Conversations & Support
By Conversa Labs
By Conversa Labs
Conversation view, replies, notes, assignment, status, priority, labels, macros, canned responses, search, filters and SLA.
Support overview and the conversation lifecycle
Overview Support is the heart of ConversaLabs: it's where every message arriving from any channel (WhatsApp, website, email, social and more) becomes a conversation your team can answer, organize and resolve in one place. Each conversation gathers the full history, the contact's context and the available actions (reply, assign, classify, snooze, resolve). This article gives the big picture of the flow. The other articles in this category cover each part in detail: the conversation screen, the ways to reply, assignment and classification, macros, canned responses, search, filters and SLA. Prerequisites - An active ConversaLabs account and a user with an agent or administrator role. - At least one connected inbox (a channel), so there are conversations to handle. Step by step 1. Open Conversations in the left sidebar. 2. Pick the queue you want (all, assigned to you, unassigned, mentions, etc.). 3. Select a conversation from the list to open it in the center panel. 4. Read the history, check the contact's context in the right panel and reply. 5. Classify the conversation (assignment, status, priority, labels) per your process. 6. When you're done, resolve the conversation. To pick it up later, snooze it. Settings & options - Queues and panels: the conversation list, the conversation panel and the contact context panel. - Reply vs. private note: answer the contact, or write an internal note visible only to the team. - Classification: assignment to an agent/team, status, priority and labels. - Accelerators: macros (sequences of actions), canned responses (shortcuts) and attachments. Use cases - Centralize support across multiple channels in a single screen, with one shared way of working. - Distribute conversations across agents and teams and track what's open, pending or resolved. - Standardize repetitive replies and actions with macros and canned responses. Tips, limits & best practices - Define a standard for status, priority and labels early to keep reports consistent. - Use private notes and mentions to align with colleagues without exposing anything to the contact. - Resolve when done: it keeps queues clean and metrics trustworthy. Troubleshooting - I see no conversations: confirm an inbox is connected and that you have access to it. - The conversation doesn't update in real time: reload the page and check your network connection. See also - The conversation screen: queues, panels and context - Replying, private notes and mentions - Assignment, status, priority and labels
The conversation screen: queues, panels and contact context
Overview The support screen is split into three areas that work together: the conversation list (with the queues), the conversation panel (messages and composer) and the contact context panel (details, past conversations and actions). Mastering this layout makes support much faster. Prerequisites - Access to at least one inbox with conversations. - An agent or administrator role. Step by step 1. Open Conversations in the sidebar. 2. In the list (left column) pick a queue: for example, conversations assigned to you, unassigned, all, or the ones where you were mentioned. 3. Click a conversation to open it in the center panel, where the message history lives. 4. Use the context panel (right column) to see the contact's details, attributes, previous conversations and the classification actions. 5. Switch between conversations from the list without losing context — each one keeps its own state. Settings & options - Queues/views: group conversations by criteria (status, assignment, inbox, team). You can save filters as custom views (see the filters and views article). - Sorting: by latest activity, creation or priority. - Preview: the list shows the sender, a snippet of the last message, the channel, the status and indicators (unread, priority, SLA). - Context panel: it can be adjusted to show the blocks most useful for your operation. Use cases - Work the "assigned to me" queue to focus on what's your responsibility. - Monitor "unassigned" to pick up new conversations quickly. - Use the context panel to understand the contact's history before replying. Tips, limits & best practices - Start the day with the mentions and unassigned queues so nothing sits idle. - Save the queues you use most as views to reach them in one click. - Use the list indicators (unread, priority, SLA) to prioritize. Troubleshooting - The list is empty: check the selected filter/queue and your access to the inbox. - I don't see the context panel: it may be collapsed — expand the right column. See also - Support overview - Custom filters and saved views - Assignment, status, priority and labels
Replying, private notes and mentioning colleagues
Overview Inside a conversation you write in two modes: reply, which goes to the contact over the channel, and private note, visible only to your team. In notes you can mention colleagues to pull them in and ask for help — without the contact seeing anything. Prerequisites - An open conversation in an inbox you have access to. - For mentions, colleagues must have access to the same inbox/account. Step by step 1. Open the conversation and find the composer at the bottom. 2. To talk to the customer, keep the Reply mode and type your message. 3. For an internal record, switch to Private note mode — the look changes to signal it's internal. Write your note. 4. To call a colleague in a note, type @ and pick the name from the list. They get a notification and the conversation shows up in their mentions queue. 