How Do I Monitor and Review Conversations?

Monitoring and reviewing conversations is the final step in getting Propel working for you. Once your mailbox is enabled, Propel starts working automatically, and you can watch it engage with prospects in real-time. This guide shows you how to monitor Propel's activity and verify everything is working correctly.

What Does Monitoring Mean?

Monitoring conversations means watching how Propel automatically handles prospect inquiries. You can see:

• Real-time conversations as they happen on the Engagements page
• Response activity in your Dashboard metrics
• Approval requests if you have approvals enabled
• Automatic actions like booking tours, qualifying prospects, and following up

Monitoring helps you verify that Propel is working correctly and gives you confidence to scale automation gradually.

Enabling Your Mailbox

Before Propel can start monitoring and responding, you need to enable your mailbox. This is the final step to activate automation.

How to Enable Your Mailbox

1. Navigate to Settings > Mailboxes
2. Find the mailbox you want to enable
3. Toggle the switch from "Disabled" to "Enabled"

Once enabled, Propel immediately starts:

• Monitoring your Inbox for new emails
• Processing incoming inquiries
• Generating responses automatically
• Creating engagements for new conversations

Note: If you have approvals enabled, responses will wait for your approval before sending. If approvals are disabled, responses are sent automatically.

Verifying Your Mailbox is Enabled

After enabling, you can verify it's working by:

1. Check the mailbox status - The toggle should show "Enabled"
2. Send a test email - Send an inquiry to your monitored email address
3. Watch the Engagements page - You should see a new engagement appear within minutes

For detailed mailbox setup, see Setting Up Your First Mailbox.

Watching the Engagements Page

The Engagements page is your real-time view of all conversations Propel is handling. This is where you can watch Propel work and see every interaction as it happens.

Accessing the Engagements Page

1. Navigate to Engagements from the sidebar
2. You'll see a list of all conversations organized by most recent activity

Understanding the Engagements View

The Engagements page shows:

• All conversations - Every prospect interaction Propel is managing
• Real-time updates - Conversations update automatically as new messages arrive
• Conversation status - Open, awaiting reply, completed, or dropped
• Pipeline stage - Where each prospect is in your process (inquiry, viewing, application, etc.)
• Message count - How many messages have been exchanged
• Last activity - When the last message was sent or received

Filtering and Searching Engagements

You can filter engagements to focus on specific conversations:

• By stage - Filter by pipeline stage (inquiry, viewing, application, lost)
• By status - Filter by conversation status (open, awaiting reply, completed)
• By approval status - If approvals are enabled, filter by pending, approved, or rejected
• By handoff - Filter to see conversations that were handed off to team members
• By search - Search for specific contacts or conversations

Tip: Click any engagement row to view the full conversation thread, including all messages exchanged.

Real-Time Updates

The Engagements page updates automatically using real-time subscriptions. This means:

• New conversations appear immediately when emails arrive
• Message counts update as Propel sends responses
• Status changes reflect automatically as conversations progress
• No page refresh needed to see the latest activity

You can watch Propel work in real-time without manually refreshing the page.

Reviewing Responses in the Dashboard

The Dashboard provides a high-level overview of Propel's activity, including key metrics and recent conversations. This is where you can quickly assess how Propel is performing.

Dashboard Overview

The Dashboard shows:

• Key metrics - New prospects, messages sent, reply times, conversion rates
• Prospect pipeline - Visual breakdown of where prospects are in your process
• Recent activity - Latest conversations and engagements
• Property analytics - Which listings are generating the most interest

For detailed information about the Dashboard, see Understanding Your Dashboard.

Reviewing Recent Activity

The Recent Activity section on the Dashboard shows your most recent prospect engagements. Each row displays:

• Contact - Prospect name and email address
• Summary - Brief description of the latest activity
• Messages - Total number of messages exchanged
• Stage - Current pipeline stage
• Last Activity - Time since the last message

Click any row to view the full conversation and contact details.

Understanding Metrics

Key metrics on the Dashboard help you understand Propel's performance:

• New prospects - How many new prospects Propel has engaged
• Messages sent - How many outbound messages Propel has sent
• Average reply time - How quickly prospects respond to Propel's messages
• Active prospects - How many prospects are currently in your pipeline
• Prospect reply rate - What percentage of prospects reply to Propel's first message
• Viewing rate - What percentage of prospects reach the booking confirmed stage

These metrics update automatically as Propel processes emails and engages with prospects.

Understanding What Propel Does Automatically

Once your mailbox is enabled, Propel works automatically in the background. Understanding what Propel does helps you monitor effectively and know what to expect.

Automatic Response to Inquiries

Propel automatically responds to new inquiries within minutes of receiving them. This includes:

• Initial responses - Propel sends a personalized response to every new inquiry
• Answering questions - Propel uses your listing data to answer property questions
• Providing information - Propel shares relevant property details, pricing, and availability
• Qualifying prospects - Propel asks relevant questions to determine fit

Use Case Examples:

• Property Management: Responds to rental inquiries, answers questions about availability and amenities, qualifies rental prospects based on income and move-in dates
• Real Estate: Responds to buyer/seller leads, answers questions about properties for sale, qualifies buyer budgets and pre-approval status
• Short-Term Rentals: Responds to booking inquiries, checks availability, answers questions about amenities and pricing

Automatic Qualification

Propel automatically qualifies prospects by asking relevant questions and gathering information:

For Property Management (Rentals):

• Income verification
• Credit check status
• Move-in date preferences
• Pet policies and preferences
• Number of occupants

For Real Estate (Buyers):

• Budget and price range
• Pre-approval status
• Timeline for purchasing
• Location preferences
• Property type preferences

For Real Estate (Sellers):

• Property details and condition
• Timeline for selling
• Listing price expectations
• Market analysis needs

Propel uses this information to determine which prospects are serious leads and which properties match their criteria.

