Coaches: Messages and Inboxes
These are two different things:
- Messages is chat with your clients.
- Inboxes is your to-do list: applications, new client onboarding, check-ins and intakes waiting on you.
Messages
Starting a conversation
Open the client’s profile and click Message. Conversations appear in the Messages list once a message has been sent.
If you see “This client has no account to message yet”, the client has not finished setting up the app. They need to accept their invitation first.
Who is in a conversation
Each client has one conversation. It includes the client, the coaches assigned to that client, and all Owners, Admins and Lead coaches. Staff are not included.
What you can do
- Send text messages of up to 4,000 characters. Enter sends. Shift + Enter starts a new line.
- Add emoji, react to a message, or reply to a specific message.
- Copy a message, or delete your own. A deleted message shows “This message was deleted”.
- Search conversations by client name.
Messages are text only. To send a file, video or document, add it to Resources and share it with the client.
Messages arrive live, without refreshing. A dot next to Messages in the sidebar means there are unread messages.
The message dock
On larger screens a floating Messages button keeps conversations one click away from any page. Turn it off in Settings > Preferences > Message dock.
Notifications
When a client messages you:
- you get an in-app notification straight away;
- a browser push notification, if you have turned on notifications in this browser;
- an email after 30 minutes if the message is still unread.
Change these in Settings > Notifications. Clients get a push notification for your messages, and an email after 30 minutes if unread.
Inboxes
Inboxes shows what needs you, across all your clients.
- Needs action: things waiting on you.
- Waiting: things waiting on the client.
- Filter by All, Forms or Onboarding.
| Task | Action |
|---|---|
| Coaching application | Review opens the application |
| New client onboarding (a direct package purchase) | Approve, Resend, Deny and refund or Deny |
| Check-in or intake submitted | Review |
| Check-in or intake not yet submitted | Open |
An overdue check-in is flagged as urgent.
Coaches with the Coach role see tasks for their assigned clients only.
“All clear” means nothing needs you right now.
Digests
- A daily round-up: “{n} clients need you today” or “Your inbox is clear”.
- A weekly summary every Monday.
Both can be switched off under Settings > Notifications > Digests.
Common questions
Can I send photos or voice notes in Messages? No. Messages are text only. Use Resources for files.
Can I message all my clients at once? No. Each conversation is with one client.
I’m not getting notified about new messages. Check Settings > Notifications. For browser notifications, click Turn on under “Notifications in this browser”. If the browser has blocked Straton, allow notifications in the site settings next to the address bar, then reload.
Can the Agent reply to clients for me? No. The Agent can draft a reply. You send it.