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Features Overview

Chatwoot provides a comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline customer support operations, enhance team collaboration, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. This page covers all major capabilities.

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Omnichannel Inbox

Manage all customer conversations from a single, unified inbox regardless of the communication channel.

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Supported Channels

Website Widget

Customizable live chat widget for your website

Email

Connect support email addresses (IMAP/SMTP)

Facebook Messenger

Manage Facebook Page conversations

Instagram

Handle Instagram Direct messages

Twitter

Respond to Twitter DMs and mentions

WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business API integration

Telegram

Telegram bot for customer support

Line

Line messaging platform support

SMS

Twilio SMS integration

TikTok

TikTok messaging support

API Channel

Build custom channel integrations

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Channel Configuration

Each channel type has specific configuration options defined in:
  • Web Widget: app/models/channel/web_widget.rb - Supports customizable colors, welcome messages, and pre-chat forms
  • Email: app/models/channel/email.rb - IMAP/SMTP configuration with email forwarding
  • WhatsApp: app/models/channel/whatsapp.rb - Business API integration with phone number validation
  • Telegram: app/models/channel/telegram.rb - Bot token authentication
  • Facebook: app/models/channel/facebook_page.rb - OAuth integration with Instagram support
  • Twitter: app/models/channel/twitter_profile.rb - Twitter API v2 integration
Each channel is implemented as a polymorphic association through the Inbox model (app/models/inbox.rb), allowing flexible channel management.

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Conversation Management

Powerful tools for organizing and handling customer conversations efficiently.

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Conversation Statuses

Conversations can be in one of four states (defined in app/models/conversation.rb):
  • Open: Active conversations requiring attention
  • Pending: Awaiting customer response
  • Resolved: Closed/completed conversations
  • Snoozed: Temporarily hidden until a specified time
# From app/models/conversation.rb
enum status: { open: 0, resolved: 1, pending: 2, snoozed: 3 }

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Priority Levels

Assign priority to conversations for better triage:
  • Low: General inquiries
  • Medium: Standard support issues
  • High: Important customer issues
  • Urgent: Critical problems requiring immediate attention
# From app/models/conversation.rb
enum priority: { low: 0, medium: 1, high: 2, urgent: 3 }

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Conversation Features

Assignment

Assign conversations to specific agents or teams

Labels

Categorize conversations with custom labels

Custom Attributes

Store additional metadata on conversations

Context

View full conversation history and customer details

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Team Collaboration

Empower your support team with collaboration tools.

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Private Notes

Add internal notes visible only to team members. Use @mentions to notify specific agents. 
# Private notes are stored as Message records with message_type: 2
# See app/models/note.rb and app/models/message.rb

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Teams

Organize agents into teams for better workflow management:
  • Create multiple teams within an account
  • Assign conversations to entire teams
  • Set team-specific permissions
  • Track team performance with reports
Implementation: app/models/team.rb and app/models/team_member.rb

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Agent Roles

Three role levels with different permissions:
  1. Agent: Can manage conversations and access assigned inboxes
  2. Administrator: Full access to account settings and configuration
  3. Super Admin: Platform-level access (self-hosted installations)

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Mentions & Notifications

Mention team members in private notes to get their attention: 
@john Can you help with this customer's billing issue?
Implementation: app/models/mention.rb and app/models/notification.rb

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Automation

Automate repetitive tasks and workflows with powerful automation rules.

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Automation Rules

Create conditional automation based on:
  • Event Triggers: Conversation created, updated, message created, etc.
  • Conditions: Status, assignee, labels, custom attributes, etc.
  • Actions: Assign agent/team, add label, send message, send email, etc.
Example automation workflow:
1

Trigger

When a conversation is created
2

Condition

If message contains “billing” keyword
3

Action

Assign to billing team and add “billing” label
Implementation: app/models/automation_rule.rb and app/services/automation_rules/

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Auto-Assignment

Automatically assign conversations to available agents using:
  • Round Robin: Distribute conversations evenly
  • Agent Availability: Only assign to online agents
  • Capacity Limits: Respect maximum conversation limits per agent
  • Assignment Policies: Create custom assignment rules per inbox
Implementation: app/services/auto_assignment/ directory with services like:
  • agent_assignment_service.rb
  • inbox_round_robin_service.rb
  • round_robin_selector.rb
# Enable auto-assignment in inbox settings
inbox.update(enable_auto_assignment: true)

# Configure auto-assignment settings
inbox.update(auto_assignment_config: {
  max_assignment_limit: 10
})

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Canned Responses

Create pre-written responses for frequently asked questions:
  • Save time with quick replies
  • Use shortcodes for instant insertion (/shortcode)
  • Support for variables (contact name, agent name, etc.)
  • Account-wide or personal canned responses
Implementation: app/models/canned_response.rb

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Macros

Chain multiple actions together into reusable macros:
  • Change status, priority, assignee
  • Add labels and notes
  • Send messages
  • Apply multiple actions with one click
Implementation: app/models/macro.rb

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AI-Powered Features (Captain)

Chatwoot’s AI assistant helps automate and enhance support operations.

