Help Center

Manage Conversations

Manage conversations

Conversations have a total of four different statuses: mark as read, archive, delete and restore. You can manage the status of a conversation by opening it in the conversations area and then clicking any of the corresponding icon buttons in the top right of the conversation window.

Search for conversations

You can for conversations by department ID, assigned agent ID, conversation title, conversation ID, message text, message attachments name, user first name, user last name, user email

Information

  • When you empty the trash, all the conversations in the trash are permanently deleted.
  • When a user sends a new message to an archived or trashed conversation, the conversation is automatically restored and will now be visible in the Inbox area.
  • Trashed conversations are deleted automatically after 30 days.
  • When a user is deleted, all the conversations and messages are permanently deleted too.
  • An agent can delete their messages by opening the message menu and clicking Delete. The message menu becomes visible when you hover the mouse cursor over the message.
  • The left conversations list use auto-pagination, which is limited to 100 results per scroll.

Text editor and automated messages features

The text editor of the admin area and automated messages(example: welcome and subscribe messages) can be used to create stylized messages:

  • Links formatting — All text links are automatically converted to clickable hyperlinks. To set the link name, append the following string to the URL: #sb-example. Replace example with your desired link name and white spaces with --.
  • Text formatting — The editor also supports text formatting syntax:
    • To make text bold, surround it with *: *your text*.
    • To make text italic, surround it with __: __your text__.
    • To make text strikethrough, surround it with ~: ~your text~.
    • To insert a single-line code comment, surround it with`: `your text`.
    • To insert a code block, surround it with ```: ```your text```.
  • HTML and other code languages — For security reasons, no HTML, JavaScript (JS), or other code languages are permitted. However, you can use HTML snippets by utilizing custom rich messages (discussed below).
  • To insert a line break into a message, use the keyboard combination SHIFT + ENTER or CTRL + ENTER.

Merge fields

Merge fields are strings replaced by external values when used. Merge fields can be used in any message or automated message, including chatbot messages.


Code Description
{user_name}
Full name of the active user.
{user_email}
Email of the active user.
{agent_name}
Full name of the active agent.
{agent_email}
Email of the active agent.

Rich messages

Rich messages are special messages with interactive features like buttons, dropdowns, or inputs. They allow an agent to request information from the user via a user input form or to diplay interactive contents. Rich messages can be inserted into a chat message using shortcodes. Shortcodes accept various parameters like title and description. The available rich messages are listed below.

How it works:


1

Create and send

"Rich Create a rich message by inserting the shortcode into the text editor of the admin area. Customize all of the parameters with your information and send your message.

2

Message is displayed

"Rich When a shortcode is used, the user sees the rich message (not the shortcode) and can select or enter the required information to complete the form submission.

3

User's response is submitted

"Rich Once the rich message form has been filled out and sent by the user, a success message is shown and the form data is saved.


Rich Messages


Name Shortcode Description
Card
[card imag

e=“URL” header=“TITLE” description=“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amete” link=“URL” link-tex t=“Purchase” extra=“$ 599” target=“_blank”]

Call-to-action card with an image, title, description, link, and more.
Slider
[sl

ider image-1=“URL” he ader-1=“TITLE” descri ption-1=“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amete” link -1=“URL” link-text-1= “Purchase” extra-1=“$ 599” image-2=“URL” he ader-2=“TITLE” descri ption-2=“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amete” link -2=“URL” link-text-2= “Purchase” extra-2=“$ 599” target=“_blank”]

Slider of call-to-action cards with an image, title, description, link, and more. You can add up to 10 slides.
Slider images
[slider-images

images=“URL,URL,URL”]

Slider of images.
Chips
[c

hips options=“A,B,C”]

List of buttons.
Buttons
[but

tons options=“A,B,C”]

List of buttons.
Select
[se

lect options=“A,B,C”]

Dropdown list of options.
Inputs [inputs values=“A,B, C” button=“Send now”] List of text inputs.
Email
[em

ail name=“true” last- name=“true” phone=“tr ue” phone-required=“f alse” placeholder=““]

