Navigating the Message Center

There are a number of elements that are common throughout the Message Center. These include the:

Folder panel
Search criteria
Column headings
Message list
Message preview pane

Each of these elements is explained in further detail below.

Understanding the Folder Panel

The folder panel displays on the far left of the Message Center, and enables you to navigate between the Message Center's five folders: Inbox, Drafts, Outbox, Sent, and Deleted. To open a folder, click its corresponding icon.

Example

Click the Deleted icon to open your folder of deleted messages.

Understanding the Search Criteria

The search criteria section displays at the top of the message center, and enables you to conduct a basic or advanced search to locate a specific message(s). For more information about searching for messages in the Message Center, click here.

Understanding the Column Headings

The column headings display at the top of the columns in each of the Message Center's folders. The columns that display vary from folder to folder, but the following list defines each of the columns that might display in the Message Center.

[Read Status]: Displays an icon of an open envelope to indicate that the message has been read, or an icon of a sealed envelope to indicate that the message has not yet been read.

[Attachments]: Displays an icon of a paperclip to indicate that a message contains one or more attachments. (You must open the message by clicking its hyperlink in the Subject column to view or download attachments.) If the message does not contain an attachment, this column is blank.

From: Displays the name of the vendor/agency who sent the message.

Representative: Displays the name of the vendor/agency representative who sent the message.

To: Displays the name of the vendor/agency to whom the message was/is being sent.

Subject: Displays the message's subject. The message displays as a hyperlink; click this hyperlink to open the message.

Document: Displays the name of the opportunity, response, or award to which the message is in reference. The document name displays as a hyperlink; click this hyperlink to open the document.

Received: Displays the date and time on which the message was received.

Sent: Displays the date and time on which the message was sent.

Public: Displays Yes if the message is available to the public, or No if the message is a private message sent to your company.

[Reply]: Click the arrow icon to reply to a message.

[Print]: Click the printer icon to print a message.

[Delete]: Click X to delete a message. When you delete a message, it is sent to your Deleted folder.

[Undelete]: Click the undelete icon to undelete a message in your deleted folder. The message will return to its original folder.

Note	You can sort your message list by clicking on a column heading, to sort your message list based on that criterion. For more information about sorting your message list, click here.

Understanding the Message List

The message list displays the messages contained in each folder in your Message Center. You can navigate your way through this list by clicking the page numbers that display below the preview pane.

If a folder is empty, the message, "No messages found." displays.

Understanding the Message Preview Pane

The preview pane displays below the message list, and enables you to preview a message without fully opening it.

To preview a message, click the information in the message's From, Representative, To, Received, Sent, or Public column. The message becomes highlighted in the message list, and a preview of the message displays in the preview pane.