Customer messages sent through messaging apps, social networks, and your website are routed to Open Channels. You can reply instantly and use helpful chat tools like involving colleagues, sending CRM forms, saving contact details to CRM, and more. These features ensure faster issue resolution and prevent any important information from being missed.

Starting a new conversation

When a customer sends a message, you’ll see a notification in Bitrix24. To open the conversation:

1. Go to Messenger.
2. Click Contact Center.
3. Select a chat from the Unanswered section.

Choose an action in the bottom menu:

• Reply — Start chatting with the customer.
• Skip — Move on without replying.
• Transfer — Send the chat to a colleague or another Open Channel. Use this if the message was sent to you by mistake.

Accept and close conversation — Choose this if you just need to close the chat, like during Open Channel testing.

Mark as spam / Force stop — Use this for unrelated messages or spam. The chat will close, but the customer can still message you again later.

Click the three-dot menu (...) to access more options:

• Message history — See the full conversation, including past chats. This gives you context about the customer’s previous questions and answers, so you don’t have to ask twice.
• Take conversation — Take control of the chat and become responsible for it, even if it’s already assigned to someone else. This is useful if you join from a CRM item form, a link, or the list of conversations.
  Conversations: How to find Open Channel chats

Using reply tools

When you click Reply, a text input field will appear where you can chat with the customer. This field also includes helpful tools to make your work faster and easier, like sending files, inviting colleagues, or adding private notes.

Send a file. Share product photos, contracts, or any other files directly in the chat.

1. Click the icon.
2. Choose to upload from your computer or Bitrix24 Drive.

Mention a user or chat. Tag a colleague or group chats. The customer will only see the text, while your coworkers will see a clickable link.

1. Click the icon.
2. Choose an employee or chat from the list or search by name.

Commands. Use slash commands to quote messages, rename the chat, or get the chat ID.

1. Click the icon.
2. Choose an action:
• Quote text — Reply to a specific part of a message.
• Change chat title — Makes it easier to find (only visible to employees).
• Get chat ID — Useful for connecting external tools.

Emojis. Add emotions to your messages.

1. Click the icon.
2. Choose an emoji that fits your message.

Send a CRM form. Collect additional information or book a service with the customer.

1. Click the icon.
2. Choose a form from the list or search by name.
   Create and configure CRM form

Whisper mode. Write internal comments for yourself or your team. Customers won’t see these messages. This is useful for clarifications and internal discussions.

1. Click the icon.
2. Type and send your message. It will appear with a gray background.

Canned responses. Create and use ready-made response templates. This saves time when frequently answering similar questions.

1. Click the icon.
2. Select or create a response.
   Canned responses in Open Channel chats

Chat enabled sales. Send payment links, product details, or company info right in the chat.

1. Click Start selling.
2. Choose what you want to share and send it.
   Sales Center: Getting started

Market apps. Click the icon to see which apps or chatbots can be added to the chat. Only administrators can install them.
Find and install Bitrix24 Market applications

Managing chats

At the top of the chat window, you’ll see tools for managing the conversation:

Invite users to chat — Add colleagues to the chat if you need help or input from them.

Transfer — Send the chat to another employee or Open Channel. Use this if the message was sent to you by mistake.

Finish conversation — Close the chat once the issue is resolved.

Click the three-dot menu (...) to access more options:

• Lock as mine — Keep the chat assigned to you. Useful for ongoing conversations with a customer.
• Save to CRM — Create a deal and save the customer’s contact information.
• Message history — View the full conversation with the customer.
• Mark as spam / Force stop — Tag the chat as spam and close it.

Message actions

Each message has an action menu. Click the arrow next to the message and choose what you want to do:

• Quote message — Reply to a specific message. For example, if a customer asks about delivery, you can respond directly to that question.

• Create task — Turn the message into a task. For example, if a customer requests documents, you can assign the task to a lawyer right away.

• Create calendar event — Schedule a meeting, and the message will be added to the event description.

• Discuss in a new chat — Start an internal chat based on the message. Everyone involved in the conversation will be added automatically. Great for things like discussing a discount request.

• Discuss in Feed — Create a post in Feed with a quote from the message. For example, if a customer sends a positive review, share it with the team.

• Move it to a new exclusive chat — Finish the current chat and start a new one. Useful when a customer brings up a new topic.

• Save as canned response — Add the message to the canned response list for future use.

• Edit — Fix any typos or errors in the message.

• Delete — Remove a message that was sent by mistake.