The AI assistant answers only conversations that are assigned to it, and an automation rule assigns the new conversations of each inbox. Channels that existed when your platform was set up already have such a rule; for a channel you add later, create one rule on the New conversation tab of Automations.
Why a new channel stays silent
A new Telegram, WhatsApp, email or chat inbox works right away, but the assistant does not take its conversations until a rule hands them over. Until then, new conversations from that inbox wait in the list for an agent. In the website chat, Telegram and WhatsApp the first message with the AI notice still goes out, so the customer is told an AI will answer while nobody does: add the rule right after you create the inbox.
Channels that are already routed
When your platform was set up, each of its live chat, Telegram, email and WhatsApp inboxes that was switched on got a rule that gives its new conversations to the assistant. You find these rules in Admin > Automations, tab New conversation. Each is named after its inbox, like <inbox name> → assistant, and carries the description "New conversations from this inbox go to the AI assistant", both in the language your site was set up with.
Add the rule
- Open Admin > Automations. Admin is the shield, the last icon of the upper group in the left icon bar (tooltip Admin); Automations is in the Productivity group of the admin menu. The page address ends in
/admin/automations. - Stay on the New conversation tab and press New rule. The Type field of the new rule already says New conversation.
- Name: something you will recognize, for example
Telegram to assistant. Description is optional. - Under Match these rules, press Add condition and set one condition: the field Inbox, the operator
equals, and your new inbox as the value. - Under Perform these actions, press Add action, choose Assign agent and pick your AI assistant. It is in the same list as your agents.
- Press Create. A new rule is enabled at once, and the list shows it with the Enabled badge.
From now on, every conversation that a customer starts in that inbox goes to the assistant. Rules on this tab run only for conversations started by customers: a conversation that an agent starts, for example with a WhatsApp template, is not handed to the assistant.
Ask us to add the rule
Instead of adding the rule yourself, you can write to support@epavdesk.com. For a live chat, Telegram, email or WhatsApp inbox that is switched on, the rule then appears at the next system update.
Take the bot off a channel
To stop the assistant from answering a channel, switch its rule off: on the New conversation tab, open the menu with three dots next to the rule and choose Disable. The rule stays in the list with the Disabled badge, and Enable in the same menu turns it back on. A system update never switches a disabled rule back on and does not add a second rule for that inbox.
Switching the rule off changes only conversations that start after that. Conversations the assistant already has stay with it until someone assigns them to a person.
Hand one conversation to the bot
You can give the assistant a single conversation that an agent was running, in any channel:
- Open the conversation.
- In the panel on the right, open the Details tab and the Actions section.
- In the first field, the agent (it shows Select agent when nobody is assigned), choose your AI assistant.
If the last message in the conversation is from the customer, the assistant answers right away. Otherwise it answers the customer's next message.
Take one conversation from the bot
In the same field, assign the conversation to yourself or a colleague. From then on the assistant stays silent in that conversation, also when it reopens because the customer writes again. More about passing conversations both ways in Handoff to agents and back.
If the rule does not fire
Above the list of rules on the New conversation tab there is a choice between Execute all matching rules, the default, and Execute first matching rule. With the second, only the topmost rule that matches a conversation runs. If another rule for the same inbox sits above your assistant rule, drag the assistant rule above it, or switch the tab back to Execute all matching rules.
With Execute all matching rules, the rules run from top to bottom. A rule further down that assigns the same conversations to a team takes them away from the assistant, because a new team clears the assigned agent. Drag the assistant rule below such a rule.
Also check that the condition names the right inbox and that the rule shows Enabled.
A second inbox for the same channel
Every inbox needs its own rule, including a second inbox of a channel you already use. For example, if you add a second Live Chat inbox with AI chat without agents on, that switch alone does not route it: give it a rule as above. See AI chat without agents.