Overview
Canned responses are ready-made messages you reuse across conversations. Each one has a short shortcut; when you type / followed by the shortcut in the reply box, the list shows the account's global responses and the private responses you created. Responses can contain text, variables, attachments and, on supported channels, interactive messages.
Prerequisites
- Agents can create and manage their own private responses.
- Only administrators or roles with canned-response management permission can create, edit or delete global responses.
- Every account user can use global responses when replying.
Step by step
- In Administration & Settings, open the Canned responses area.
- Create a response and set the shortcut (short and memorable) and message content.
- Under Who can use this response?, choose:
- Private: only you can find, use, edit and delete the response.
- Global: every account user can find and use it; only administrators or authorized roles can manage it.
- Add files from your device or the Media Library when needed, then save.
- In a conversation, in the reply box, type / to open the list; start typing the shortcut to filter.
- Pick the response you want. Text responses enter the editor; interactive responses can be sent immediately or reopened for review, depending on the channel.
- Tweak whatever you need and send.
Settings & options
- Shortcut: the short identifier you type after the slash (e.g.,
/hours,/welcome). - Content: can include formatting and, when supported, variables (such as the contact's name).
- Private visibility: tied to its author and never returned in another user's search.
- Global visibility: shared with the account. An agent without management permission can view and use it, but cannot edit or delete it.
- Authorship: the management list shows who created the response and who last updated it.
- Attachments and interactive content: saved files and interactive structures travel with every reuse.
- Keyword search: when you open the list with /, you can search by shortcut or by content.
Use cases
- Answer business hours, deadlines and policies with a consistent message.
- Send standardized step-by-step instructions (e.g., how to submit a receipt).
- Uniform greetings and closings across the whole team.
Tips, limits & best practices
- Use predictable, short shortcuts so you remember them without checking the list.
- Use private responses for drafts or personal wording; use global responses for approved content the entire team should apply consistently.
- Review responses periodically to keep the content up to date.
- For several actions at once (reply + label + resolve), use a macro instead of just the canned response.
Troubleshooting
- The slash (/) doesn't open the list: confirm you're in the Reply box (not Note) and that responses exist.
- I can't find a response: check the exact shortcut or search for a word from the content.
- Someone else cannot find my response: check whether it is Private. Change it to Global with an authorized account when the whole team needs it.
- I can use but cannot edit a global response: this is expected for agents without management permission. Ask an administrator to update it or grant the appropriate permission.