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Captain Capabilities

AI Assistant

Suggest responses and automate common queries

Label Suggestions

Automatically suggest labels based on conversation content

Audio Transcription

Transcribe voice messages automatically

Help Center Search

AI-powered search in knowledge base

Writing Assistant

Improve and refine agent responses

Copilot

Real-time assistance while handling conversations
Configuration (from app/models/account.rb): 
# Account settings for Captain features
settings: {
  captain_features: {
    editor: true,
    assistant: true,
    copilot: true,
    label_suggestion: true,
    audio_transcription: true,
    help_center_search: true
  },
  captain_models: {
    editor: 'gpt-4',
    assistant: 'gpt-4',
    # ... model configurations
  }
}

Learn More About Captain

Read the complete Captain documentation

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Contact Management

Build comprehensive customer profiles and manage contact data.

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Contact Profiles

Each contact has:
  • Basic Information: Name, email, phone, avatar
  • Custom Attributes: Store additional custom fields
  • Conversation History: View all past interactions
  • Contact Notes: Add persistent notes about the contact
  • Social Profiles: Links to social media accounts
  • Contact Source: Track where the contact came from
Implementation: app/models/contact.rb

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Custom Attributes

Define custom fields to store additional contact data:
  • Attribute Types: Text, number, date, link, list, checkbox
  • Required Fields: Mark attributes as required
  • Default Values: Set default values for new contacts
  • Contact & Conversation Attributes: Store data on both levels
Implementation: app/models/custom_attribute_definition.rb 
# Example: Create a custom attribute
CustomAttributeDefinition.create!(
  account: account,
  attribute_display_name: 'Customer Type',
  attribute_key: 'customer_type',
  attribute_display_type: 'list',
  attribute_values: ['Premium', 'Standard', 'Trial']
)

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Contact Segments

Create dynamic segments based on contact attributes:
  • Filter contacts by custom attributes
  • Build targeted campaigns
  • Export segment data
  • Track segment size and changes

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Contact Actions

Merge Contacts

Combine duplicate contact records

Import Contacts

Bulk import from CSV files

Export Contacts

Download contact lists

Block Contacts

Block spam or abusive contacts
Implementation: app/actions/contact_merge_action.rb and app/models/data_import.rb

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Labels & Organization

Categorize and organize conversations with a flexible labeling system.

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Label Features

  • Create custom labels with colors
  • Apply multiple labels per conversation
  • Filter conversations by labels
  • Label-based reporting
  • Team-specific label visibility
Implementation: app/models/label.rb 
# Labels use a tagging system
conversation.add_labels(['billing', 'urgent'])
conversation.remove_labels(['pending'])

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Custom Views & Filters

Create saved views with custom filters:
  • Filter by status, assignee, team, labels
  • Save frequently used filter combinations
  • Share views with team members
  • Quick access to important conversation subsets
Implementation: app/models/custom_filter.rb

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Campaigns

Proactively engage customers with targeted messaging campaigns.

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Campaign Types

  • One-time Campaigns: Send messages to specific audience segments
  • Triggered Campaigns: Automatically message based on user behavior
  • Scheduled Campaigns: Send messages at specific times

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Campaign Features

  • Audience Targeting: Select contacts based on custom attributes and segments
  • Message Scheduling: Schedule campaigns for optimal timing
  • Campaign Analytics: Track delivery, open rates, and responses
  • A/B Testing: Test different message variants
Implementation: app/models/campaign.rb and app/builders/campaigns/campaign_conversation_builder.rb 
# Create a campaign
Campaign.create!(
  account: account,
  inbox: inbox,
  title: 'Welcome Series',
  message: 'Welcome to our service!',
  trigger_rules: { ... },
  audience: [{ ... }]
)

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Reports & Analytics

Gain insights into support operations with comprehensive reporting.

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Available Reports

Conversation Reports

Track conversation volume, trends, and resolution times

Agent Reports

Measure individual agent performance and productivity

Inbox Reports

Analyze performance by channel/inbox

Team Reports

Compare team performance metrics

Label Reports

Track conversations by category

CSAT Reports

Monitor customer satisfaction scores

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Key Metrics

  • First Response Time: Average time to first agent reply
  • Resolution Time: Average time to resolve conversations
  • Resolution Count: Number of conversations resolved
  • Response Count: Total messages sent by agents
  • Conversations Count: Total conversations handled

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Live Dashboard

Real-time view of ongoing support operations:
  • Active conversations
  • Agents online/offline
  • Waiting conversations
  • Response time metrics
Implementation: app/models/reporting_event.rb and reporting services

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Help Center (Knowledge Base)

Create a self-service portal for customers to find answers independently.

