9Gi8M0pxgBB1Xm" alt=""><figcaption><p>Message detail with reply editor open below the original message.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Manage message status

Use the status controls when you want to track the progress of a conversation through your workflow.

### Change status from the action bar

1. Open a message in the detail panel.
2. In the action bar at the top, click the current status pill.
3. The status cycles through **New** → **In Process** → **Sent**.

The status pill is disabled for messages that are already marked as **Sent** and for messages that came from the recipient portal.

<figure><img src="/files/E1V6LRkIbwqnya5bERQh" alt=""><figcaption><p>Action bar showing the status pill and the admin assignment dropdown.</p></figcaption></figure>

### Change status for multiple messages

1. Select one or more messages by checking the checkbox next to each message.
2. Click **Status** in the toolbar that appears above the message list.
3. Choose the new status: **New**, **In Process**, or **Sent**.

### Assign a conversation to an administrator

Use assignment when a specific team member should own the follow-up.

From the detail panel:

1. Open a message in the detail panel.
2. Click the **Assign admin** button (or the assigned admin name) in the action bar.
3. Select the administrator from the dropdown.

For multiple messages:

1. Select one or more messages by checking the checkbox.
2. Click **Assign an admin** in the toolbar.
3. Select the administrator from the dropdown.

## Moderate recipient messages

When a recipient sends a message through the recipient portal, the message may require admin approval before it reaches the donor. These messages appear in the **Drafts** category with a recipient message source indicator.

<figure><img src="/files/HioEy5aIn7kGITL2bBm5" alt=""><figcaption><p>Recipient-submitted message with Approve and Send and Reject buttons visible in the detail panel.</p></figcaption></figure>

### Approve a recipient message

1. Open the **Drafts** category.
2. Select the recipient-submitted message (identified by the recipient message indicator).
3. Review the message content.
4. Click **Approve and Send**.
5. The message is sent to the donor and the status updates automatically.

To approve multiple recipient messages at once:

1. In **Drafts**, select multiple messages using the checkboxes.
2. Click **Approve and Send** in the toolbar.
3. All selected messages are approved and sent.

### Reject a recipient message

1. Open the **Drafts** category.
2. Select the recipient-submitted message.
3. Click **Reject** below the message content.
4. A dialog opens asking for a rejection reason.
5. Enter the reason explaining what needs to change.
6. Click **Reject message**.

The message is returned to the recipient with your feedback so they can revise and resubmit.

{% hint style="info" %}
A rejection reason is required. The recipient sees this reason in their portal so they know what to fix before sending again.
{% endhint %}

## Translate a message

Use the translation feature when you need to read a message in a different language.

1. Open a message in the detail panel.
2. Click **Translate** in the action bar.
3. The translated text appears below the original message.

HelpYouSponsor supports translation to these languages:

* English
* Chinese
* Spanish
* Arabic
* French
* German
* Hindi
* Filipino
* Swahili
* Luganda

The translation appears inline below the original message content, preserving the original alongside the translation.

<figure><img src="/files/GGMAIzW1JCJuKiMDlQca" alt=""><figcaption><p>Message with translated text shown below the original message body.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Manage drafts

Use the **Drafts** category when you need to work on messages that have been saved but not yet sent.

### Edit a draft

1. Open the **Drafts** category.
2. Select the draft message.
3. Click **Edit Draft** below the message content.
4. Make your changes in the editor.
5. Click **Save** to update the draft, or **Send** to send it immediately.

### Approve and send drafts

Super administrators can approve and send drafts that were created by other team members.

1. Open the **Drafts** category.
2. Select one or more drafts using the checkboxes.
3. Click **Approve and Send** in the toolbar.
4. The drafts are sent to their respective donors.

You can also approve a single draft from the detail panel by clicking **Approve and Send**.

### Delete drafts

1. Open the **Drafts** category.
2. Select one or more drafts using the checkboxes.
3. Click **Delete** in the toolbar.
4. Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Deleting drafts is irreversible. The deleted messages cannot be recovered.
{% endhint %}

## Troubleshooting

### I cannot see Conversations

Ask an organization admin to confirm that your permission set includes `email_manager`, `manage_email`, or `group_all`.

### The Send button is missing

Your account may have **Disable Send Without Approval** enabled. Save the message as a draft instead, and ask a super administrator to review and approve it.

### A recipient appears in the From list but has no donors

If a recipient has no active sponsorships or assigned donors, the **To** dropdown shows no options. Make sure the recipient has at least one active sponsorship before composing a message.

### A message is not appearing in its category

The message list refreshes after each action. If a message does not appear, refresh the page or try switching to **All Messages** to confirm the message exists.

## Related guides

* [SMS Messaging](/guides/core-features/communication-tools/sms-messaging.md): Manage donor text conversations through the SMS shared inbox.
* [Trip Messages](/guides/core-features/program-management/trips/trip-messages.md): Send messages to trip participants.
* [Manage the Message Library](/guides/core-features/automations/message-library.md): Create reusable message templates for journeys.
* [Auto Emails](/guides/core-features/communication-tools/auto-emails.md): Set up automated email triggers for donor communications.