Median

Inbox

Work the queue, answer threads, and pass conversations between you and the agent.

Updated Oct 5, 202610 minute read

The queue

One row per conversation, from every channel.

PartShows
FaceThe customer's picture, or their initial
Corner of the faceNothing while the agent has the thread. A red warning mark when it asked for a person. The teammate's face once someone took it over
NameBold while the thread is unread
PreviewThe last message, on one line
TimeWhen the last message arrived. A clock beside it means the thread is snoozed
Thread idSuch as W-12, under the time

The inbox loads the 200 most recent conversations. The archive loads its own 200. Views, search and filters work within those. An open thread shows its newest 200 messages.

The number beside Inbox in the sidebar counts open threads waiting on you. A thread waits on you when the agent asked for a person, or when you hold it and the customer wrote back. Snoozed and archived threads do not count.

Views

The heading above the list is a menu. The number beside it counts the rows in the view.

ViewShows
OpenOpen threads. The default
Needs a personThreads where the agent asked for a teammate
UnreadThreads with news nobody has opened
SnoozedSnoozed threads
ResolvedResolved threads
ClosedClosed threads
AllEvery thread in the inbox, snoozed ones included
ArchivedThe archive

A snoozed thread shows only in Snoozed and All. The view, search and filters reset when you reload the page.

Search, sort and filter

The magnifier opens Search conversations. It matches the subject, the last message, and the customer's name, email and company. Esc closes and clears it. Thread ids are not searched. Type one into the command palette instead.

The funnel holds Sort and Channel. A dot on the funnel means either one is changed.

ControlOptions
SortNewest or Oldest, by last message
ChannelEmail, Live chat, Discord. Show every channel clears the choice

Live chat covers the widget, the support modal, the contact form, and threads started over the REST API.

Thread ids

Every thread gets an id like W-12.

  • The letter is the first letter or digit in the workspace name, in capitals. A name with neither uses T.
  • The number counts up per workspace, in arrival order, and stays with the thread.
  • Renaming the workspace changes the letter on every id.
  • Ids show on queue rows, in the thread header and on the customer page.

Act on a row

Right click a row. Labels change with the thread's state.

ItemShown whenDoes
Take overThe agent has the threadYou hold it and the agent stops answering
Resume Median AIA person has the threadThe agent answers the next customer message. Needs Standard or Pro
Mark as read, Mark as unreadAlwaysToggles the row's weight
Snooze, Snooze againAlwaysHides the thread until a time you pick
Wake up nowSnoozedBrings it back now
Resolve, CloseOpenFinishes the thread
ReopenResolved or closedOpens it again
Archive, Move to inboxAlwaysFiles it away, or brings it back
Delete foreverArchivedDeletes the thread, its messages and files

The menus show your agent's name. Median AI is the default.

Each snooze option shows the time it wakes.

OptionWakes
In an hour60 minutes from now
Tomorrow9:00 tomorrow, your local time
Next week9:00 next Monday. On a Monday, the Monday after

A snoozed thread comes back unread, with the line "This conversation came back from snoozing".

Select several

Click a customer's face to select the row. Shift click selects every row in between. The header becomes N selected.

ViewActions
Every view but ArchivedResolve, Close, Archive
ArchivedMove to inbox, Delete

Delete confirms first with "Permanently delete the selected conversations and all their messages and files." Rows already in the target state are skipped. Switching views clears the selection.

Auto-resolve

The wand button reads the 100 most recent open threads, archived and snoozed ones excluded. It resolves the answered ones, closes spam and dead ends, and leaves the rest. The thread line names Auto-resolve as the actor.

  • It runs when you press it, whatever Resolve conversations automatically says. That switch is about the agent finishing threads on its own.
  • A dialog asks Auto-resolve the inbox? before it starts.
  • One pass runs at a time. A second gets "An inbox review is already running. Wait for it to finish."
  • Needs a paid plan.

The nightly review is the Review the inbox nightly switch on Agent.

A thread

PartShows
Name and thread idWho wrote in, and the thread's id
Channel iconLive chat, Email or Discord on hover
StatusOpen, Resolved or Closed
Snoozed untilThe wake time, while snoozed
ArchivedWhile archived
Conversation actions menuSnooze, Wake up now, Close on open threads, Archive or Move to inbox
Details buttonShows or hides the details panel
Resolve, ReopenFinishes the thread, or opens it again

Drag the edges of the queue and the details panel to resize them. On narrow screens the details panel opens as a drawer. On a phone it is Customer details in the actions menu.

Who answers

The line above the composer says who writes the next reply.

LineButtonMeans
Median AI is answeringTake overThe agent has the thread
Median AI needs approval to run and the tool's name, such as Refund orderTake overA high risk call is waiting. See Approvals
Median AI is writing a replyStopA reply is on its way. Stop cancels this reply only
Median AI needs help from your teamTake overThe agent asked for a person. The line turns red
You are handling this conversationResume agentYou hold the thread
Sam is handling this conversationResume agentA teammate holds it. A teammate is handling this when no name is known
  • The agent answers customer messages only while it has the thread. After it asks for help, or once a person holds it, it stays quiet.
  • Take over stops any reply in progress and adds "Sam took over from Median AI" to the thread.
  • Resume agent adds "Sam handed this back to Median AI", and the agent writes the next message itself. You do not need to sign off first.
  • Resume agent needs Standard or Pro. On Explore it is disabled with "Available on Standard and Pro". See Plans.
Last message before you hand backWhat the agent does
YoursFollows on from it, such as checking the fix worked. On email it waits for the customer instead
The customer'sAnswers it
The agent'sStays quiet, and answers the customer's next message
Any, on a resolved, closed, snoozed or archived conversationStays quiet