5. Use text formatting (bold, lists, links) and attachments when you need to. 6. Send. Replies go to the contact; notes stay with the team. Settings & options - Reply vs. note: the selected mode decides who sees the message. Always check before sending. - Mentions (@): trigger a notification and feed the colleague's mentions queue. - Formatting: bold, italic, lists, quotes, code and links. - Accelerators: combine with canned responses and macros to save time. Use cases - Ask a specialist to help on a case by mentioning them in a note. - Record internal context (an agreement made, the reason for a discount) without exposing it to the customer. - Leave instructions for the next agent who takes over the conversation. Tips, limits & best practices - Mind the mode: confirm whether you're in Reply (goes to the customer) or Note (internal) before sending. - Mention the right person to avoid noise; too many mentions lose their effect. - Use notes for decisions and agreements — they become the memory of the case. Troubleshooting - The customer saw an internal note: it was likely sent as a Reply — always check the mode before sending. - The mention didn't notify: confirm the colleague has access to the inbox and that you picked the name from the list. See also - Canned responses with shortcuts - Attachments, voice messages, emoji and reactions - Macros: automating sequences of actions
Assignment, status, priority and labels
Overview Classifying a conversation is what keeps support organized and reports trustworthy. There are four dimensions: assignment (who's responsible), status (which stage it's in), priority (how urgent it is) and labels (topical tags). All of them are available in the conversation's context panel. Prerequisites - An open conversation in an inbox you have access to. - Labels and teams created by the administrator (in Administration & Settings), to make the most of it. Step by step 1. Open the conversation and find the context panel (right column). 2. Under Assignment, set the responsible agent and, if applicable, the team. 3. Under Status, choose between open, pending, snoozed or resolved. 4. Under Priority, select the level (for example, urgent, high, medium, low, or none). 5. Under Labels, apply one or more tags to classify the topic (e.g., "sales", "support"). 6. Changes take effect immediately and show up in queues, filters and reports. Settings & options - Manual or automatic assignment: the inbox can distribute conversations automatically (round-robin/ balanced) or leave it to the agents. - Status: open (in progress), pending (waiting on something), snoozed (returns at the set time) and resolved (done). - Priority: helps order the queue and highlight urgent cases. - Labels: created and managed by the administrator; used for reports and filters. Use cases - Route a conversation to the right team and assign an owner. - Mark as pending while waiting for information from the customer. - Raise the priority of a critical case so it shows at the top of the queue. - Tag conversations by topic to measure volume per subject. Tips, limits & best practices - Standardize a lean set of labels — many rarely used tags get in the way of reports. - Combine status + priority for an always-clear queue (what's urgent and what's open). - Use macros and automations to apply assignment/labels in bulk, consistently. Troubleshooting - I can't pick a team/label: it may not have been created — talk to an administrator. - The conversation wasn't auto-assigned: check the inbox's assignment rule. See also - Snooze, resolve and reopen conversations - Macros: automating sequences of actions - Custom filters and saved views
Macros: automating sequences of actions in a conversation
Overview A macro is a predefined sequence of actions you run on a conversation with one click. Instead of assigning, labeling, replying and changing the status by hand, you bundle it all into a macro and run it when you need. It's the simplest way to standardize repetitive support tasks. Prerequisites - Administrator permission to create/edit macros (creation lives in the account settings). - Any agent can run the available macros inside a conversation. Step by step 1. In Administration & Settings, open the Macros area. 2. Create a macro, give it a clear name and set the visibility (global or personal). 3. Add the actions in order — for example: assign to a team, apply a label, send a message, change the status to resolved. 4. Save the macro. 5. In a conversation, open the macros menu and run the one you want. The actions are applied in order. 6. Review the result before moving on to the next conversation. Settings & options - Action order: actions run top to bottom — arrange them to match the flow you want. - Action types: assignment (agent/team), labels, priority, status, sending a message/attachment and other integrations available in the account. - Visibility: global macros (for everyone) or personal ones (just for you). - Messages with variables: use variables (e.g., the contact's name) in the text when supported. Use cases - Standard closing: reply with a thank-you message, apply the label and resolve. - Triage: assign to the right team and set the priority based on the topic. - Hand-off: change the status to pending and leave a standardized internal note. Tips, limits & best practices - Name macros by the outcome ("Close case", "Forward to Billing") so they're easy to find. - Review the message text before trusting auto-send — avoid out-of-context replies. - Keep a few well-designed macros rather than many similar ones. Troubleshooting - I don't see the macros menu: there may be no macros created — ask an administrator. - The macro didn't apply everything: review the order and action types; an action may depend on a field that doesn't exist on the conversation. See also - Canned responses with shortcuts - Assignment, status, priority and labels - Snooze, resolve and reopen conversations
Canned responses with shortcuts
