Auto-Close Conversations in Messaging Channels | Efficient Chat Management

Auto-Close Conversations (Bot & Agent)


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The Auto-Close Conversations feature helps businesses efficiently manage inactive chats across multiple channels, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Business Messenger, LINE, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.
 

Why Auto-Close Conversations?  

Business Needs
Customer Benefits
Business Needs
  1. Businesses handling large volumes of customer conversations need efficient chat management.
  2. Prevents inactive conversations from occupying agent queues.
  3. Helps agents focus on active customers.
  4. Reduces unnecessary agent workload and operational costs.
  5. Ensures response time guidelines are followed.
  6. Helps track completed interactions and unresponsive customers.
Customer Benefits
  1. Customers receive notifications before chat closure.
  2. Customers can restart a conversation anytime.
  3. Customers know when their chat is inactive.
  4. WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram follow the same chat management rules.
  

How Auto-Close works for agent conversations  

A conversation is auto-closed if:
  1. No messages are exchanged within a defined inactivity period.
  2. The conversation is in Waiting for Customer or Pending status.

To set the auto-close timer:  

  1. Go to Setup ( ) in the top bar.
  2. Select the Instant Messaging channel.
  3. Navigate to the Preferences section.
  4. Click the Conversation Rules sub-tab.
  5. Under the Auto-close Conversations accordion, select the Channel for which the timer should be set.
  6. Set Timer for:
    1. Agent: Auto-close abandoned agent conversations
    2. Bot: Auto-close abandoned bot conversations
  7. Select how long the bot/agent should wait before auto-closing the conversation.
  8. Set the timer.


 
 

Configurable Auto-Close settings  

Businesses can define custom timeframes (e.g., 5 min, 1 hour, 24 hours) or set it to None (disable auto-close).
If a customer replies after closure:
  1. The chat automatically reopens and notifies all the agents.
  2. The chat moves to the queue for a new agent assignment.
  3. Auto-closed chats move to the closed folder but remain accessible.
 

How Auto-Close works for bot conversations  

  1. Auto-close applies if a customer stops responding to a bot conversation.
  2. Bot interactions have a shorter auto-close timeframe than agent chats.
 

Configurable Auto-Close settings for bots  

  1. Shorter Auto-Close Time: 5 min, 10 min, or None (disable auto-close).
  2. Handoff to Agents: If a bot cannot resolve an issue, the conversation can:
    1. Auto-close if inactive
      1. If a customer returns after auto-closure, the chat will Restart the bot flow.
      2. Auto-closed bot conversations move to the closed folder.
  3. Escalate to an agent for further assistance.
 

Sample Auto-Close flow table  

Flow
Flow
Event
Agent Chat Flow
Bot Chat Flow
Next Action
Customer starts a conversation
Chat assigned to agent
Bot sends a welcome message
Chat remains open
Customer sends a message
Agent responds, waits for customer reply
Bot processes message
Chat remains open
No customer response
Auto-close timer starts (e.g., 30 min)
Auto-close timer starts (e.g., 10 min)
Countdown to auto-close begins
Customer replies
Timer resets; chat remains open
Timer resets, bot continues flow
Chat stays active
No response after warning
Chat auto-closes
Chat auto-closes
Moved to closed folder
Customer sends message after closure
Chat reopens & reassigned to agent
Chat reopens & bot flow restarts
Conversation resumes
Business is closed
Auto-close postponed until next business day
Auto-close postponed until next business day
Chat remains open until next shift

How Auto-Close behaves in special scenarios  

Scenarios
Scenarios

Scenario 1: If the business operates on specific hours, auto-close behavior depends on configuration:

Auto-close will be paused outside business hours to ensure customers don’t lose their conversation.
Conversations remain open until the next business day, then follow auto-close rules. 
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Scenario 2: If agents are offline and a conversation is still active:

Auto-close will be paused to ensure customers don’t lose their conversation.
The system will send an offline message.
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Scenario 3: If an agent has not responded to a customer message:

Auto-close does NOT apply.
Auto-close only triggers if the customer also becomes inactive for a set duration.
 

Platform-specific limitations  

Different messaging platforms have unique restrictions that impact auto-close behavior:
WhatsApp
Telegram
LINE
WeChat
Facebook & Instagram
WhatsApp
WhatsApp requires businesses to respond within 24 hours, after which a new session is needed.
Auto-close must occur within 24 hours if a response isn’t received.
Telegram
No strict session window, but messages beyond 48 hours may have delivery issues.
Auto-close timing should align with Telegram’s best practices.
LINE
Messaging API limits may prevent reopening a conversation after auto-close.
Businesses may need to send a new outbound message to restart conversations.
WeChat
Conversations are session-based and may automatically close if inactive beyond a 48-hour window.
Auto-close settings should match WeChat’s message session expiration rules.
Facebook & Instagram
Customer re-engagement is limited after 7 days unless a business sends a sponsored message.
Auto-close should be configured to align with Facebook’s re-engagement rules.
 

Troubleshooting common issues  

Chat auto-closed too soon
Adjust inactivity duration in settings.
Customer responded, but chat still closed because of a system delay in detecting the message.
Check system logs and ensure settings allow quick re-opening.
Chat did not auto-close when expected
Enable auto-close in settings.
Customer cannot reopen a closed chat because the channel has been deleted or disabled.
Re-enable the channel or manually assign the conversation.
 

FAQs

Can customers reopen a conversation after it auto-closes?
Yes. If a customer sends a new message, the chat can automatically reopen or be assigned to an agent.
What happens if an agent is offline?
The system follows auto-close rules but can be configured to pause closures outside business hours.
Can auto-close be disabled?
Yes. Auto-close can be set to None per channel or conversation type.