Inquiries and communication
How do you track WhatsApp course inquiries in Course?
The Course WhatsApp inbox shows the conversation list, the messages in a selected conversation, and information related to an inquiry together. You can search conversations, filter them by status, and assign them to an advisor.
A WhatsApp conversation and a Course inquiry are separate records. Reading a message in the inbox does not itself create an inquiry or student record. When automatic inquiry creation is enabled, processing the first incoming message from a new contact can create and link an inquiry. An unlinked conversation can be converted manually.
On this page
Follow an incoming inquiry through to a record
Check the connection status.
Review the connection notice in the inbox. Being able to view messages does not prove that sending is available; sending requires a verified connected state.
Open the right conversation.
Search for the person in the conversation list and read the existing messages. Treat the unread count separately from status labels such as new, open, or other conversation states.
Assign responsibility.
Assign an advisor to follow the conversation. You can change the conversation's status and advisor; these fields show who is responsible and what stage the conversation is in.
Check the inquiry link.
If automatic creation already linked an inquiry, open that record; otherwise use manual conversion. Check the name, phone number, source, institution, and advisor, then plan follow-up tasks from the inquiry details.
Which details are used during conversion?
An inquiry created from the conversation uses its contact name and phone number. If there is no contact name, the phone number may be used in the name field, so check the identity details. Manual conversion defaults the source to WhatsApp and can carry over the conversation advisor. Automatic creation uses its separately configured default source and advisor.
An institution is required to create an inquiry. If the conversation has no institution, the system may use one of the existing institutions. Verify the institution on the resulting inquiry, especially in a workspace with more than one institution. If the same conversation has already been linked, another conversion returns the existing inquiry link. This is not a promise that records with the same phone number in different conversations will be merged.
Distinguish a message record from its delivery result
Seeing a message on screen does not prove that the recipient has read it. Status information depends on the connection and updates received from the provider.
| Status | How to interpret it |
|---|---|
| Sent | A sending status received from the provider; it does not mean the message was read. |
| Delivered | Indicates that delivery status was received by the system. |
| Read | Shown when the provider supplies read status. |
| Send failed | Review the error rather than assuming the message was delivered successfully. |
Connection type affects sending options
Course offers QR and Cloud connection options. The new-chat button appears with the QR provider and requires a connected state. In the Cloud flow, eligibility to send free-form messages and the use of approved templates are assessed separately; the inbox shows the available sending options accordingly.
Do not assume that one connection type offers all the same functions as the other. Check the connection status, template list, and sending notices shown in your account before acting. Converting a conversation to an inquiry does not create a sale, collect a payment, or place a student in a class.
Frequently asked questions
Does marking a conversation as read create an inquiry?
No. Reading a conversation affects its unread count. If automatic creation is enabled, processing the first incoming message can create an inquiry; manual conversion links an unlinked conversation.
What happens if I convert the same conversation again?
If the conversation is already linked to an inquiry, the existing link is used. This does not automatically merge every duplicate contact across different conversations.
Has a sent message definitely been read?
No. Sent, delivered, and read are different statuses. Assess only the status information received by the system.
Assess how Course fits your institution's workflow
Explore the features described on this page in your account, or discuss your institution's needs with our team.