# Use cases and best practices Which use case you decide to follow depends on whether you save the messages in your system or not. ## Saving messages in your system If you decide to save the messages in your system, you can use the following flows: * Property starts conversation flow. * Guest starts conversation flow. ### Property starts conversation If the property wants to start the conversation and you have the reservation id, follow these high-level steps: 1. [Retrieve the empty conversation by reservation id.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-a-specific-conversation-by-conversation-type-and-reference) In the response you can find the conversation id. 2. [Enable property to send message(s) to the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Optional) [Add an attachment to the message.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/uploading-and-downloading-attachments) 3. [Periodically retrieve messages from the queue to enable property to see whether the guest has replied.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-messages) * (Recommended) [Tag a message as read by property to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-messages-as-read) 4. [Enable property to reply to new messages if needed.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Recommended) [If a property does not require a reply from the guest or wants to inform the guest a reply is not needed, tag the conversation as no reply needed to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-a-conversation-as-no-reply-needed) If the property wants to start the conversation and you do not have the reservation id, follow these high-level steps: 1. [Retrieve a list of all property conversations, which are in order of most recent activity.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-all-conversations-per-property) 2. [Retrieve the empty conversation by conversation id.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-a-specific-conversation-by-conversation-id) 3. [Periodically retrieve messages from the queue to enable property to see whether the guest has replied.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-messages) * (Recommended) [Tag a message as read by property to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-messages-as-read) 4. [Enable property to reply to new messages if needed.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Recommended) [If a property does not require a reply from the guest or wants to inform the guest a reply is not needed, tag the conversation as no reply needed to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-a-conversation-as-no-reply-needed) ### Guest starts conversation If the guest started the conversation, follow these high-level steps: 1. [Periodically retrieve messages from the queue to enable property to see whether the guest has sent a message.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-messages) * (Recommended) [Tag a message as read by property to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-messages-as-read) 2. [Enable property to reply to the guest's message(s).](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Optional) [Add an attachment to the message.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/uploading-and-downloading-attachments) 3. [Enable property to reply to new messages if needed.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Recommended) [If a property does not require a reply from the guest or wants to inform the guest a reply is not needed, tag the conversation as no reply needed to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-a-conversation-as-no-reply-needed) ## Not saving messages in your system If you decide not to save the messages in your system, you can use the following flows: * Property starts conversation flow. * Guest starts conversation flow. ### Property starts conversation If the property wants to start the conversation, follow these high-level steps: 1. [Retrieve a list of all property conversations, which are in order of most recent activity.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-all-conversations-per-property) 2. [Retrieve the empty conversation by conversation id.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-a-specific-conversation-by-conversation-id) 3. [Enable property to send message(s) to the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Optional) [Add an attachment to the message.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/uploading-and-downloading-attachments) 4. [Periodically retrieve conversation again to see whether guest has replied.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-a-specific-conversation-by-conversation-id) * (Recommended) [Tag a message as read by property to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-messages-as-read) 5. [Enable property to reply to new messages if needed.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Recommended) [If a property does not require a reply from the guest or wants to inform the guest a reply is not needed, tag the conversation as no reply needed to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-a-conversation-as-no-reply-needed) ### Guest starts conversation If the guest started the conversation, follow these high-level steps: 1. [Retrieve a list of all property conversations, which are in order of most recent activity.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-all-conversations-per-property) 2. [Enable property to send message(s) to the guest using conversation id.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Optional) [Add an attachment to the message.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/uploading-and-downloading-attachments) 3. [Periodically retrieve conversation again to see whether guest has replied.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#retrieving-a-specific-conversation-by-conversation-id) * (Recommended) [Tag a message as read by property to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-messages-as-read) 4. [Enable property to reply to new messages if needed.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-conversations/#posting-a-message-to-a-conversation) * (Recommended) [If a property does not require a reply from the guest or wants to inform the guest a reply is not needed, tag the conversation as no reply needed to inform the guest.](/connectivity/docs/messaging-api/managing-tags/#tagging-a-conversation-as-no-reply-needed)