The Private Message System allows users to send messages through the theme contact forms and manage replies from the user dashboard inbox.
This feature works with the WPResidence built-in contact form. It does not work with Contact Form 7 forms.
Private Message System overview
The Private Message System adds a Send Private Message option to the theme contact forms.
When enabled, visitors can send a message to the user, agent, agency, or developer assigned to a property. The message is then available in the user dashboard inbox.
Messages can be viewed and replied to from the Inbox page in the user dashboard.
Step 1: Enable the Private Message System
To enable private messages, go to Theme Options → Property Page → Contact & Schedule Tour.
In older theme versions, this option may appear under Theme Options → Design → Property Page → Contact & Schedule Tour.
Set Enable the Direct Message to Yes, then save the changes.
Step 2: Create the Inbox dashboard page
The private message system needs a dashboard inbox page.
Create a page using the User Dashboard Inbox template.
- Go to Wp-admin → Pages → Add New.
- Add a page title, for example Inbox or My Messages.
- From the Page Template dropdown, select User Dashboard Inbox.
- Publish the page.
Where the Send Private Message button appears
After the option is enabled and the inbox page exists, the Send Private Message button can appear in the theme contact forms.
The button can show on:
- Property page contact form
- Agent profile contact form
- Agency profile contact form
- Developer profile contact form
- Property contact form displayed in the lightbox
The exact position depends on the contact form position selected in Theme Options.
Private message button in the property sidebar contact form
When the contact form is displayed in the property sidebar, the Send Private Message button appears inside that form area.
Private message button below property details
When the contact form is displayed below the property details, the Send Private Message button appears in the contact section below the property content.
Private message button in the lightbox contact form
The Send Private Message button can also appear in the contact form opened from the lightbox.
How users see and reply to messages
Messages are displayed in the Inbox page from the user dashboard.
From the inbox, users can open received messages and reply to them.
Required property user, agent, agency, or developer assignment
For the private message button to display on a property page, the property must have a responsible user, agent, agency, or developer assigned.
This is required because the message needs a recipient.
If a property is submitted only by admin and no user, agent, agency, or developer is assigned, the contact form and the private message button may not display.
Important notes
- The Private Message System works only with the theme built-in contact form.
- It does not work with Contact Form 7 forms or other third-party contact forms.
- The property must have a user, agent, agency, or developer assigned as the responsible contact.
- If no responsible contact is assigned, there is no message recipient, so the private message button will not show.
- This behavior is intentional for websites that do not want to show contact forms on admin-only properties.