The Conversations module is the main area to manage all your conversations.
It is divided into five categories:
The Inbox is where all new, unassigned conversations appear. This is the initial holding area for new conversations that have not yet been assigned to an agent. This can be done at the top of the conversation, in the conversation menu.
Here, conversations can be assigned to team members based on factors such as location, department, or specialism. This helps streamline support, ensuring that each inquiry reaches the right person or team.
After reviewing a conversation you can also assign a label. Conversations in the Inbox can be labeled with internal tags to indicate the type of issue or priority level. Labels also assist in gathering useful insights and statistics. Label settings can be managed under Settings > Labels.
The Yours section shows all conversations currently assigned to you. This includes both new conversations assigned directly to you and any conversations that have been forwarded by colleagues. Check this section to view and respond to conversations for which you are responsible.
The Open section lists all ongoing conversations, including those managed by your colleagues. This area provides a comprehensive view of all active interactions, allowing the team to manage and monitor open cases for effective resolution.
The Automated section contains conversations managed by an automated Assistant, like a chatbot. These interactions are automatically handled by the system, providing customers with instant responses without requiring agent intervention.
The Closed section is an archive of all completed or resolved conversations. Here, you can review past conversations that have been fully addressed and marked as closed. This archive is useful for reference or quality review purposes.
The retention period of the conversations is set per channel and can be found in the channel overview.
Each box has a specific function, but the conversation window remains consistent across all boxes. This page provides an overview of the conversation window and the available options within a conversation.
To filter all boxes in the same way, use the filter option in your profile menu.
Watch the videos below where our Spotler Message expert Marcel walks you through the Conversation module and handling conversations:
Conversation window
Within the conversation window you have the following options:
- Conversations list (left)
- Conversation menu (top)
- Contact menu (right)
- Chat window (center)
On the upper left you have the option to initiate a new 1-on-1 conversation:
Conversations list
The conversations list is located on the left and displays all conversations in the current box.
Use the search bar to locate specific conversations, and you can sort by oldest/newest or wait time. The menu under the three-dot icon allows you to enable the priority inbox, which prioritizes conversations or contacts labeled with specific priority settings. You can also mark Channels with specific priority, like the webchat channel, also appear at the top for immediate attention, as webchat users are currently on your website. How does the priority inbox work?
The Manage list option enables bulk actions such as deleting, closing, assigning, or marking conversations as read/unread.
Conversation menu
The conversation menu at the top includes the contact’s name (if known). Directly below the name is the assignment status. If it is unassigned, you can assign the conversation by selecting an available agent, team, or assistant using the arrow button. Teams appear in the left circle, while agents or assistants appear in the right circle. In this example the conversation is linked to both a team and an agent.
The close button in the middle of this bar closes the conversation and moves it to the Closed box. On the right side, an expand menu option offers additional functions like marking as unread, copying a link to share with colleagues, or printing (to save as PDF for external sharing).
Beneath this bar, the label option is available to add tags to the conversation. Labels set in Settings > Labels give context to conversations and are visible in the conversation list for quick insights or prioritization.
Contact menu
The contact menu on the right contains three tabs:
Tab 1 Profile
This tab shows all known information about the contact within the channel. You can add labels to contacts here, which apply at the contact level, independent of individual conversations. Contacts with added labels automatically appear in dynamic lists, helpful for follow up actions like sending messages to all contacts who reported a resolved issue.
Tab 2 Media
This tab displays all media shared with the contact or received from the contact, depending on the channel’s capabilities.
Tab 3 Lists
This tab shows lists associated with the contact. Bold lists indicate membership, while grayed-out lists indicate non-membership. To add or remove the contact from a list, click the three-dot menu beside the list name and select Subscribe or Unsubscribe.
More options
Next to the tabs, the More menu allows contact editing, with options for updating or adding information, such as custom fields. Notes can be added, and the contact can be marked as a favorite, which is useful for filtering in the Contacts module.
In addition, you can block a contact to prevent any interaction, or delete a contact by selecting from the following options:
- Message history: Only deletes the message history; contact data remains.
- Everything: Deletes all messages and contact data.
Chat window
The conversation itself appears in the center of the screen, displaying received and sent messages in a chronological timeline. Auto-generated messages are dark blue, agent-sent messages are light blue, received messages appear on the left, and sent messages on the right. Hover over a timestamp to view a menu under the three-dot icon, showing details such as which agent sent the message or if it was part of a WhatsApp campaign. The Message ID can also be copied here, when hovering over the message time. This is useful when a message can't be delivered due to an error. Send the message ID to our support for help.
At the bottom of the conversation window is the compose bar, where you can type messages to send. Click the smiley icon to add emojis. Use the / icon or type a / to open the Quick replies menu. Quick replies include variable values highlighted in yellow, which are dynamically filled based on contact information, such as the first name.
You need a WhatsApp template to start a WhatsApp conversation
If you want to initiate a WhatsApp conversation with a contact with whom there is no active WhatsApp conversation in the last 24 hours, you must start with a template. The prompt "WhatsApp template required" appears in the text field when necessary. More information on templates.
Depending on the channel, a paperclip icon is also available for attaching media like images. Once the message is ready, click send to deliver it directly to the contact.
Compose new conversation
The compose icon, represented by a pencil icon in the top-left, allows you to proactively start a 1-on-1 conversation. Only channels where you can begin a conversation will be visible. For example, during phone support, you might say, "I'll send you a WhatsApp so you can share a photo of the damaged item."