Unified View of Customer Chats with the LHS Panel in Zoho Desk

Left-Hand Side (LHS) Panel in IM Inbox


When you want to quickly find and respond to customer messages, the Left-Hand Side (LHS) panel is your go-to place. It shows all conversations from multiple messaging channels in one organized list. This helps you work faster, stay organized, and deliver smooth customer service.


Supported Messaging Channels
Supported Messaging Channels
WhatsApp
Telegram
LINE
WeChat
Business Messaging
Facebook Messenger
Instagram

What you can do with the LHS panel   

  1. See all customer conversations from WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Business Messaging, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.
  2. Quickly find messages that need your reply.
  3. Keep track of conversations assigned to you or your team.
  4. Monitor blocked or ended chats.
  5. View conversations handled by bots.
  

Main tabs and how to use them   

My Conversations
Shows only the chats that are assigned to you or picked up by you.
Available sub-filters:
  1. Responded - Displays all chats where you’ve already sent a reply and the chat is still active (not ended).
  2. Yet to Respond - Displays chats that are assigned to you or picked up by you, but you have not sent a reply yet.
  3. All - Displays all active chats assigned to you or picked up by you, including both responded and yet-to-respond chats.

Unassigned

Displays chats that are not yet assigned to any agent and have not been picked up. These chats are waiting for an agent to take ownership.

Blocked

Displays chats from contacts who are blocked. Blocking may be due to security, spam, or policy reasons.

Ended

Displays chats that are marked as complete. A chat can be ended either manually by an agent or automatically by the system.

All Conversations

Displays every chat in the system, including those assigned to other agents. This view is for team-wide visibility and collaboration.

Available sub-filters:
  1. Responded - Displays chats across all agents where a reply has been sent and the chat is still active (not ended).
  2. Yet to Respond - Displays chats across all agents that are assigned or picked up but have not sent a reply yet.
  3. All - Displays all active conversation across all agents, including both responded and yet-to-respond chats.

Bot Conversations

Displays chats that are currently handled by bots or were previously handled by them. You can view all bot-handled chats or filter by a specific bot. This helps in monitoring, taking over when required, and reviewing bot performance.



 


What information do you see for each conversation?   

Key Details
Key Details
Each conversation row shows key details to help you decide what to handle next:
Data Point
Description
Customer Name
The customer's display name from their profile or contact list.
Channel Icon
Shows the messaging platform (WhatsApp, LINE, Instagram, Telegram, etc.).
Unread Count
Number of unread messages from the customer, helping you prioritize.
Last Message Preview
A short snippet of the latest message to give context.
Timestamp
When the last message was sent or received.
Bot Info
Shows the bot name if the chat was handled by a bot.
Assignment Info
Displays the agent currently assigned (visible on hover or tooltip).
Department
Indicates the department or queue (Sales, Support, Billing) the chat belongs to.
 

Filters and search options   

Channel Filter
On the left side, filter conversations by platform or view all channels.

By default, it shows all platforms.
  1. WhatsApp
  2. Telegram
  3. LINE
  4. WeChat
  5. Business Messaging
  6. Facebook Messenger
  7. Instagram


You can filter the channels by platform.


Department Filter
Top-left dropdown to filter by your assigned departments.



Search Bar
Search by
  1. Customer name
  2. Text
  3. Conversation ID
  4. Assigned agent
  5. Bot name
  6. Contact info


 

How conversations appear in “My Conversations”   

A chat appears here when:
  1. You manually pick it from Unassigned
  2. It is auto-assigned by routing rules
  3. A supervisor or admin assigns it to you
  4. You reply to an unassigned chat (ownership transfers to you)
 

 Common real-time scenarios   

Scenarios
Scenarios
Situation
What you see in LHS
New WhatsApp message arrives
Shows in Unassigned or My Conversations depending on routing
You reply to an unassigned LINE chat
Moves immediately to My Conversations
Bot responds then transfers chat
Moves from Bot Conversations to Unassigned or My Conversations
Blocked contact sends message
Appears in Blocked; no reply possible
Chat reassigned to another agent
Disappears from your 'My Conversations'
Customer messages after the chat ended
Chat reopens in Unassigned or My Conversations
Removed from a department
Chats from that department disappear from your view
Bot stops responding due to error
Chat stays in Bot Conversations; manual pick-up needed

Why your IM tab might not be visible   

No IM assignments routed to you
Check routing rules and assignment groups with your admin.
Recently removed from department or channel
Verify with your admin if your access changed and request reassignment if needed.
 

Why conversations might not show in your IM tab   

You may not be part of routing rules or marked unavailable.
  1. All chats might be picked up by others.
  2. Filters could be too narrow or misconfigured.
  3. You might not be assigned to any department.
Fixes:
  1. Clear filters and reset views.
  2. Check your status and routing with your admin.
  3. Ask your supervisor to assign conversations manually for testing.

How to expand or collapse the LHS panel   

  1. Click the small arrow near the left edge to collapse the panel and get more space for chat.
  2. Click again to expand and see the full conversation list.
  3. The system remembers your choice between sessions.

Best practices for agents   


  1. Start your shift by checking “Yet to Respond” under My Conversations.
  2. Regularly monitor Unassigned to reduce backlog.
  3. Close or end conversations that no longer need attention.
  4. Use channel filters when focusing on specific platforms.
  5. Set your status to Available when ready to take chats.
  6. Collapse the LHS panel during complex messages to reduce distractions.
  7. Clear filters often to ensure you see all relevant conversations.