Form to collect the user's email and phone number. All attributes are optional. Follow up settings used as default values. Add the attribute required-m essaging-apps="true" to force users to provide their email and phone on messaging apps. Merge fields are supported.
Timetable
[timetable]
Timetable.
Articles
[articles l

ink=“https://board.su pport/articles-demo”]

Articles with search area. The link attribute is used as fallback message for Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram messages.
List
[l

ist values=“A,B,- C,- D,E” numeric=“true”]

Text list. Prefix an item with the - char to make it an inner item.
List double
[list

values=“A:X,B:Y,C:Z”]

Text list with titles.
List image [list-image values =“URL:A,URL:B,URL:C”] Text list with titles and images.
Table
[table

header=“A,B,C” values =“A:B:C,A:B:C,A:B:C”]

Table.
Button [button link=“https:/ /board.support” name= “Click here” target=” _blank” style=“link”] Display a link or open an article. The attribute target="_blank" is optional and open the link in a new window. The attribute style="link" is optional and change the button design. To open an article on click the link value must be #article-ID, replace ID with the article ID.
Video
[video typ

e=“youtube” id=“0TImi c4N1ko” height=“350”]

Display a YouTube or Vimeo video. The value of the attribute type can be youtube or vimeo. The attribute id is the ID of the video, get it from the URL. The attribute height is optional and sets the video height in px.
Image
[image ur

l=“https://board.supp ort/media/admin.png”]

Image.
Share [share fb=“https://bo ard.support/” tw=“htt ps://board.support/” li=“https://board.sup port/” pi=“https://bo ard.support/” wa=“htt ps://board.support/”] Social share buttons.

Special chars

If your text includes the characters ,, :, or ", you must prepend the character to them. For example: ,, :, ".


Global parameters

All of the rich messages support the following parameters:


Parameters Description
id="123"
The ID of the rich message (used also to save the JSON data).
title="ABC"
The rich message title.
message="ABC"
The rich message description that appears underneath the title.
success="ABC"
The message that appears when the user completes and sends the rich message. The user input is appended to this message.
settings="ABC"
Extra field for optional extra values.

Use rich messages in the chatbot

You have to create a Dialogflow chatbot, then simply enter the rich message shortcode into the text response of the Intent.


Rich message response

When a user completes a rich message, the response data is saved in JSON format in the database under table sb_messages and column payload. Example:

{"rich-messages":{"4Voyu":{"type":"email","result":{"email":["example@gmail.com","Your email..."]}}}}

Rich message translations

To translate a rich message string, the original rich message text must be in english, add the exact english text and its translations in Setting > Translations > Front End.


Show a rich message on chat initialization

To display a rich message, such as a list of buttons, when a user initiates a chat for the first time, insert the rich message shortcode into the welcome message.


Custom rich messages

You can create custom rich messages with your own custom content by going to Settings > Miscellaneous. Currently, custom rich messages are static and there are no interactive options available as there are with shortcodes. However, you can insert custom HTML codes.


HTML codes

When creating a custom rich message, you can use the following codes:


Code Description
<a href="https://www.goog
le.com" target="_blank" class="sb
-rich-btn sb-btn">Click here</a>
Link with button design.
<a href="https://www.google.co
m" target="_blank" class="sb-rich
-btn sb-btn-text">Click here</a>
Link.
<div class="sb-image"><img src
="https://via.placeholder.com/150
0x600" class="sb-image" /></div>
Image that zoom on click.

Built-in messages

The built-in messages are pre-programmed messages sent automatically by Support Board. You can find them by going to Settings > Messages.

Welcome message

Send a message to new users when they visit the website for the first time.

  • Text formatting is supported.
  • Merge fields are supported.
  • Rich messages are supported.
  • The welcome message is not sent to slack.
  • Conversations containing only the welcome message (and no response) are automatically archived.

Follow up message

If no agents respond within the specified time interval, a message will be sent to request the user's details, such as their email.

