---
title: "Allow Agents to Accept/Decline Inbound Messages"
slug: "allow-agents-to-acceptdecline-inbound-messages"
description: "You can give Agents the ability to Accept or Decline incoming messages being routed to them. Learn more in Gladly Help Docs."
updated: 2026-03-08T18:22:20Z
published: 2026-03-08T18:22:20Z
canonical: "help.gladly.com/allow-agents-to-acceptdecline-inbound-messages"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gladly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Allow Agents to Accept/Decline Inbound Messages

| **REQUIRED USER ROLE** Administrator | **PERMISSION OVERVIEW** [View permissions by role](https://help.gladly.com/docs/managing-users-and-roles#roles-and-responsibilities) |
| --- | --- |

Give Agents the ability to **Accept** or **Decline** new, incoming messages being routed to them.

![Incoming message from Logan Webb asking about shipping policy details.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/accept banner chat(1).png)

Clicking **Accept** denotes that the Agent accepts to own and assist the Customer, and their Conversation appears on their My Customer list.

1. Click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/hamburger-menu-icon(2).svg) on the top left corner of the screen.
2. Click **Settings**.
3. Under the **Agent Experience** category, click **Conversation Workflow**.
4. Scroll down to the Messaging section and find the **Inbound message assignment** checkbox. Check the box to allow Agents to accept/decline incoming messages.
5. Select **Save**.

Agents won't receive additional messaging requests if they are not available in the Messaging Channel unless it's from a Customer they are already actively engaged with or are assigned to them. They'll see a banner that a new message has come in with a **Dismiss** and **Reply** button, and that Customer appears with a green dot in their [My Customer list](https://help.gladly.com/docs/manage-your-my-customers-list#my-customers-list-priority-in-action).

![User interface showing a chat message and options to reply or decline.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/reply banner chat.png)