# Messages

> Questions about a listing, messages about an order, and support from the marketplace's team.

Users message each other and the marketplace in conversations. There are three kinds, and there's one conversation per pair and subject, so starting one again continues it.

| `kind` | Between | Start it with |
|---|---|---|
| `listing` | A buyer and the seller, before buying | `listing_id` |
| `order` | The buyer and the seller of an order | `order_id` |
| `support` | A user and the marketplace's team | `support: true` |

## Start or continue a conversation

```http
POST /v1/me/conversations
{ "listing_id": "8f3c…", "body": "Is the leather original?" }
```

The answer has the `conversation` and the new `message`. If one already exists, the message joins it.

## Show the inbox

- `GET /v1/me/conversations` lists the user's conversations, latest first, each with `last_message`, `last_message_at` and `unread`. Page with `limit` and `offset`.
- `GET /v1/me/conversations/{id}/messages` reads one, oldest first, and marks it read. Pass `after=<last message id>` to get only newer messages.
- `POST /v1/me/conversations/{id}/messages` with `{ "body": "…" }` replies.

In a message, `from_marketplace: true` means the marketplace's team wrote it (support); otherwise `sender_id` is the user who did. In `support` conversations, `user_a` is the user asking.

Show a badge from the sum of `unread`. There's no push: refresh the inbox when the user opens it, and while a conversation is open, ask for messages `after` the last one every few seconds.

## Emails

When someone gets a message they're emailed a link to `https://<your shop>/<lang>/messages/<id>`. Build that page. See [Pages your shop needs](https://dev.mongrl.com/guides/storefront-pages.md).