How to reply to conversations in the inbox

Available engagements per network

This table outlines the ability to view and reply to different types of engagements on each supported social media platform in the Inbox.

Replying to conversations in the Inbox 

 1. To reply to a message in a chat conversation in Vista Social, head over to the Inbox page from the main menu. 

2. As you can see, networks that support inbox messaging can be selected, whereas those that do not support reviews are grayed out.

3. Once you are done selecting Profiles, click on All Messages. You may also click on Unread to filter messages you haven't read or responded to.

4. In the right corner of the page, you can click on the Filter icon to select different types of messages, such as Comments, Mentions, Messages, Reviews, and Shares. You may also narrow it down to labels, dark post comments, and sentiment.

5. There are different types of messages you can use to reply. We have Reply and Note. You may click on Reply to respond to the message itself. Note, on the other hand, is used for internal messaging within the organization, and your customers will not be able to see it. 

5. Once you're done composing your message, click on the Send button.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: How often does the inbox update for new messages?
A: Messages and comments come in real-time for Facebook and Instagram. For all other networks,  the inbox updates every 5-6 hours on a refreshed schedule.

Q: Can I delete my messages from Vista Social?
A: No, most social networks do not allow third-party tools to delete messages on a user’s behalf, so this feature is not available in Vista Social.

Q: Does Vista Social also pull ad comments through?
A: Yes, dark post comments are supported for Meta ads.

Q: Is there a time limit for responding to Facebook and Instagram DMs?
A: Yes. Meta has a response window policy for Direct Messages to ensure timely communication and a positive user experience. You can read more about it here.

Q: Can I get faster sync for LinkedIn?
A: Yes, if you’re on the Enterprise plan. This plan offers faster sync for LinkedIn Company Pages, ensuring real-time updates for currently available engagements.

Q: How many messages and comments can Vista Social sync per day?
A: We can sync up to 500 messages and comments per profile per day.

Q: Does Vista Social support dark post comments for Meta ads?
A: Yes. Dark post comments are supported for Meta ads.

Q: Are TikTok direct messages supported?
A: Yes, TikTok direct messages are available for Business Accounts outside the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Q: Will my direct messages (DMs) show up in the Vista Social Inbox if they are sent natively?

A: Yes. All direct messages (DMs) will appear in your Vista Social Inbox — whether they are sent natively on the social platform or through Vista Social.

Q: Why am I not receiving comments for Instagram posts where I’m tagged as a collaborator?

A: This isn’t possible through the Instagram API. Only the post's owner (the account that originally published it) can receive and manage comments on third-party platforms like Vista Social.

When you’re tagged as a collaborator, Instagram treats you as a shared participant, but the post ownership and, therefore, the comment access remain with the original publisher.

Q: Why aren’t my LinkedIn messages showing up in the Vista Social Inbox?

A: Due to API limitations for third-party tools, LinkedIn only allows Vista Social to sync comments and mentions at this time. Private messages (DMs) are not accessible through LinkedIn’s API, which is why they don’t appear in your Vista Social Inbox.

If LinkedIn expands its API access in the future, we’ll update our integration to include messages as well.

Q: I received a new comment on an old post, but it’s not showing in my inbox. Why?

A: Vista Social can only retrieve comments from posts that are synced in your account. If the comment was left on a post that predates your connection to Vista Social (for example, a post older than 60 days from your first connection date), most social networks’ APIs do not allow us to fetch that data. Learn more here.

Going forward, comments on newer posts that are synced with Vista Social will appear in your inbox as expected.

Need further help?

If you have any questions or need additional help, feel free to contact our awesome support team. We are here to assist you! 💙 

Related Reading:

Getting started with Inbox

Inbox message options

How to use internal notes in Inbox

Social Inbox Limitations

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