When you've got a backlog of conversations — or you're reassigning the queue at the start of a shift — acting on them one at a time is slow. The Live Chat Inbox lets you select several conversations and Claim, Unclaim, or Close them all at once. This guide shows you how, from the inbox at /dashboard/chat/inbox.
How to act on conversations in bulk
1. Select the conversations
Each row in the inbox has a checkbox on the left. Tick the checkbox on every conversation you want to act on — or use the “select all” checkbox in the header to grab every conversation on the page at once.
2. Use the bulk-action bar
As soon as one row is selected, a bulk-action bar appears. It shows a “{n} selected” count so you always know how many conversations you're acting on, plus the bulk actions and a Clear button to deselect.
3. Claim the selected conversations
Click Claim to assign every selected conversation to yourself in one step. This is the fast way to pick up a queue at the start of a shift — each claimed conversation now shows you as its assignee.
4. Unclaim to release them back to the queue
Changed your mind, or handing the queue to a teammate? Select the conversations and click Unclaim to release them back to the queue, where any agent can pick them up again.
5. Close finished conversations together
Click Close to end the selected conversations all at once — ideal for clearing out a batch of resolved chats. Closed conversations move to the Closed status, and the visitor can no longer message in those threads.
Clearing your selection
The bulk-action bar also has a Clear button that deselects everything so you can start over. The “{n} selected” count next to it always tells you exactly how many conversations a bulk action will affect — so you can double-check before you Claim, Unclaim, or Close.
When bulk actions help
- Clearing a backlog — close out a batch of resolved conversations in a single click instead of one at a time.
- Starting a shift — claim a group of waiting conversations to take ownership all at once.
- Reassigning a queue — unclaim conversations to release them back so a different agent or shift can pick them up.