Two Way Texting in One Shared Team Inbox
Two way texting lets customers reply to your business texts and your team answer from the same company number. ColdTexting puts every reply in a shared inbox, routes it to the right rep, offers saved replies and keyword auto-replies, and syncs each conversation to your CRM.
Shared inbox
Conversations from all your numbers on one screen
Two way texting only pays off when nobody misses a reply. The inbox shows who answered, who owns the thread and whether the contact may still be texted.
Threads are grouped by contact, not by number, so a lead who switches from the main line to a regional number still appears as one conversation.
Definitions
Two way texting in plain terms
Two way texting is SMS where a business number both sends and receives, so a contact can answer and a person at the company can answer back. One way texting, such as a delivery alert from a number that ignores replies, is the opposite.
- Keyword auto-reply
- An automatic answer sent when a reply matches a word you define, such as HOURS or PRICE. It answers common questions at 2 am without a rep.
- Saved reply
- A prepared answer a rep inserts with one click and edits before sending, so the team gives the same facts in the same words.
- Assignment rule
- A rule that decides which rep owns a new reply, by contact owner, campaign or round robin.
Routing
Replies go to the person who can answer them
Rules run top to bottom on every inbound text. The first match wins, and any rep can reassign a thread by hand.
| Rule | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Contact owner | Maria belongs to Luis in the CRM | Thread goes to Luis |
| Campaign | Reply to the October webinar blast | Thread goes to the events rep |
| Round robin | New contact, no owner | Next available rep in the team |
| Keyword | Reply says HOURS | Auto-reply, no assignment |
Away from the desk
Answer from the company number wherever you are
Reps answer from a mobile browser, and the text still goes out from the company number with the same compliance score and quiet hours check as on a laptop. No personal number is ever exposed to the lead. When a rep is out, a manager reassigns the open threads in two clicks and the lead never notices the handover, because the number and the history stay the same.
For teams moving off personal phones, the wider setup of numbers, seats and oversight is described under business texting software. Sales managers usually pair the inbox with a CRM SMS integration, so each thread shows up on the contact record, and the playbook for reps is on the sales texting software page.
FAQ
Questions about two way texting
Two way texting is a conversation over SMS between a business number and a contact, where both sides send and receive messages, unlike one-way alerts.
Assignment rules route replies by contact owner, campaign or round robin, and any rep can reassign a thread from the inbox.
Yes. STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE and similar replies suppress the contact on every number at once, and the thread shows the opt-out event.
Yes. The inbox works in a mobile browser, so reps answer from the company number while away from their desk.
Give every reply a rep and a record
The shared inbox and keyword auto-replies come with every plan from $24 per month billed yearly. Growth adds reply routing, saved replies and 5 users.