Accessing the Messaging System
Click Messages in the top bar to open your conversations. A red badge on it shows the number of unread messages.
How Conversations Are Organized
Each applicant has exactly one conversation with you, created automatically when they join your waitlist. The conversation list is sorted by most recent activity and shows the applicant name, last message preview, timestamp, and an unread indicator (bold) for conversations with new messages.
Click a conversation to open it. Messages appear chronologically (oldest at top), and opening the thread marks all messages as read. All messages — manual messages from you or the applicant, plus system-generated messages — appear in the same unified thread.
Sending Messages
Type your message at the bottom of an open conversation and press Enter or click send. The applicant sees it in the app straight away, and gets a text if they have turned texts on. You do not need to manually create conversations — just find the applicant and start typing.
Unread Indicators
Unread messages are surfaced in two places: a red badge on Messages in the top bar, and a dot on each conversation with unread messages.
Automated System Messages
The platform adds a message to your conversation with an applicant at key moments, labeled as a system message. Each is for one of you, whoever didn't cause it, and counts as unread for that person until they read it:
- For the applicant — A checkride offered (by you or the scheduler), rescheduled or cancelled by you, and removal from your waitlist. They hear of each as they would of a message from you: by text, if they have turned texts on.
- For you — An applicant joining your waitlist, confirming a checkride or booking your open time, completing their pre-checkride checklist, or cancelling. Only a cancellation texts you; the rest wait in your messages.
You can supplement automated messages with personal follow-ups — for example, parking instructions or preparation tips after a checkride offer is sent.
DPE Waitlist doesn't email you or your applicants about messages, offers or checkrides: they are in Messages and on the dashboard, and by text for those who turn texts on. Its emails are for accounts (verifying an email address, resetting a password), invitations, and receipts.
If you or an applicant are not receiving those, check spam/junk folders first.
SMS Notifications
SMS is opt-in only. Applicants turn it on by adding a phone number on My Profile and checking the box for texts. They get a text for your messages, for checkride offers (yours and the automatic scheduler's), and when you reschedule or cancel their checkride or remove them from your waitlist. You cannot force SMS on applicants. With your own phone number added, you get texts too: when an applicant messages you or cancels their checkride.