Receiving and sending messages in the Zendesk Agent Workspace

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<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">This article describes the web and social messaging features that you can use in the Zendesk Agent Workspace. When activated by an administrator, messages fromsocial messaging channelsorweb messaging channelscan become tickets. You can send and receive messages in the Zendesk Agent Workspace as part of the main conversation flow.</p>
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<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> You must have at least one web or social messaging channel enabled to use this
feature. It requires the Zendesk Support Suite or an account with Support and Chat.</div>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">This
article describes the web and social messaging features that you can use in the Zendesk Agent
Workspace. When activated by an administrator, messages from <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408831648794" target="_blank">social messaging channels</a> or <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408827701530" target="_blank">web messaging channels</a> can become tickets. You can send and receive
messages in the Zendesk Agent Workspace as part of the main conversation flow.</p>
<div class="p">Messages described in this article include:<ul class="ul" id="topic-1__ul_ayw_w1p_pnb">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Social messages</strong>: These are messages sent from customers using a social message
application such as Facebook or WhatsApp. Social messages are persistent, but may have
timeout rules for agent replies, depending on the social messaging type.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Web messages</strong>: These are messages sent by customers from web or help center pages
that include the Web Widget, and often include a <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749415066" target="_blank">AI agent</a>. Agents and customers can reply or restart the
conversation at any time. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic-1__image_ask_52y_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_message_full3A.png" width="730"></p>
<p class="p">This article contains the following topics: </p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic-1__ul_mct_b21_bhb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_fzy_pxj_2mb">Answering a message</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_ywt_jhk_2mb">Composing messages</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_cfx_gjk_2mb">Assigning a messaging ticket to another agent or group</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_arj_w1k_gmb">About ticket assignments</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_hcd_tjk_2mb">Messaging limitations</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="p">Related articles<ul class="ul" id="topic-1__ul_l1f_fcm_tkb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6937345201562" target="_blank">Setting your status for messaging and live chat</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408823962906" target="_blank">Managing conversations in Agent Workspace</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4483794022170" target="_blank">Managing malicious attachments</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Answering a message</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">When a new messaging ticket comes in, you’ll see an active Accept button at the
top of the interface. This Accept button works for social messages, web messages, and live
chats. Your Zendesk admin configures the types of messages you can receive and how these
messages are routed to your queue. By default, incoming messages and new comments have sound
notifications, but you can <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408821476378" target="_blank">configure notification sounds</a> based on your own personal
preferences. </p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr"><strong class="ph b">To answer the message</strong></p>
<div class="p">
<ol class="ol" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__ol_v52_vxj_2mb">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Click <strong class="ph b">Accept</strong> to open a message. <img class="image" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__image_ogh_ssf_fmb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_message_accept_button.png" width="100"><p class="p">The conversation appears in the ticket with the
user’s name and status at the top, along with the channel type.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__image_uql_jyj_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_message_new.png" width="500">
</p>
</li>
<li class="li">To learn more about the user before you reply, click <strong class="ph b">User</strong> in the context panel.
<p class="p">See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829170458" target="_blank">Viewing customer context</a> for details. If
available, the essentials card includes the user’s messaging contact information. For
example, a user's WhatsApp phone number and email address.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__image_os4_4yj_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_messaging_context2.png" width="300"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Choose how you want to reply. <p class="p">You can reply directly on the same channel, or you
can pick another channel from the composer. The channel choices for your reply depend
on the type of message you received. </p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__image_r4b_yvh_rmb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_reply_options_combo.png" width="600"></p>
<p class="p">Channel choices include:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__ul_dnm_bzj_2mb">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Social messaging channel</strong>: For social messages, the same social messaging
channel where you received the message. For example, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
You cannot switch between social message channels within the same conversation.
Social messages support attachments, emojis, macros and shortcuts.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Messaging</strong>: Zendesk's web messaging channel. You cannot switch between a
social messaging channel and the web messaging channel within the same conversation,
but you can switch to other channels. Messaging conversations can include an <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749415066" target="_blank">AI agent</a>, and might include options that agents can view
and engage with. </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Email</strong>: (if the user’s email address is available). Email messages support
text formatting, attachments, To and CC fields, and emojis (via Apps). </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Call</strong>: Opens the call console so you can call the user. </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Internal note</strong>: Updates the ticket with a private comment that other agents
can see, but not the end user. Internal notes support text formatting, attachments,
and emojis (via Apps). </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="li">Compose a reply and click <strong class="ph b">Send</strong>. <p class="p">For more information on how to compose
messages, see <a class="xref" href="#topic_ywt_jhk_2mb">Composing messages</a>.