Overview Canned responses are ready-made messages you reuse across conversations. Each one has a short shortcut; by typing / followed by the shortcut in the reply box, the full text is inserted instantly. It's ideal for frequent questions, standard instructions and greeting messages. Prerequisites - Administrator permission to create/edit canned responses (in the settings area). - Any agent can use existing canned responses when replying. Step by step 1. In Administration & Settings, open the Canned responses area. 2. Create a response: set the shortcut (short and memorable) and the message content. 3. Save. Repeat for your most frequent messages. 4. In a conversation, in the reply box, type / to open the list; start typing the shortcut to filter. 5. Pick the response you want — the full text is inserted into the editor. 6. 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). - 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. - 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. See also - Replying, private notes and mentions - Macros: automating sequences of actions - Attachments, voice messages, emoji and reactions
Snooze, resolve and reopen conversations
Overview Every conversation has a lifecycle: it's open while in progress, can be snoozed to leave the queue and come back later, and is resolved when the case ends. If the customer replies, the conversation reopens automatically. Mastering these transitions keeps your queues clean. Prerequisites - An open conversation in an inbox you have access to. Step by step 1. Resolve: when the case is done, use the resolve action at the top of the conversation. It leaves the open queue and counts as resolved in reports. 2. Snooze: to pick it up later, choose snooze and set when it should return (for example, next reply, in a few hours, tomorrow, or a specific date). 3. Reopen: to resume a resolved conversation, use the reopen action — it becomes open again. If the contact sends a new message, the conversation reopens on its own. 4. Confirm the new status at the top of the conversation and in the queues. Settings & options - Resolve: marks the conversation as done; feeds the resolution metrics. - Snooze: common options include "until next reply", predefined periods and a custom date/time. At the set time, the conversation returns to the open queue. - Reopen: manual (by the agent) or automatic (when the contact replies). - Pending: use this status when you're waiting on something, without closing the conversation. Use cases - Resolve a simple, already-answered case to clear the queue. - Snooze a case that depends on the customer's reply and reschedule the reminder. - Reopen a conversation when new information appears or the customer reaches out again. Tips, limits & best practices - Resolve whenever you finish — clean queues make reports trustworthy. - Prefer snooze over leaving conversations idle as open; snooze brings them back at the right moment. - Use pending for "waiting on customer" and snooze for "come back at this time" — they serve different purposes. Troubleshooting - The conversation reopened by itself: the contact sent a new message — that's the expected behavior. - The snoozed conversation didn't return: check the snooze date/condition and the filter/queue you're in. See also - Assignment, status, priority and labels - SLA policies and deadline tracking - Support overview
Attachments, voice messages, emoji and reactions
Overview Beyond text, you can enrich a conversation with attachments (files, images, documents), voice messages recorded on the spot, emojis and reactions to messages. The availability of each feature depends on the channel: WhatsApp, for instance, supports most of them; other channels may vary. Prerequisites - An open conversation in an inbox that supports the feature you want. - For media, respect the channel's size and format limits. Step by step 1. Attachments: in the reply box, use the attach button to pick files from your computer (or drag and drop). Add a caption if you like and send. 2. Voice message: use the microphone button to record; stop when done and send the audio. 3. Emoji: open the emoji picker to add one to the reply text. 4. Reactions: hover over a message and choose a reaction (when the channel supports it) — handy to confirm receipt or signal agreement without sending a new message. 5. Check the preview before sending. Settings & options - Attachment types: images, videos, audio, documents and other formats the channel accepts. - Captions: many media types accept text alongside them. - Reactions: depend on the source channel; not all support them. - Reuse files: when the Media module is available, you can re-send already-saved files without uploading again. Use cases - Send a receipt, a PDF manual or an illustrative image. - Reply quickly with audio when writing it out would take too long. - React to a customer's message to confirm receipt without cluttering the conversation. Tips, limits & best practices - Respect the channel's size/format limits — large files may be rejected. - Prefer PDF for documents and common image formats for photos. - Use audio sparingly; many customers prefer text they can reread. Troubleshooting - The attachment failed: check the size and format accepted by the channel and try again. - I can't react to a message: the channel may not support reactions. - The audio didn't record: check the browser's microphone permission. See also - Replying, private notes and mentions - Canned responses with shortcuts - Advanced search for conversations and messages
Advanced search of conversations and messages
