About channel switching logic in the ticket composer


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In the Zendesk Agent Workspace, agents can work across multiple channels all within the same ticket. Because of this
flexibility, the ticket composer includes some rules (logic) for channel switching within a
ticket. This logic controls which channels are available to you when you send a reply.
This article contains the following topics:
Channel switching options in the composer
Channel switching logic for talk tickets
Channel switching logic for chat tickets
Channel switching logic for messaging tickets
Channel switching logic for any ticket, light agents
Channel switching logic for email and other ticket types



Related articles
Composing messages in the Zendesk Agent Workspace




Channel switching options in the composer

The following simplified diagram shows which channel switching options are
available for agents, based on the ticket type.

Some examples include:

After you end a chat with a customer, you can switch to the email channel to send a
follow-up email.
After you receive an email ticket from a customer who needs a detailed, personalized
reply for an urgent matter, you can switch to the talk channel and call the customer.
If you have an email ticket paired with private by default settings in Admin Center,
internal note automatically shows in the composer when you open the ticket.

You can use the channel menu to switch channels manually in the composer. See Switching channels in the composer. You can also
rely on automatic channel switching logic to help out. When you open a ticket, channel
switching logic can automatically present the best channel option, reducing the time it
takes to reply to customers.
Channel switching logic varies depending on which channels were used to create the ticket.
It also depends on which default privacy settings are set in Admin Center. See below for
details. The default privacy settings in Admin Center apply to email, talk, and other
channels, but not to messaging and chat. See Changing the default privacy of ticket comments.



Channel switching logic for talk tickets

When you open a talk ticket with the call ended, here are the results. The behavior changes
depending on which privacy defaults for ticket comments are set in
Admin Center.










Situation
Condition 1
Condition 2
Result




Agent opens a talk ticket
The call has ended.
The Set the composer channel to public setting is selected in Admin
Center.
Composer shows Public reply.


The Set the composer channel to public setting is not selected in Admin
Center.
Composer shows Internal note.




There’s one exception to the privacy defaults for ticket comments. Tickets that only have
internal notes and no public comments will always default to internal notes, even if the
Public by default setting is turned on.



Channel switching logic for chat tickets

When you open a chat ticket, here are the results. Because chat is considered a live
channel, the privacy defaults for ticket comments that are set in
Admin Center don’t apply.










Situation
Condition 1
Condition 2
Result





Agent opens a chat ticket
Note: The default privacy settings in Admin Center don’t apply.

The chat is active
Composer shows the Chat channel.


The chat is inactive
The chat user has a known email address
Composer shows the Email channel.


The chat is inactive
The chat user doesn’t have a known email address
Composer shows Internal note.







Channel switching logic for messaging tickets

When you open a messaging ticket, here are the results. Because messaging is considered a
live channel, the privacy defaults for ticket comments that are set in Admin Center
don’t apply to active messages.









Situation
Condition
Result





Agent opens a messaging ticket
Note: For active messages, the default privacy settings in Admin Center
don’t apply.

The messaging channel has not timed out. It is still available. Timeouts vary
from 24 hours to 7 days, depending on the type of messaging channel.
Composer shows the applicable messaging channel. For example, WhatsApp,
Facebook, WeChat, Messaging, and so on.



Agent opens a messaging ticket
Note: For inactive messages or email replies, the default privacy settings
in Admin Center do apply.

The applicable messaging channel has timed out.
The default privacy settings in Admin Center do apply. The Composer shows
Internal note.


The customer’s last reply was by email, regardless of channel timeout.
The default privacy settings in Admin Center do apply. The Composer shows
Internal
note.







Channel switching logic for any ticket, light agents

When a light agent opens any ticket, the composer shows Internal note. Light agents can
only add internal notes, not public replies. See Understanding what light agents can do.



Channel switching logic for email and other ticket types

For email and other types of tickets, channel switching logic is applied based on the privacy defaults for ticket comments that are set in Admin
Center.
There’s one exception to the privacy defaults for ticket comments. Tickets that only have
internal notes and no public comments will always default to internal notes, even if the
Public by default setting is turned on.