</p>
</li>
<li class="li">You can continue the conversation as needed to complete the request. <p class="p">When the user
replies to your message, you’ll receive a notification and the ticket tab updates. See
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408844108826" target="_blank">Using ticket tabs to manage conversations</a> for
details.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__image_wyx_zgk_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_messaging_notifications2.png" width="300"></p>
<p class="p"> You’ll also see a New message indicator
in the conversation.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__image_kqq_hhk_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_new_message2.png" width="450"></p>
<p class="p">If you don't have the ticket open when
the user replies, your notification list is updated. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829025690" target="_blank">Using the notifications list to manage conversations</a> for
details.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Anytime during a conversation, you can also use the Status drop-down menu to set the
current state of the ticket. <p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fzy_pxj_2mb__image_esm_p2g_fmb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_message_ticket_status.png" width="300"></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_ywt_jhk_2mb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Composing messages</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Use the composer to reply to messages in Agent Workspace. Controls in the
composer vary depending on what channel you're using to reply. For example, social messaging
channels support attachments and emojis, you’ll see these icons at the bottom of the
composer window. For more information, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408831849882" target="_blank">Composing messages in the Zendesk Agent Workspace</a>.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_ywt_jhk_2mb__image_izb_shz_vmb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/whats_app_reply_omni.png" width="600"></p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">When you reply to messages, you can also use macros to compose messages.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">As you exchange messages, you can see the message status in the composer window.
For example, you can see when the message is Sent, when the user has Read your message, or
if the message is not delivered. </p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_ywt_jhk_2mb__image_xwf_3py_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ui_social_message_not_delivered2.png" width="450"></p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">If there are issues with the message, the message is flagged with a warning icon
(<img class="image" id="topic_ywt_jhk_2mb__image_nbr_z3k_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_conversations_warning_icon.png" width="16">). For example, if an unknown user is copied on an
email message. </p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr"><img class="image" id="topic_ywt_jhk_2mb__image_tyh_v3k_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_message_flag.png"></p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Channels can have an expiration period. For WhatsApp, agents cannot respond more
than 24 hours after the last end-user response. For other social messaging channels, the
timeout might be 48 hours. Web messages do not have a timeout period.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr"><img class="image" id="topic_ywt_jhk_2mb__image_ugl_2jk_2mb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_social_messages_expired3.png" width="600"></p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">When the timeout is reached, you can reconnect with the requester on another
channel. For example, email or call. </p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested1" id="topic_cfx_gjk_2mb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title4">Assigning a messaging ticket to another agent or group</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">When a messaging ticket is assigned to you, the ticket remains assigned to you
until you are ready to solve the ticket or hand it off to another agent. You can transfer a
messaging ticket to another agent by changing the ticket assignee. Agents receive a
notification when a messaging ticket is assigned to them by another agent.
</p>
<p class="p">When an agent receives a messaging ticket, the assignee field is no longer accessible to
other agents. The field appears grayed out to all agents, aside from the assigned agent and
the instance administrators.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested1" id="topic_arj_w1k_gmb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title5">About ticket assignments</h2>
<div class="body">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_arj_w1k_gmb__ul_oll_ckq_gmb">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">If a new messaging ticket is created and agents are online, the ticket is
routed to online agents with available capacity and the lowest number of active messaging
tickets and live chats.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Once assigned to an agent, a messaging ticket remains assigned to the agent
until the agent re-assign the ticket to another agent or group. An administrator can
assign the ticket to another agent if the ticket receives a new response from the end-user
and the assignee is offline.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">If a new messaging ticket is created and all agents (or the group) is offline,
the ticket is added to Unassigned Views.</li>
<li class="li">When you reassign a message to a different group in the agent workspace, the new group
isn't notified of the reassignment, but it does appear in the standard Unassigned tickets
view. To help monitor transferred chats and messages, admins can create group-specific
unassigned views, as they do for email.
</li>
<li class="li">Agents can create personal views using Channel conditions to capture a list of all
messaging tickets assigned to them.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested1" id="topic_hcd_tjk_2mb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title6">Messaging limitations</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">For information about social and web messaging limitations in the Zendesk Agent
Workspace, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408821805338" target="_blank">Limitations in the Zendesk Agent Workspace</a>.</p>
</div>
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