This guide covers opening a client conversation, replying by email or SMS, marking it read, and moving dealt-with conversations out of your open work.
It does not cover what the client sees when a message arrives; see What clients see, and how they reply to you. For the layout and counts, see The Messages inbox: an overview.
Open and read a conversation
In the Case Management sidebar, select Messages.
Use Unread, Open, Done or All to choose the part of the inbox you need.
If needed, use Search client name or keyword or the All staff picker.
Select the client's row.
Read Conversation with followed by the client's name. The thread shows the sender, subject where there is one, date, time and channel. Select Load earlier messages when the thread has older pages.
Opening the thread marks unseen client replies as read. The unread badge and the Unread count then refresh. There is no separate Mark read button on this screen.
Send a quick reply
Type your reply in Type an SMS message or Type a message at the bottom of the thread.
Check the channel picker beside the box. Joy starts with the last usable email or SMS channel in the thread, but shows the channel rather than assuming it.
Choose SMS or Email if you need to change it. An unavailable option is greyed out with texting not enabled for this organisation, no phone number on file or no email address on file.
Select the send-arrow button.
The reply appears in the thread on the selected channel. An SMS uses the conversation's Allow replies setting; if the reply link takes the text over its character budget, Joy says it will be sent automatically as a web link instead of multiple texts.
If sending fails, Joy shows Send failed with the available reason. Do not assume the client received the message; check the delivery wording shown beneath the outgoing message.
Use the full send dialog
In Options, select Send email or Send SMS.
In the full dialog, check the Channel, recipient, Template, message and client case.
Select Send.
This route is useful when you need a template, email subject, CC address, attachment, duration or Save to clinical record. The channel you chose in Options is only the starting choice and can be changed before sending.
Control whether the client can reply
Use Allow replies in Options to control whether later email and SMS messages in this conversation carry a reply link.
When a reply link exists, Copy reply link copies it and confirms with Reply link copied. WhatsApp replies happen in WhatsApp rather than through this switch.
Mark a conversation done
Open the conversation.
In Options, select Mark as done.
This marks any unseen replies as read and moves the conversation to Done. It does not delete the thread. A new client reply makes the conversation appear in Unread again.
You can also select Done directly on a conversation row. To tidy several rows, tick their checkboxes and select Mark done.
Find a conversation again
Select the Done tab.
Search by the client's name or a message keyword if needed.
Open the conversation.
Select Reopen conversation, or use Reopen on its row, to return it to open work.
The header Archive is another way to find read email and SMS conversations. Clear read messages only hides read rows from the small header preview; it does not delete or mark conversations done.