Overview Search helps you quickly locate a specific conversation, contact or message inside the platform. Instead of scrolling the conversation list, you type a term and ConversaLabs shows the most relevant results, grouped by type (conversations, contacts and messages). Prerequisites - Be signed in and have access to the inboxes where the conversation you're after lives. - Remember at least one term: the contact's name or phone, part of the message text, or the conversation number. Step by step 1. Open search from the top of the conversation view (or via the search shortcut). 2. Type the term you're looking for — it can be the contact name, a snippet of the message, or the conversation identifier. 3. Watch results grouped by type: conversations, contacts and messages. 4. Click the result you want to open the matching conversation right where you need it. 5. Refine the term if there are too many results (use more specific words). Settings & options - Search by contact: find by associated name, email or phone. - Search by message: locate by a snippet of the content exchanged in the conversation. - Search by conversation: use the conversation identifier when you already know it. - Combine with filters: for recurring slices (by status, agent, label, etc.), use custom filters and saved views instead of searching over and over. Use cases - Pick up an old conversation when all you remember is the customer's name. - Find the message where a price or deadline was agreed. - Locate every conversation from the same contact to review the history. Tips, limits & best practices - The more specific the term, the better the results — avoid overly generic words. - Message search covers the content of conversations you have access to. - For analysis and recurring slices, prefer filters and views; search is for one-off lookups. Troubleshooting - I can't find a conversation: check the spelling of the term and whether you have access to its inbox. - Too many results: add more specific words or use a filter. - The contact doesn't show up: confirm the name/phone was saved exactly as you typed it. See also - The conversation view - Custom filters and saved views - Assignment, status, priority and labels
Custom filters and saved views
Overview Custom filters let you slice the conversation list by combining conditions — by status, assigned agent, team, label, inbox, priority and other attributes. When a slice is useful day to day, you can save it as a view (a custom folder) and open it in one click, without rebuilding the filter every time. Prerequisites - Be signed in and have access to the inboxes you want to filter. - Understand conversation attributes (status, priority, labels, assignment) to build good conditions. Step by step 1. In the conversation view, open the filter option. 2. Add one or more conditions (for example: status = open and agent = you and label = "vip"). 3. Apply the filter and review the sliced list. 4. If the slice is useful recurrently, choose to save it as a view and give it a clear name. 5. Afterwards, open the saved view straight from the sidebar — no need to rebuild the conditions. Settings & options - Combinable conditions: stack several criteria to land exactly on the slice you want. - Available attributes: status, priority, assignment (agent/team), labels, inbox, language, country and other conversation and contact fields. - Saved views: use objective names ("My open urgent", "No reply today") so the team gets it. - Shared folders/views: views help standardize how each role tracks its queue. Use cases - Track only the conversations assigned to you that are still open. - Monitor high-priority conversations with no reply. - Create a view per team or per campaign/label to focus the team. Tips, limits & best practices - Start with few conditions and refine — overly complex filters are hard to maintain. - Name views so anyone understands their purpose. - Periodically review saved views and remove the ones no longer used. Troubleshooting - The view doesn't show what I expect: review each condition; one wrong label or status changes everything. - I can't see certain conversations: confirm you have access to the matching inbox. - The view disappeared: check whether it was removed or renamed by another teammate. See also - The conversation view - Advanced search of conversations and messages - Assignment, status, priority and labels
SLA policies and deadline tracking
Overview An SLA policy (Service Level Agreement) defines the deadlines your operation commits to on each conversation — for example, the maximum time for the first response, the next response and the resolution. With an SLA applied, the platform tracks those deadlines, flags conversations that are close to the limit, and records when a deadline is breached. Prerequisites - Optional capability: SLA policies may depend on your plan and/or administrator permissions. If you can't find the SLA area, talk to an account administrator. - Administrator permission to create and apply policies. - A clear definition of the deadlines that make sense for your business. Step by step 1. In Administration & Settings, open the SLA area. 2. Create a policy: set the desired deadlines (first response, next response, resolution) and, if applicable, the business hours used in the count. 3. Save the policy. 4. Apply the policy to conversations — directly or through automations/rules that assign the SLA based on criteria (inbox, label, priority, etc.). 5. In the conversation view, follow the deadline indicators (close to the limit, or breached). Settings & options - Deadline types: first response, next response and resolution time. - Business hours: the count can consider only working hours. - Automatic application: combine with automations to apply the right policy to each conversation. - Breach flagging: conversations that exceed the deadline are marked for prioritization. Use cases - Ensure every new contact gets the first response within an agreed time. - Automatically prioritize conversations about to breach their deadline. - Measure SLA compliance in reports by inbox, team or period. Tips, limits & best practices - Set realistic deadlines for the size and hours of your team. - Use business hours so nights and weekends aren't counted unfairly. - Combine SLA with priority and filters/views to keep the queue under control. Troubleshooting - I can't see the SLA area: the capability may not be enabled for your plan/role — talk to an administrator. - The deadline isn't counted as I expected: check business hours and how the policy was applied. - Conversations don't get an SLA: verify the automation/criterion that should apply the policy. See also - Assignment, status, priority and labels - Custom filters and saved views - Snooze, resolve and reopen conversations