How it works#
The Social Inbox collects comments, mentions, direct messages and Google reviews from your connected accounts, so you can read and answer them without opening each network. Click Social Inbox in the left menu. On a phone, tap the tray icon in the bottom bar.
It shows the workspace you have open. Heropost collects new items in the background, every few minutes.
What's included#
| Network | Comments tab | Mentions tab | Direct Messages tab | Like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Page | Comments on your 25 most recent posts (up to 50 per post) | Posts that tag or mention your Page | Messenger conversations | Yes |
| Instagram (business or creator) | Comments on your 25 most recent posts (up to 50 per post) | Posts that tag your account | Messages, when the Instagram account's Facebook Page is also connected in this workspace | – |
| LinkedIn Page | Comments on your 10 most recently updated posts (up to 50 per post), after Connect inbox | – | – | – |
| YouTube | Comments and replies on your 10 most recent videos | – | – | – |
| Threads | Replies to your 25 most recent threads | Mentions of your profile | – | – |
| Google Business Profile ("Google My Business") | Reviews, with their stars, for each location | – | – | – |
Not included: X, TikTok, Pinterest, Bluesky, Reddit and Telegram.
How conversations are grouped: all comments on one post form one conversation, each review and each mention is its own conversation, and each chat is one conversation.
When new items arrive#
- Expect new comments and messages within about half an hour of their arrival on the network. LinkedIn is checked at most once an hour.
- The page doesn't update by itself. Press the refresh button (the circular arrow above the list) to load what has arrived. Refreshing shows what Heropost has already collected; it doesn't make it check the networks sooner.
- An account that needs reconnecting stops updating, without a message. Reconnect it.
- The inbox holds your 100 most recently active conversations, across the three tabs.
Find your way around#
- Account bar (top): every account you've connected, with a switch each in the Accounts list (arrow button). All are on. Switch accounts off to narrow the lists. Only the open workspace's accounts on the networks above have conversations.
- Comments, Mentions and Direct Messages: each shows how many conversations are still open.
- The list: latest activity first, with an unread dot, a bookmark icon on conversations marked important, and the time since the last activity ("Just now", 5m, 3h, 2d, 1mo).
- Filters: switches the list between open conversations and the ones you've marked as done.
A comment conversation shows the post (picture, caption, number of comments, and Open post to see it on the network), then the comments. Under each comment: Like (Facebook only), Reply, and ⋯ to copy the comment's text. Google reviews appear here with their stars and text.
A message conversation shows the chat, their messages on the left and yours on the right, with dates. Messages are text only: photos and attachments aren't shown.
A mention shows who mentioned you, their post, and View original post when Heropost has its link.
Reply#
- Open the conversation.
- In a comment conversation, Reply under a comment adds the commenter's name, starting with @, to the reply box.
- Type your answer in the box at the bottom ("Comment on this post...", "Replying as {account}..." or "Reply as {account}...").
- Press Enter or the arrow.
Your reply appears in the conversation under your account's name. If it can't be sent, your text stays in the box and an error appears: try again.
- Messages are sent in the chat from your Page or account. Instagram messages are sent through the Instagram account's Facebook Page, which must be connected in the same workspace.
- Google reviews: your reply is posted as your business's reply to the review.
- LinkedIn and Threads comments: your reply is posted as a new comment on your post.
- Facebook and Instagram mentions: your reply is posted as a comment on the post that mentioned you.
Replies you send from the Social Inbox don't use AI actions. (Replies sent by Hero_Agent or a connected AI tool do: see AI actions.)
Like (Facebook comments) likes the comment as your Page. It can't be undone from Heropost: unlike it on Facebook.
Keep track#
- Read: opening a conversation marks it read. There's no "mark as unread".
- Mark as done moves the conversation to the done list. Filters shows that list; press Resolved in a conversation to reopen it. A new comment or message in a conversation marked as done makes it unread again.
- Mark important (the bookmark) flags a conversation; Unmark important removes the flag. On a phone, the Important chip lists them.
Who can use it#
Everyone in the workspace can read and answer conversations, whatever their role. What Hero_Agent and connected AI tools can do in the inbox depends on your plan: see Use Heropost from your AI tools.
On a phone#
Tap the tray icon in the bottom bar. Inbox has the chips Comments, Mentions and Messages (with counts) and Open, Resolved and Important, plus a refresh button. Tap a conversation to open it full screen; the back arrow returns to the list. There's no account filter on a phone.
If it doesn't work#
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No conversations at all | The workspace has no accounts on the networks above, they were connected in the last half hour, or they need reconnecting. LinkedIn needs Connect inbox. | Check Accounts, wait 30 minutes after connecting, reconnect accounts, and press refresh. |
| "No open comments" and "Try to refresh or select another social profile." | Nothing open for the selected accounts. | Press refresh, switch accounts back on in the account bar, or check Filters. |
| "Mentions will appear here when your accounts are tagged" | No mentions yet. | Nothing to fix. |
| No Instagram messages, or replies to them fail | The Instagram account's Facebook Page isn't connected in this workspace, or needs reconnecting. | Connect the Page in the same workspace. See Connect Instagram. |
| "An unexpected error occurred while processing your request." when you reply or like | The network refused it. Often the account needs reconnecting, or the comment or message was deleted. | Your text stays in the box. Reconnect the account and try again. |
| "Access denied to workspace with Id: {id}" | You're no longer a member of that workspace. | Reload Heropost and pick another workspace. |
| A new comment doesn't show | It hasn't been collected yet, or the page hasn't been refreshed. | Press refresh after a few minutes. |
| Older conversations are missing | The inbox holds the 100 most recently active conversations, and comments on your most recent posts. | Answer older ones on the network. |
| Post pictures are gray | Pictures of conversations with no activity for 30 days may be removed. | Nothing to fix. The conversation still works. |
| X messages and replies aren't there | X isn't part of the Social Inbox. | Answer on X. |
Questions#
Can I answer X, TikTok or Pinterest comments here?
No. The Social Inbox covers Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn Pages, YouTube, Threads and Google Business Profile.
Can I send photos or emojis?
Replies are text. Emojis you type or paste are sent as part of the text; there's no emoji picker and no attachments.
Can I assign a conversation to a teammate or add a note?
No. Everyone in the workspace sees the same inbox. Use Mark important and Mark as done to share what's handled.
Can I hide or delete a comment?
Not from Heropost. Do it on the network.
Can Hero_Agent read and answer my inbox?
Yes, depending on your plan. See AI plans and Use Heropost from your AI tools.