  • Text formatting is supported.
  • Merge fields are supported.
  • You can send a confirmation email to the user by filling in the Follow-up Email fields.
  • If the delay is not set, a dynamic time interval is utilized and it is determined as follows: If Settings > Miscellaneous > Office hours is configured, and the current time falls within the defined office hours, or if at least one agent is online, then the delay will be set to 15 seconds. In all other cases, the delay will be set to 5 seconds.
  • Follow-up messages are sent a maximum of once every 24 hours.
  • If the user provides an email address and the newsletter feature is enabled, the email address will be subscribed.
  • The follow-up message is sent only to users without email address.
  • If the chatbot's human takeover feature is activated, the follow-up message is only sent during human takeover.

Rating

Display the feedback form to rate the conversation when it is archived.

  • The rating message is not compatible with the messaging channels.
  • The rating is visible in the right panel of the conversations area, in the agent ratings report of the reports area, and in the agent profile.

Offline message

Notify the user when their message is sent outside of the scheduled office hours or all agents are offline.

  • Text formatting is supported.
  • Merge fields are supported.
  • To learn more about the office hours option, please click here.
  • The offline message is sent to the same user maximum 1 time per hour.
  • If the chatbot's human takeover feature is activated, the offline message is only sent during human takeover.
  • If you or any other agent is online using Slack, the offline message will not be sent.

Privacy message

Present a privacy message accompanied by Accept and Decline buttons. The user's approval by clicking on the Accept button is required to start using the chat. This feature ensures privacy policy enforcement and GDPR compliance.

  • The privacy message is not shown if the Settings > Users > Require registration option is enabled.
  • The privacy message is also sent to messaging channels like WhatsApp, but the user does not have the option to approve or decline the privacy policy. The messaging functionalities are not blocked either. The message is sent after the user initiates the conversation by sending their first message.

Pop-up message

Show a pop-up notification to all users.

  • The popup message is always shown until the user manually closes it; then it stays closed.

Attachments

Here, you can access information regarding the uploading of files and the message's attachments.

  • The following image formats are displayed automatically:.jpg, .jpeg, .png.
  • The allowed file attachments extensions are set in the supportboard/include/upload.php file.
  • Add new allowed file extensions by adding the code define("SB_FILE_EXTENSIONS", ["exe", "abc",...]) to the config.php file of your Support Board installation folder. Replace ["exe", "abc",...] with an array containing the extensions you want to allow.
  • For instructions on sending attachments with a chatbot, click here.
  • The uploads folder location is supportboard/uploads by default for the PHP version, while for the WordPress version it is wp-content/uploads/sb. You can customize it from the config file. You can also upload files to AWS S3.

Information

Here, you can access information regarding a variety of features associated with conversations.

Tags

Tags enable more efficient organization and grouping of conversations. Please refer to the information below for further details.

  • You can manage the tags from Settings > Admin > Tags.
  • Tags can be assigned to conversations through different methods: via the admin area by navigating to Settings > Automations > More, through Dialogflow actions, and by inserting the JS variable SB_DEFAULT_TAGS into a page showing the chat or into a web page displaying the chat or the tickets panel.
  • To locate conversations with specific tags, simply enter the tag names into the search bar located at the top-left corner of the admin conversations area, or you can select the desired tag from the dedicated filters menu on top-left. The tags filter is visible only if at least one tag is assigned to a conversation.
  • Check the Starred tag option to display the starred tag icon in the conversations area. This allows you to select conversations assigned to the first tag with one click. The first tag on top is always the starred tag.
  • You can disable the tags from Settings > Admin > Disable tags.

Notes

Notes allow users to add comments to conversations that are only visible to agents and admins.

Transcript

The full conversation can be sent to the user by the agent or admin as a transcript file.

  • Agents and admins can send conversation transcripts to users by clicking the Transcript button in the top-right corner of the admin's conversation window.
  • Agents and admins can automatically send the transcript to the user when the conversation is archived by using the close message available at Settings > Messages & Forms > Close message.
  • The transcript can be sent to the user only if the user has an email address.
  • If the conversation has been translated, the transcript will also include the translated messages.

Miscellaneous

  • The date and time format is automatically detected based on the browser's language settings.
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