The agent's work

In the threadShows
Used Refund order, Used 3 toolsA card under an agent reply. Open it to see each call's name, Your team's tool or Built in, the endpoint, Asked for and Answered
The agent run failedA reply that did not complete. Open Why it failed for the error
Median AI asked for a personThe handoff, with a Reason row when the agent gave one
Approval and run cardsSee Approvals and tool runs
Grey linesWho took over, resolved, snoozed, archived, approved or declined

Reply

KeyDoes
EnterSends
Shift+EnterAdds a new line
/ as the first characterOpens the command menu

Attach files with the + button, by dropping them on the composer, or by pasting.

LimitValueError
Length4,000 charactersMessages have to be 4000 characters or fewer.
Files6 per messageMessages can carry 6 files at most.
File size25 MB eachLarger than the 25 MB limit
File typeNo HTML, XHTML, SVG or XSLThis kind of file cannot be sent

A file that breaks a limit stays in the composer marked with its error, and Send stays disabled until you remove it.

Replies render Markdown in the inbox and the widget. The customer sees typing dots while you type a reply.

While the agent has the thread, typing shows "Sending a reply pauses Median AI in this conversation." Sending changes the thread:

BeforeAfter you reply
The agent has itYou hold it. The thread reads "Sam took over from Median AI"
Resolved or closedOpen
ArchivedBack in the inbox
SnoozedAwake
UnreadRead

A reply goes back on the thread's channel, whether that is the widget, email or a Discord ticket. With email support on, a widget customer who is away also gets an email copy. See Email. Replying on an email thread needs a paid plan.

Internal notes

Switch the composer from Reply to Internal note, or pick Write an internal note from the / menu. A note has a dashed edge and an Internal note label.

  • The customer never sees a note.
  • Notes are not sent to webhooks or to the Slack and Discord mirrors.
  • Notes take no files.
  • The agent reads every note on the thread as an instruction from the team, and follows it over its standing rules. It never quotes a note or says one exists.
  • A note does not make the agent reply. Notes on other threads are not read.

Slash commands

Type / as the first character of an empty composer. The menu stays open while the draft is a slash followed by letters, with no spaces.

GroupCommands
ConversationResolve or Reopen, Close, Snooze for an hour, Snooze until tomorrow, Snooze until next week, Wake up now, Archive or Move to inbox, Stop Median AI, Take over or Resume Median AI, Mark as read or Mark as unread, Show customer details or Hide customer details
ComposeWrite an internal note or Write a reply, Attach a file
ToolsEvery switched on tool, with its risk badge. Picking one opens its run form
  • Rows appear only when they apply. Close needs an open thread and Stop needs a reply in progress.
  • Typing matches the start of any word, plus keywords. /done finds Resolve and /spam finds Close.
  • Up and Down move. Enter or Tab runs the row. Esc dismisses the menu until you delete the slash.

The details panel

SectionHolds
HeaderFace, name and email. The name opens the customer page
InsightsWhat was learned from their conversations, with a refresh button
DetailsStarted on with the page and the site they came from, Last seen, Local time, Language, Browser, Customer since, and each key your site sent as user.metadata
ToolsYour switched on tools. Press one to run it yourself
Earlier conversationsTheir most recent other threads, up to 6. "This is their first time getting in touch." when there are none

Details and Earlier conversations start collapsed and show a count.

Statuses

StateSet byWhen the customer writes
OpenA new thread, Reopen, or a teammate's replySame thread. The agent answers if it has it
ResolvedResolve, Auto-resolve, the nightly review, or the agentA new thread starts on the same channel
ClosedClose, Auto-resolve, or the agentA new thread starts on the same channel
SnoozedSnoozeThe thread wakes
ArchivedArchiveAn open thread comes back to the inbox. A finished one starts a new thread
  • Resolving, closing or archiving clears a snooze and marks the thread read.
  • Snoozing marks the thread read and takes it out of the archive.
  • Only archived threads can be deleted.
  • On Discord a finished ticket locks, and the customer opens a new ticket to write again. See Discord.
  • The agent resolves and closes threads itself while Resolve conversations automatically is on. See Agent.

A thread turns unread when the customer writes, a snooze ends, the agent asks for a person, a tool call waits on the team, one of the agent's tool calls fails, or a reply could not be emailed. Opening it marks it read.

Notifications

When the agent asks for a person, or hands a thread over after a failed reply, Median emails the team.

RuleDetail
WhoEvery member with an email address on file
SkippedMembers with Median open on this workspace in the last 3 minutes. A background tab counts
Second look5 minutes later, skipped members who no longer have Median open get the email, if the thread still needs a person
CancelledWhen someone takes the thread over first
Subject"Jane Doe needs a person", or "A customer needs a person"
BodyThe agent's reason, the customer's last message up to 280 characters, who they are, and Open the conversation

There is no per person setting.

AlsoWhere
The Needs your reply cardDashboard
Pings in Slack and DiscordWork from Slack and Discord
A staff role ping in a Discord ticketDiscord
Events for your own systemsWebhooks

Still need help?

    Esc