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In this article

Inbox User Interface

Explore the characteristics of Channel.io's chat interface, which enables you to identify who is the assignee and the status of the ongoing chat.

Navigation

(Channel.io inbox is divided into four areas.)

navigator

  1. My profile

    • My chats: Manage chats where you have been designated as the Assignee.

    • Unread: Check new, unread messages here.

    • Bookmarks: Collection of user chats marked ‘Favorite’ (You can ‘Favorite’ a chat by pressing the star key ☆)

    • My sessions: Collection of user chats where you receive notifications regardless of being set as the Assignee or a follower.

    • All: All chats inflowed to the channel will be stored here.

  1. No assignee

    • Chats that are not assigned to anyone will be stored under unassigned.

      • If you click the team name, you will see the number of chats that are assigned to the team but not assigned to anyone yet.

  1. Assignee

    • Check which members are On and Off and check the number of user chats currently in progress for each member in real-time.

    • You can set the auto-assign limit per manager.

    • If the number of opened chats exceeds the auto-assign limit, the number will be displayed in orange color.

  2. Chat tags

    • You can check the number of user chats currently in progress by chat tags.

    • If you click on a tag, you can only see user chats with that particular tag attached.

  3. Notify for unassigned

    • You can turn on/off the unassigned chat notification setting. If you turn this setting on, you will be notified whenever chats open with no assignee.

Chat list

  1. Bulk action

    • You can perform a bulk action on selected or multiple user chats at once.

    • You can select individual user chats by clicking the profile image, or you can select all user chats by clicking the checkbox at the top. Bulk action is also available in search results.

  2. Sorting

    • You can sort and view incoming messages in order from most recent to oldest.

  3. Chats from external messenger

    • Chats brought in through Instagram Direct Messaging will display the relevant external messaging platform icon on the right hand corner of the customer’s profile picture.

Chat field

Top corner

  1. Bookmarks / Close chat

    • Bookmarks: Press the star symbol ☆ next to the customer’s name to add the user chat to the [Bookmarks] button so you can check it at any time.

    • Close chat: Click the [Close chat] button to end the chat.

  1. Snooze chat

    • You can put the chat on hold for up to 180 days.

    • When the set period ends, the user chat status automatically changes to ‘Opened’ and the Assignee receives a notification.

  2. Copy link

    • You can copy and share links for both members and customers.

    • Member links are only for members invited to the channel, and customer links are only for actual customers.

  3. Delete chat permanently

    • You can delete a chat permanently. Permanently deleted user chats cannot be restored.

Chat Window

This is where you chat with the customer. There are two types of messages that Channel.io ends: a ‘Reply’ or ‘Internal notes’.

  • Reply: messages sent to customers.

  • Internal note: messages sent to managers.

    • If you need help or need to go over something, discuss it with your teammates through internal chats

  • Messages with file attachments now have a bulk download button on hover.

Compose message

These are functions to make messages sent through Channel.io more fun!

  1. Attach files

    • Attach files and images to your message.

    • Upload up to 10 files/images at a time.

    • The maximum size for uploads is 1GB, and if the uploading time exceeds 5 minutes, the message won’t be delivered.

  2. Mention someone

    • You can send a notification to another manager by mentioning them.

    • Type @Manager ID or name in the chat window to mention them.

    • You can use this function when you need to notify a specific manager on Team Chat or request help from another manager within an internal user chat.

  3. Use templates

    • If there’s a phrase you use often, try adding it to ‘frequently used templates’.

    • Through ‘Set Phrases’ you can use these phrases without having to type them word for word each time.

  4. Links

    • Send external links to customers through the Link button

    • Set the link to the button text, select the button color, and you’re done!

  5. Forms

    • You can send a form where customers can enter the requested information. Once you receive the requested information from customers, you can also save them to Contacts. (Learn more)

Right Panel

  1. Chat info

    • You can check the Assignee of the chat, and check and add Followers.

      • A Follower’s main role is to participate in chats, and if you are assigned as an Assignee, you are automatically added to the chat as a Follower.

    • You can apply up to 8 chat tags.

    • You can check which marketing campaigns and support bots have triggered a chat creation.

      You can check the chat goal achievement status.

    • Add a record or explanation of the chat in the Chat Description column. You can input it through hashtag form by using #.

  2. User info

    • This is an area where you can see customer information comprehensively. You have the option to display only the necessary information from the customer profile.

  3. Events & Chat list

    • In ‘Events’, you can check customer activity on your homepage. You can see what pages they visited and what pages they were viewing when they initiated the chat.

    • In ‘Chat List’, you can view the list of previous chats you had with the customer.

  4. Sent message list & Files and web links

    • In 'Sent message list', you can check the SMS history sent out through follow-up notifications or marketing messages.

    • In 'Files and web links’ is where you can view all images and files shared with the customer.

FAQ

Can I receive a notification even if a new message comes to an ended chat?

When the chat is ended, push notifications will not work even if a message comes through the internal note. If there is still something to be discussed with the managers who are participating in the chat, please change the chat status to ‘Snoozed’.