Set tickets and conversations to close automatically for more accurate analytics

After a conversation or ticket is resolved and no further action is needed, you can permanently mark it as closed. This makes it easier for teams to lock old threads to maintain a clean and organized conversation history. When a customer replies to a closed conversation, the message automatically splits into a new conversation thread, ensuring that new topics aren’t stuck in old threads.

The benefits of using the closed status include:

1. More accurate analytics: Metrics are more reliable because new topics are correctly separated into new conversations.

2. Streamlined workflows: 

   • Ensures that team members can focus on current and active issues without distraction from outdated information.

   • Tags, search results, etc. are correctly related to the conversation, ensuring conversations are accurately tracked to power rules and analytics.

3. Efficient assignment routing: New conversations come in as unassigned, ensuring they end up with the right teams quickly. A team working on the previous inquiry may not be needed for the new inquiry.

4. Improved ticket management: Assign ticket IDs to individual inquiries, rather than using one ticket ID for one conversation with many unrelated inquiries.

When a conversation is marked as closed:

• Inbound replies from customers will be split into brand new conversations with the default Open status.

• The composer, reply, and snooze actions for agents are disabled.

• The conversation or ticket status cannot be changed in the shared inbox.

• The conversation cannot be merged.

Once a conversation is marked as closed, this action cannot be undone. This prevents old threads from being reopened to ensure clearer resolution tracking.

When a customer replies to a closed conversation, the old thread will display a link to the new conversation.

The new conversation will also link back to the original thread. This is helpful if agents need historical context to resolve the new request. The conversation will be assigned a new conversation ID, and if applicable, a new ticket ID.

You can set an automatic close timeframe using the Close conversation channel setting—whether it’s 5 days, 10 days, or a custom duration. If you prefer not to auto-close conversations, you can set it to Never and your analytics will also reflect this preference.

• This setting is available for email channels, custom channels, and chat-like channels (SMS, WhatsApp, etc).

• Front Chat channels do not have a Close conversations setting. They will continue to use the existing End and refresh chats automatically and Widget refresh settings.

When your channel is first set up or you are migrated to the close conversations setting, Front assigns Never as the default time period.

You can permanently close a conversation using the three-dot menu, then selecting Close conversation.

• Front Chat conversations: Action is available regardless of conversation status (Open, Waiting, Archived/Resolved).

• Email channels, custom channels, and chat-like channels (SMS, WhatsApp, etc): Action is only available after the conversation is archived/resolved.

A pop-up will appear. Click Close conversation to confirm. This action cannot be undone.

If you have multiple resolved statuses configured, select the resolved status for the conversation, then click Close conversation to confirm. This action cannot be undone.

The closed status replaces the conversation segments feature. Conversation segments will be deprecated and any related settings will be removed. Any past conversation segment data will be kept, and Front will stop tracking segment data moving forward.

When a teammate comments on a closed conversation:

1. It will reopen in the Shared to me tab for subscribers.

2. It will bump to the top of the conversation list in the Archived/Resolved tab in the shared inbox.

The conversation remains resolved, and will bump to the top of the conversation list in the Archived/Resolved tab in the destination inbox.

Yes. New conversations split off from a closed conversation will trigger any rules using the Inbound message is received (new conversation) trigger.

Yes. When viewing analytics reports, closed conversations are a subset of the Resolved status.

If a conversation is archived/resolved but not yet closed, any activity that reopens the conversation will cancel the Close conversations timer. The timer will restart when the conversation is archived/resolved again. Actions taken on the conversation that don't reopen the conversation will not affect the timer.

Example with a Close conversations setting of 3 days:

• Jun 1: Conversation is resolved. The conversation will close on Jun 4.

• Jun 2:

  • A comment is added to the conversation, and your company bump setting is set to bump and reopen on comments.

  • The conversation reopens.

  • The conversation is resolved again. The timer is reset and the conversation will close on Jun 5.

• Jun 3: A tag is added to the conversation. The tag activity doesn't reopen the conversation.

• Jun 5: The conversation is permanently closed.

No. If you change your close conversation channel settings, this does not update analytics data prior to the change.

This feature is available on all plans.