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Portal Features

  • Multi-portal Support: Create separate portals for different products
  • Categories & Sections: Organize articles hierarchically
  • Multi-language: Publish articles in multiple languages
  • SEO-friendly: Optimized URLs and meta tags
  • Search: Full-text search across articles
  • Public/Private: Control article visibility
Implementation:
  • app/models/portal.rb - Portal container
  • app/models/category.rb - Article categories
  • app/models/article.rb - Knowledge base articles
# Create a portal
portal = Portal.create!(
  account: account,
  name: 'Help Center',
  slug: 'help',
  custom_domain: 'help.yourcompany.com'
)

# Create articles
Article.create!(
  account: account,
  portal: portal,
  category: category,
  title: 'How to reset your password',
  content: '...',
  status: :published
)

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Article Management

  • Rich text editor for article content
  • Article versioning and history
  • SEO metadata (title, description)
  • Article associations (related articles)
  • Article analytics (views, searches)

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Integrations

Extend Chatwoot with third-party integrations.

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Available Integrations

Slack

Manage conversations from Slack channels

Dialogflow

Add chatbot automation with Google Dialogflow

Webhooks

Receive real-time events via webhooks

Dashboard Apps

Embed custom apps in the agent dashboard

Shopify

View customer orders within conversations

Linear

Create and manage Linear issues

Google Translate

Translate messages in real-time

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Webhook Events

Receive webhooks for events (configured in app/models/webhook.rb):
  • conversation_created
  • conversation_updated
  • conversation_status_changed
  • message_created
  • message_updated
  • contact_created
  • contact_updated
# Create a webhook
Webhook.create!(
  account: account,
  inbox: inbox,
  url: 'https://your-service.com/webhook',
  webhook_type: 'account',
  subscriptions: ['conversation_created', 'message_created']
)

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Dashboard Apps

Embed custom applications within Chatwoot:
  • Display external data in conversation sidebar
  • Interact with third-party services
  • Custom UI for specific workflows
Implementation: app/models/dashboard_app.rb

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Business Hours & Auto-Responders

Manage customer expectations with working hours and automatic responses.

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Business Hours

Define when your team is available:
  • Set hours for each day of the week
  • Multiple time slots per day
  • Timezone-aware scheduling
  • Different hours per inbox
Implementation: app/models/working_hour.rb 
# Define business hours
WorkingHour.create!(
  inbox: inbox,
  day_of_week: 1, # Monday
  open_hour: 9,
  open_minutes: 0,
  close_hour: 17,
  close_minutes: 0
)

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Auto-Responders

  • Greeting Messages: Welcome customers when they start conversations
  • Out of Office: Automatic replies outside business hours
  • Away Messages: Custom messages when agents are unavailable

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Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

Measure customer satisfaction after conversations are resolved.

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CSAT Features

  • Rating Scale: 1-5 star ratings
  • Custom Questions: Add follow-up questions
  • Response Collection: Gather detailed feedback
  • CSAT Reports: Track satisfaction trends over time
  • Per-inbox Configuration: Different CSAT settings per inbox
Implementation: app/models/csat_survey_response.rb 
# Enable CSAT for an inbox
inbox.update(
  csat_survey_enabled: true,
  csat_config: {
    message: 'How would you rate your support experience?'
  }
)

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Additional Features

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Boost productivity with keyboard shortcuts:
  • / - Open command bar
  • Cmd/Ctrl + K - Quick navigation
  • R - Resolve conversation
  • E - Focus reply box
  • ? - View all shortcuts

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Command Bar

Quick access to actions and navigation:
  • Search conversations
  • Execute commands
  • Navigate to settings
  • Apply quick actions

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Conversation Continuity

  • Lock to Single Conversation: Prevent multiple conversations per contact
  • Conversation Identifiers: Custom IDs for conversation tracking
  • Conversation Participants: Track multiple participants in group conversations
Implementation: app/models/conversation_participant.rb

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Attachments

Support for various file types:
  • Images, documents, videos
  • Cloud storage integration (Active Storage)
  • Automatic thumbnail generation
  • Virus scanning support
Implementation: app/models/attachment.rb

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Message Features

  • Rich Text: Markdown support in messages
  • Code Blocks: Syntax highlighting for code
  • Email Templates: Branded email notifications
  • Message Templates: Structured message formats
Implementation: app/models/message.rb

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Platform Apps

Chatwoot supports platform apps for extended functionality:
  • Install apps from marketplace
  • Configure app permissions
  • Custom app development
Implementation: app/models/platform_app.rb and app/models/platform_app_permissible.rb

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Advanced Configuration

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Account Settings

Configure account-level settings:
  • Auto-resolve Duration: Automatically resolve inactive conversations
  • Custom Attributes: Account-level custom fields
  • Feature Flags: Enable/disable specific features
  • Limits: Set usage limits (agents, inboxes, etc.)

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Inbox Settings

Per-inbox configuration:
  • Auto-assignment rules
  • CSAT survey settings
  • Greeting messages
  • Email collection
  • Business hours
  • Channel-specific settings

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API Access

Chatwoot provides a comprehensive REST API:
  • Account Management: Create and manage accounts
  • Conversations: Create, update, and list conversations
  • Messages: Send and receive messages
  • Contacts: Manage contact data
  • Webhooks: Configure event notifications
  • Custom Channels: Build custom integrations

API Documentation

Explore the complete API reference

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Learn More

Quick Start Guide

Set up your first inbox and start managing conversations

Official Documentation

Browse detailed guides and tutorials

GitHub Repository

View source code and contribute

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