Allowing multiple conversations for your end users

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Multi-conversations let your end users conduct multiple messaging conversations simultaneously with the click of a button, providing faster resolutions to their support issues and a more satisfying customer experience. This feature is available on the Web Widget, iOS SDK, and Android SDK channels. Multi-conversations are not available for Unity SDK or social messaging channels.

Zendesk customers who have access to the Sunshine Conversations API can set custom titles and avatars for multi-conversations.

This article includes the following topics:

• About multi-conversations
• Turning on multi-conversations
• Removing the New conversation button

About multi-conversations

This topic includes the following sections:

• Considerations when turning on multi-conversations
• Active and inactive messaging tickets
• Requirements and limitations
• Understanding the agent experience

Considerations when turning on multi-conversations

Important: Turning on multi-conversations changes the end-user experience and how Agent Workspace manages conversations. These updates can’t be rolled back.

Before activating multi-conversations for your account, consider the following:

• All web, iOS, and Android messaging channels are updated when you turn on multi-conversations for any messaging channel. Channels not selected to display the New conversation button will perform as described in Removing the New conversation button. Consider turning on multi-conversations for all available messaging channels to align the end-user experience.
• You can't fully revert to the single conversation experience for end users after you turn on multi-conversations. You can prevent end users from starting additional conversations by removing the New conversation button, but end users will continue to have access to all conversations in the conversations list. End users can raise new issues by continuing any conversation in the conversations list.
• Merging authenticated users will no longer combine conversations into a single history. By default, before turning on multi-conversations, authenticating an end user after starting a messaging conversation merges that end user with the matching authenticated user profile, and conversations under the authenticated user profile are combined into a single conversation history. When you turn on multi-conversations, authenticating an end user after starting a messaging conversation still merges them with the authenticated user profile. However, the conversation isn’t merged with prior conversations. This change is irreversible. If you are authenticating your end users you should work with your developers to ensure the authentication occurs before starting messaging conversations. Delaying authentication may result in duplicate tickets for the same issue. See Configuring multi-conversations for more information.

Active and inactive messaging tickets

Multi-conversation behavior in messaging conversations depends on whether the tickets associated with those conversations are active or inactive.

A messaging conversation is active when any of the following are true:

• An AI agent is in the conversation.
• The related ticket's status is New, Open, On-hold, Pending, or Solved.
• An agent has not ended the messaging session.

A messaging conversation is inactive when either of the following are true:

• The related ticket's status is Closed.
• An agent has ended the messaging session.

Requirements and limitations

Multi-conversations are available on accounts that meet the following requirements:

• Messaging is activated.
• Using the Omnichannel Backend (OCB).
• Zendesk iOS or Android SDK version 2.10.0 or later. For the best user experience, version 2.25.0 or later is recommended. Older SDK versions do not support this feature and will default to a single conversation experience.

Currently, the following functionality is not supported for multi-conversations:

• Zendesk Unity SDK and social messaging channels connected to your account.
• V1 SunCo APIs.
• Social channel linking (allowing an end user to move the conversation from the Web Widget to a social channel) in subsequent conversations on social channels. Social linking is available for only the first conversation started by the end user. End users can't continue subsequent conversations on social channels.

See our Developer documentation for more information, including additional Sunshine Conversations API capabilities and limitations.

Understanding the agent experience

In Agent Workspace, your agents likely support more than one conversation simultaneously. In this sense, turning on multi-conversations does not impact how they work with and view incoming conversations.

Even though each new conversation created by an end user and handed off to an agent results in a new ticket, agent interaction with these tickets and end-user profiles in Agent Workspace remains unchanged.

Turning on multi-conversations

Important: Read and understand these considerations before turning on multi-conversations.

You can turn on multi-conversations for Web Widget, Android SDK, or iOS SDK in Admin Center.

To turn on multi-conversations

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. At the top of the page, click Manage settings.
3. Under Web Widget and Mobile SDKs, expand Multi-conversations.
4. Click Set up multi-conversations.
5. Click Turn on multi-conversations for your account, then select the channels on which you want to offer multi-conversations.
   

   Note: Turning on multi-conversations for one messaging channel updates all web, iOS, and Android messaging channels. Any channels not selected during this step will perform as described in Removing the New conversation button.
6. Click Save.

After you have turned on multi-conversations for a channel, you can manage settings on the Manage channels page or from the Basics tab configuration for Web Widget or mobile SDKs.

Removing the New conversation button

You can remove the New conversation button from a channel to prevent end users from creating new conversations.

However, when you remove the New conversation button, it’s important to understand that end users will not completely revert back to the single-conversation experience.

After the New conversation button is removed, end users:

• Won’t be able to create additional conversations.
• Will see the conversations list when clicking or tapping the launcher button, if they have started multiple conversations.
• Will be able to access all conversations from the conversations list.
• Will raise new issues in their existing conversations from the conversations list.

End users will continue to receive push notifications (for mobile channels), and proactive messages (for web channels) will be appended to the latest updated conversation.

To remove the New conversation button from a channel

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. At the top of the page, click Manage settings.
3. Under Web Widget and Mobile SDKs, expand Multi-conversations.
4. Click Manage channels.
5. On the Manage channels page, deselect the channels where you want to remove the New conversation button.
6. Click Save. The New conversation button is removed from those channels.