Overview
Element451 lets you decide how anonymous messages are handled across Email, SMS, and Messenger (Live Chat). The behavior varies slightly by channel and depends on whether Anonymous Conversations is enabled or disabled.
Channel Behavior
Default: Only messages from known contacts appear in your inbox.
Anonymous Conversations Enabled: Any email sent to the connected address will appear in your inbox, even if the sender is not in your contact list.
SMS
Default: Only messages from known contacts appear in your inbox.
Anonymous Conversations Enabled: SMS messages from unknown numbers will also appear in your inbox.
Messenger (Live Chat)
Messenger works differently from Email and SMS. By default, anonymous conversations are allowed. If you disable this option, visitors must authenticate with an email address (and complete a short form if no record exists) before starting a conversation. Completing this form creates an inquiry before the conversation even begins.
Default: Anonymous Conversations are enabled. Anyone can start chatting without needing to identify themselves.
Anonymous Conversations Disabled:
Visitors are prompted to enter their email address.
Element451 sends a verification code to the email address.
After entering the code:
When the email matches an existing contact record:
If no Prospect or Application milestone exists for the contact, they are presented with a short lead capture form. Upon completion, they will receive a Prospect milestone.
The contact is associated with that record, and their past chat history is displayed
When the email does not match a record:
The visitor completes a form (first name, last name, phone number, intended major, and intended term), and
First and last name are required.
Phone, intended major, and intended term are optional.
A new contact record is created and assigned a Prospect Milestone with a date of inquiry.
After authentication or form submission, the visitor can begin a new conversation.
Enabling/Disabling Anonymous Conversations
This means no filtering will be applied to either channel. All emails and text messages, whether related to a contact or not, will create a new conversation. Before enabling anonymous conversations, it is a good idea to review what emails are sent to the email address you have connected to Element451.
Navigate to Engagement > Conversations > Conversations Settings.
Select the channel you want to configure (Email, SMS, or Messenger).
Use the Enable Anonymous Conversations toggle to enable or disable the feature.
Identifying Anonymous Conversations
If the identity of the conversation's external participant cannot be determined by Element451, the name will be listed as "Unknown Visitor."
You can use the advanced filter tool within your inbox to narrow the conversation list by their known status (anonymous or not anonymous).
You can explore more about inbox indicators and markings in our Conversations Inbox help article.