Automatic Booking of Tours and Showings

When prospects request tours or showings, Propel automatically:

• Checks calendar availability - Verifies your available time slots
• Suggests available times - Offers prospects times that work for you
• Books appointments - Confirms bookings when prospects select a time
• Sends confirmations - Provides booking details and reminders
• Handles rescheduling - Manages changes and cancellations

Use Case Examples:

• Property Management: Books rental tours automatically based on your calendar
• Real Estate: Schedules buyer showings when requested
• Short-Term Rentals: Confirms reservations and handles booking inquiries

Note: Booking requires calendar integration. If you haven't connected your calendar, Propel will hand off booking requests to you. See Calendar Integration for setup instructions.

Automatic Follow-Up

Propel automatically follows up with prospects who don't respond, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks:

• Follow-up scheduling - Propel schedules follow-ups based on your rules
• Follow-up messages - Sends personalized follow-up messages at appropriate intervals
• Follow-up tracking - Tracks which prospects need follow-up and when
• Follow-up management - Manages the follow-up queue automatically

You can view pending follow-ups on the Follow-ups page and see follow-up activity in the Dashboard.

Automatic Pipeline Management

Propel automatically organizes prospects into your pipeline stages:

• Inquiry - New prospects who have inquired but haven't booked yet
• Viewing - Prospects who have confirmed a tour or showing
• Application - Prospects who have requested or submitted applications (rentals) or made offers (real estate)
• Lost - Prospects who cancelled or didn't convert

Pipeline stages update automatically as conversations progress, giving you visibility into where each prospect is in your process.

Monitoring Best Practices

Start with Approvals Enabled

When first enabling your mailbox, keep approvals enabled so you can review responses before they're sent. This helps you:

• Verify response quality
• Ensure Propel is handling inquiries correctly
• Build confidence in automation
• Catch any issues early

After reviewing several responses and confirming quality, you can disable approvals for full automation.

Monitor Closely Initially

For the first few days after enabling your mailbox:

• Check the Engagements page daily - Review conversations to ensure Propel is handling inquiries correctly
• Review Dashboard metrics - Watch for unusual patterns or issues
• Check approval queue - If approvals are enabled, review responses promptly
• Test with real inquiries - Send test emails to verify everything works

Gradually Scale Automation

Once you're confident Propel is working correctly:

• Disable approvals - Let Propel send responses automatically
• Add more mailboxes - Scale to additional email accounts
• Refine rules - Adjust response rules based on what you learn
• Monitor less frequently - Check in weekly or as needed

Use Filters to Focus

Use the Engagements page filters to focus on what matters:

• Filter by stage - Focus on prospects in specific pipeline stages
• Filter by status - Check on open conversations that need attention
• Filter by approval - Review pending approvals if enabled
• Search for specific contacts - Find conversations with specific prospects

Troubleshooting

No Conversations Appearing

If you don't see any conversations on the Engagements page:

1. Verify mailbox is enabled - Check Settings > Mailboxes and ensure the toggle is "Enabled"
2. Check email account connection - Verify your email account is still connected in Settings > Integrations
3. Send a test email - Send an inquiry to your monitored email address to trigger activity
4. Check response rules - Your rules might be preventing responses. Review them in mailbox settings
5. Check approvals - If approvals are enabled, responses might be waiting for approval

Conversations Not Updating

If conversations aren't updating in real-time:

1. Refresh the page - Sometimes a refresh resolves display issues
2. Check your connection - Ensure you have a stable internet connection
3. Clear browser cache - Try clearing your browser cache and reloading
4. Check browser console - Look for any JavaScript errors that might prevent updates

Responses Not Being Sent

If responses aren't being sent:

1. Check approvals - If approvals are enabled, responses need manual approval
2. Review approval queue - Check the Approvals page for pending responses
3. Verify mailbox settings - Ensure response rules aren't preventing responses
4. Check email account connection - Verify your email account is still connected
5. Review activity log - Check the mailbox activity log for any errors

Metrics Seem Incorrect

If Dashboard metrics don't match what you expect:

1. Check the time period - Some metrics show last 30 days, others show different periods
2. Verify data sources - Ensure listings and contacts are properly imported
3. Review stage definitions - Make sure prospects are in the correct pipeline stages
4. Check filters - Ensure you're not viewing filtered data

What to Look For

When monitoring conversations, look for:

• Response quality - Are responses helpful and accurate?
• Response timing - Are responses sent quickly?
• Qualification accuracy - Is Propel asking the right questions?
• Booking success - Are tours and showings being booked correctly?
• Follow-up effectiveness - Are follow-ups being sent at appropriate times?
• Pipeline progression - Are prospects moving through stages correctly?

If you notice issues, adjust your mailbox settings, rules, or listings to improve performance.

Next Steps

Now that you understand how to monitor conversations:

• Configure mailbox settings to customize how Propel responds
• Create rules to fine-tune automation behavior
• Set up approvals if you want to review responses before sending
• Manage listings to ensure Propel has accurate property information
• Understand engagements to learn more about conversation threads

Related Articles

• Getting Started Guide - Complete setup walkthrough
• Setting Up Your First Mailbox - Create and enable mailboxes
• Understanding Your Dashboard - Learn about Dashboard metrics and features
• Configuring Mailbox Settings - Customize mailbox behavior
• Understanding Engagements - Learn about conversation threads
• Managing Follow-ups - Understand the follow-up system
• Approval Workflows - Set up and manage approvals