What this helps you do
Assignment tells your team who owns the next step. It does not send a message, change the chat status, or change the WhatsApp reply window.
Before you start
Open the conversation. Your staff role must allow Inbox assignments. Create departments and add their members first if you want to assign by team.
Steps
- Open the conversation.
- Select Assign chat or Change assignment in the header.
- Choose one option:
- Unassigned: nobody owns it yet.
- Assign to me: you own it.
- Department queue: the department owns it, but no individual person does.
- Staff member: one staff member owns it.
- Choose a department or staff member when the option asks for one.
- Save.
The conversation list shows the assigned person's name or department name.
Understand the department choice
When you choose a department first, the staff list only shows members of that department. A person cannot be assigned inside a department they do not belong to.
Assign to me can also keep a department. This means you personally own the chat while it remains grouped under that department.
Use assignment filters
- Select Assigned to see open conversations assigned to you.
- Select Unassigned to find open conversations that nobody owns.
- Use Team to see work for one department.
A simple example
A customer asks for a refund. Assign the chat to the Returns department queue when any trained returns teammate can pick it up. Assign it to Aarav when Aarav has already investigated that exact order and should finish the reply.
What happens next
The conversation list and customer panel show its new owner. Assignment activity is recorded so teammates can see the change.
Common problems
- A staff member is missing: They may be inactive, unable to access Inbox, or not a member of the selected department.
- You cannot assign: Your role needs an Inbox assignment permission.
- Your save loses a newer change: Another teammate changed the conversation first. Refresh and assign again from the newest state.