Linked conversations

Linked conversations allow you to create separate conversations that relate back to an original inbound message. These conversations are grouped together, making it easy to track all sub-tasks needed to resolve the overall request.

This is most helpful when you need to split out and assign action items to several assignees or teams, streamlining ownership of sub-tasks. 

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Across all industries and use-cases, anytime a customer or partner has a request that has multiple parts, or requires multiple follow-ups in order to resolve, linked conversations are a great option to easily keep track of all the moving pieces.

Here are some more specific, hypothetical examples:

• Logistics company: A customer lets you know the details of their scheduled shipment are changing. You can create linked conversations to keep track of the related follow-ups including carrier communication, requoting, and rescheduling.

• Travel agency: A customer wants to add an additional stop to their vacation. Your team can use linked conversations to send separate messages about a new flight, hotel, and rental car that are still associated with the original customer request.

Step 1

Open a conversation, then click the message you want to create a linked conversation for.

Step 2

Click the three-dot menu in the message, then select Create linked conversation.

Step 3

A new composer window will appear. You'll see a link to the original conversation at the top. Fill out the composer fields and send a message to another recipient.

Step 4

Once the message is sent, you'll see it linked in the original conversation. This new conversation can then be moved, assigned, tagged, etc. independently from the original conversation.

Hover over the # linked indicator to view any conversations linked to the original conversation.

Click View all to see the full list of conversations. The original conversation will be marked with an Original indicator in the conversation list.

Hover over the # linked indicator to view any conversations linked to the conversation you’re viewing. You’ll see the original conversation and any additional linked conversations.

Click View all to see the full list of conversations. The original conversation will be marked with an Original indicator in the list.

If a related conversation is no longer relevant, you can unlink it from the original conversation. When a conversation is unlinked:

• The removed conversation will no longer appear when viewing all linked conversations

• Both conversations will still exist

• Only teammates who have subscribed to the related conversation or have access to the inbox it belongs to will continue to have access to the conversation

Step 1

Open a conversation, then hover over # linked indicator. 

Step 2

Hover over the conversation you’d like to unlink, then click the Unlink from original icon.

Step 1

Open the conversation you'd like to link to another conversation.

Step 2

Click the three-dot menu, then click Link to conversation.

Step 3

Select the original conversation you'd like to link to. You can hover over the selection to preview the original conversation.

Step 4

Click the conversation to link them. The original conversation will automatically be added to the conversation you are viewing.

Using your conversation list, you can select multiple existing conversations and quickly link them to an original conversation.

Step 1

Select multiple conversations to link in your conversation list. See this article to review how to mass select conversations.

Step 2

In the More menu, you’ll see Link conversations (Step 3) or Link conversations to [conversation subject] (Step 4). 

Step 3

If your selection contains conversations that haven’t been linked before, a new menu will appear. Select and preview the original conversation that the selected conversations should be linked to. Click the original conversation to link them.

Step 4

If your selection contains an original conversation, Front will automatically populate the original conversation in the More menu. Click Link conversations to [conversation subject] to link them.

You can hover over the selection to preview the original conversation.

Step 5

An indicator will appear at the bottom left to confirm the action. If needed, you can click Undo to unlink the conversations.

Selected conversations cannot be linked via mass action when:

• More than 20 conversations are selected at a time.

• At least 2 selected conversations are original conversations that are already linked to related conversations. Original conversations cannot be linked together. In other words, there are 2+ parent conversations selected, and parents cannot be linked together.

• At least 2 selected conversations are related conversations that are already linked to other original conversations. Related conversations can only be linked to a single original conversation. In other words, there are 2+ child conversations selected, each with different parents.

• The selection contains existing linked conversations and regular conversations. In other words, a child conversation cannot be used to link a regular conversation to the child’s parent.

If the related conversation is permanently deleted, it will be unlinked from the original conversation. If it is soft deleted, it will still be linked to the original conversation.

If the original conversation is permanently deleted, the related conversations will be unlinked from the original conversation. If the original conversation is soft deleted, the related conversations will still be linked to the original conversation.

No. It is not possible to link a conversation to another conversation that is already linked to an original conversation. e.g. A child conversation cannot be used as a parent/original in a second linked conversation group.

This feature is available on all the latest plans.