Real-Time Messaging
What it is
Real-Time Messaging in the BotBat Inbox delivers live updates to agents as conversations unfold, without requiring any manual page refreshes. This encompasses typing indicators that show when a contact is composing a message, read receipts that confirm when messages have been seen, browser and mobile push notifications for new messages and assignments, sound alerts, instant conversation list reordering, and agent presence and availability tracking.
These real-time capabilities transform the Inbox from a static message list into a live collaboration workspace. Agents can see who is online, which conversations are actively being typed into, and whether their messages have been delivered and read. This visibility reduces duplicate work, improves response coordination across teams, and gives agents the confidence that they are working with the most current information at all times.
In addition to passive real-time updates, the Inbox provides active productivity tools such as quick replies and canned responses. These features let agents send pre-written answers to common questions with a single keystroke, significantly reducing average response time during high-volume periods.
Real-time features by channel
Not all real-time features are available on every channel. The table below summarizes which features work on which channels so agents can set appropriate expectations.
| Feature | SMS | Webchat | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typing indicators (inbound) | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Typing indicators (outbound) | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Read receipts | Yes (if enabled by recipient) | No | No (open tracking separate) | Yes |
| Delivery confirmation | Yes | Yes (carrier-dependent) | Yes (bounce detection) | Yes |
| Real-time list updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Push notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sound alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Understanding these differences is important. For example, if an SMS customer has not responded, you cannot rely on typing indicators or read receipts to know whether they have seen your message. On WhatsApp, read receipts provide that visibility, but only if the recipient has not disabled them in their privacy settings.
Typing indicators
When a contact is composing a message on WhatsApp or webchat, an animated typing indicator (three dots) appears in the conversation thread. This visual cue helps agents anticipate incoming messages and avoid sending responses that cross in transit. If you see typing indicators, it is often best to wait a few seconds before sending your next message to avoid creating a confusing back-and-forth.
Typing indicators are bidirectional on supported channels. When an agent is composing a reply, the contact sees a typing indicator on their end as well. This reassures the customer that an agent is actively working on their request, which can reduce impatient follow-up messages. The outbound typing indicator activates automatically when the agent begins typing in the message input area.
On SMS and email channels, typing indicators are not supported by the underlying protocols. Agents should not interpret the absence of typing indicators as a lack of engagement from the customer. The customer may be composing a reply that simply cannot be detected until it is sent.
Read receipts and delivery status
After you send a message, delivery and read status indicators appear below the message bubble. These indicators provide progressively more detailed confirmation that your message reached the recipient.
The status progression follows this pattern:
| Indicator | Meaning | Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Single check (gray) | Message sent to the channel provider | All channels |
| Double check (gray) | Message delivered to the recipient's device | WhatsApp, Webchat |
| Double check (blue/colored) | Message read by the recipient | WhatsApp (if enabled), Webchat |
| Bounce/failure icon | Message could not be delivered | All channels |
On WhatsApp, some users disable read receipts in their privacy settings. In this case, messages show as delivered (double gray check) but never show as read, even if the contact has opened and read the message. Agents should not interpret this as the customer ignoring them; it simply means read tracking is unavailable for that contact.
For email, BotBat tracks delivery via bounce detection rather than pixel-based open tracking. An email is marked as delivered if no bounce is received. Open tracking, if enabled, operates separately from the real-time receipt system and is available in campaign analytics rather than inline in the Inbox.
Notifications and sound alerts
BotBat supports multiple notification channels to ensure agents never miss an important message, even when they are not actively looking at the Inbox tab.
Browser notifications. When you first open the Inbox, BotBat prompts you to allow browser notifications. Clicking "Allow" enables desktop notification popups for new messages, new conversation assignments, and mentions in internal notes. These notifications appear even when the Inbox browser tab is in the background or minimized, making them essential for agents who multitask across multiple applications.
Sound alerts. Audible alerts play when new messages arrive, when you receive a new assignment, or when you are mentioned in a note. Sound alerts can be configured in Settings > Notifications, where you can enable or disable each alert type independently and choose from several alert sounds. Agents working in open office environments may prefer to disable sounds and rely on visual notifications instead.
Mobile push notifications. If your organization uses the BotBat mobile app, push notifications deliver new message alerts directly to your phone. This is particularly valuable for remote agents or teams that need to stay responsive outside of normal desktop working hours.
Notification preferences are per-agent, so each team member can configure their alerts to match their workflow and environment without affecting other agents.
Agent availability and presence
Agent availability status controls how auto-routing distributes conversations and gives team members visibility into who is currently online and available.
Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the Inbox to open the status menu. The three available states are:
| Status | Auto-routing behavior | Visible to team |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Receives auto-assigned conversations | Green indicator |
| Away | Skipped by auto-routing | Yellow indicator |
| Offline | Skipped by auto-routing, no notifications | Gray indicator |
Your availability status is visible to all other agents in the team, which helps with coordination. If a team lead sees that only one agent is Online during a busy period, they can reassign conversations or ask other agents to come online. Agents should update their status at the start and end of each shift, and whenever they step away from their desk for an extended period.
Auto-routing rules respect availability strictly. If all agents are set to Away or Offline, incoming conversations remain unassigned until an agent comes Online. There is no fallback that forces assignment to unavailable agents, so it is important that at least one agent is Online during business hours.
Quick replies
Quick replies are pre-written, short responses that agents can insert into a conversation with a single keystroke. They are designed for frequently asked questions and common responses that agents send multiple times per day.
To use a quick reply, type / in the message input area. This opens the quick reply menu, which displays a searchable list of all available quick replies. Type a few characters to filter the list, then click or press Enter to insert the selected reply into the message input. You can edit the inserted text before sending if needed.
Quick replies support personalization variables such as {{first_name}}, {{company}}, and any custom contact attribute. These variables are resolved at send time using the recipient's contact profile data. For example, a quick reply containing "Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for reaching out!" automatically fills in the customer's first name.
When creating quick replies (managed in Settings > Quick Replies), use descriptive names that agents can search for easily. Organizing quick replies into categories (e.g., "Greetings," "Billing," "Technical Support") further speeds up the search process. A well-maintained quick reply library can reduce average response time by 30% to 50% during peak periods.
Canned responses
Canned responses are longer, structured replies designed for complex answers that require more detail than a quick reply. They are ideal for multi-paragraph explanations, step-by-step instructions, policy statements, and other responses that benefit from careful formatting.
To access canned responses, click the bookmark icon next to the message input area. This opens the canned response browser, which organizes responses by category. Use the search bar to find specific responses by keyword. Click a response to insert it into the message editor, where you can customize it before sending. Unlike quick replies, canned responses are meant to be reviewed and potentially edited before sending, since they typically contain more detailed content.
Canned responses also support personalization variables and can include rich formatting for email channels. They are managed in Settings > Canned Responses by administrators or team leads, ensuring consistency across the team.
Handling concurrent conversations
The Inbox supports working on multiple conversations simultaneously. Agents can click between conversations in the list, and each conversation preserves any unsent draft text in the message input area. This means you can start composing a reply, switch to handle an urgent conversation, and return to your original draft without losing your work.
Unread message counts on each conversation row update in real time, so you can see at a glance which conversations have new activity while you are focused elsewhere. The conversation list automatically reorders to push conversations with new messages to the top, unless you have applied a specific sort order.
For agents handling five or more conversations simultaneously, the combination of quick replies, canned responses, and draft preservation makes it possible to maintain quality and speed without context-switching overhead. Each conversation retains its own state, draft, and scroll position independently.
Common pitfalls
- Browser notifications blocked. If you dismissed the notification permission prompt when first opening the Inbox, you will not receive desktop notifications. Re-enable them in your browser's site settings for the BotBat domain (typically found under Settings > Site Permissions > Notifications).
- Typing indicators not available on all channels. Typing indicators work on WhatsApp and webchat but are not supported on SMS or email. Do not assume silence means the contact is not responding; they may be composing a reply on a channel that does not expose typing state.
- Read receipts disabled by recipient. Some WhatsApp users disable read receipts in their privacy settings. Messages will show as delivered but never as read, even if the contact has seen them. This is a WhatsApp platform limitation, not a BotBat issue.
- Away status blocks auto-assignment. If your status is set to Away or Offline, auto-routing skips you entirely. Remember to set your status back to Online when you return to your desk to avoid missed assignments and unbalanced workloads.
- Quick reply variables not filling. If a quick reply contains a variable like
{{first_name}}and the contact's profile does not have a first name value, the variable renders as empty text. Review your quick reply templates and add fallback text (e.g., "Hi {{first_name|there}}") where supported to handle missing data gracefully. - Stale availability status. Agents who forget to set their status to Offline at the end of their shift may appear as Online to the system, causing auto-routing to assign conversations to agents who are not actually available. Establish a team habit of updating status when starting and ending shifts.
Create quick replies for your top 10 most common customer questions. This alone can reduce average response time by 30% to 50% during high-volume periods. Organize them with descriptive, searchable names so agents can find the right one quickly using the / command.
- Real-Time Messaging
- Typing Indicators
- Read Receipts
- Notifications & Alerts
- Agent Availability
- Quick Replies
- Canned Responses
- Concurrent Drafts