Chat limits and wind-down
Set operator workload limits by platform and use Wind Down to finish existing work before becoming unavailable.
What it is
Operator limits control how much simultaneous work you can receive. Web chat, social and text messaging, and email tickets have separate counts. Wind Down lets you finish existing work before becoming unavailable.
Who uses it and why
- Powerfront sets website defaults; operators with the Settings role set operator-specific capacity.
- Supervisors with the Manager role and Edit Operator Conversation Limits balance workload and change limits, subject to View Only and operator access.
- Operators use Wind Down at a break or the end of a shift.
Where to find it
With the Settings role, or the Manager role and Edit Operator Conversation Limits, edit an operator in Settings › Account › Operators, then open Settings. Your own editable live chat limits may also appear in My Account. Use the operator availability control for Wind Down.
How it works
INSIDE calculates available slots from your status, limits and counted conversations. Reaching the ordinary limit can put you into Limited status while you continue existing conversations. Ordinary automatic assignment then treats you differently from an operator with free slots.
Away web visitors can release an ordinary slot unless Count away chat customers in operator chat limit is enabled. The hard limit still checks the broader active web chat count. No hard capacity remains when the counted work reaches that hard limit.
When you start Wind Down, INSIDE checks whether relevant work remains before completing the transition to unavailable. Conversation platform, ticket state, floor presence and active voice or video work can affect that check.
Configure it
With the Settings role, or the Manager role and Edit Operator Conversation Limits, set each platform's limit in the operator's Settings tab. Keep Active Live Chat Hard Limit at least as high as Active Live Chat Limit. Ask Powerfront to review templates and website defaults before changing many operators. Ask Powerfront to configure transfer exceptions separately if winding-down or limited operators should be excluded as destinations.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Live Chat Limit | Settings › Account › Operators › Settings | operator | Website default, initially 5 | Settings role, Manager role | Sets the ordinary simultaneous web chat capacity for this operator. |
| Active Live Chat Hard Limit | Settings › Account › Operators › Settings | operator | The operator's Active Live Chat Limit | Settings role, Manager role | Sets the total web chat ceiling used by hard-capacity checks and cannot be lower than the ordinary limit. |
| Active Ticket Limit | Settings › Account › Operators › Settings | operator | Website default, initially 0 | Settings role, Manager role | Sets this operator's simultaneous email or ticket capacity. |
| Active Social/Text Limit | Settings › Account › Operators › Settings | operator | 0 | Settings role, Manager role | Sets this operator's simultaneous social and text messaging capacity. |
| Active Social/Text Hard Limit | Settings › Account › Operators › Settings | operator | Ordinary social/text limit plus 1 when that limit is positive; otherwise 0 | Settings role, Manager role | Sets a separate social/text ceiling when an explicit value is supplied. |
| Count away chat customers in operator chat limit | Settings › Chat › General Settings | website | Off | Settings role | Keeps away web chat customers in the ordinary active-chat capacity count. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Edit Operator Conversation Limits | Allows operators with the Manager role to change operator workload limits, subject to View Only and operator access. |
Limits and good to know
- A zero platform limit provides no ordinary capacity for that platform.
- The hard limit for social/text falls back to one above a positive ordinary limit when no explicit hard limit is set.
- Chat links that allow limited operators have a special tolerance of one extra ordinary web chat. Do not use that behaviour as a general assignment rule.
- Pending, resolved, on-hold and postponed email work are not interchangeable when checking wind-down completion.
- Transfers and external availability integrations have additional rules.
Depends on and works with
+6 more · used by
- Taking and pinning conversationsConfigured by
Capacity and availability affect whether the operator can take work.
- Chat linksConfigured by
Operator availability and capacity affect whether a recipient can accept the chat.
- Visitor chat status and waitingConfigured by
Operator chat limits and wind-down affect new-chat availability.
- Proactive chat invitationsConfigured by
Operator availability and chat limits determine eligibility when a human sender is selected.
- Voice queue and call offersConfigured by
Capacity and wind-down affect eligibility for new work.
- Operator settingsRelated
Review capacity and wind-down behaviour when setting operator workload limits.
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Roles and permissionsConfigured by
Roles govern who may edit another operator's limits.
- Operator settingsConfigured by
Website defaults and operator overrides supply conversation limits.
- Operator templatesConfigured by
Operator templates supply initial workload limits for newly created operators.
- Chat linksEnhances
Chat links can allow limited operators to receive a chat within the link's special capacity tolerance.
- Email ticket handling and statusesEnhances
Ticket state and floor presence affect active work and wind-down completion.
- Wind Down for operatorsRelated
The availability controls explain how operators start Wind Down and choose a reason.
- Telephone call recovery and wrap-upEnhances
Voice work and wrap-up affect availability and wind-down completion.
- Browser video and audio callsEnhances
Active video calls can affect availability and wind-down completion.
Used by
- Operator availability statusConfigured by
Conversation capacity determines when availability becomes Limited.
- Wind Down for operatorsRelated
Capacity-related Limited status follows different rules from manual Wind Down.
- Incoming chats and callsConfigured by
Operator capacity can prevent an offer from being accepted.
- Chat queueConfigured by
Capacity limits affect when waiting work can be assigned.
- DepartmentsConfigured by
Operator capacity and availability affect assignment.
- Skillsets and skills-based routingConfigured by
Matching a skill does not bypass capacity or availability checks.
- Broadcast for acceptanceConfigured by
Availability and capacity restrict eligible operators.
- Transferring conversationsConfigured by
Availability and capacity affect direct assignment and limited-recipient handling.
- Taking and pinning conversationsConfigured by
Capacity and availability affect whether the operator can take work.
- Chat linksConfigured by
Operator availability and capacity affect whether a recipient can accept the chat.
- Visitor chat status and waitingConfigured by
Operator chat limits and wind-down affect new-chat availability.
- Proactive chat invitationsConfigured by
Operator availability and chat limits determine eligibility when a human sender is selected.
- Voice queue and call offersConfigured by
Capacity and wind-down affect eligibility for new work.
- Operator settingsRelated
Review capacity and wind-down behaviour when setting operator workload limits.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why am I Limited when I still have conversations open?
Limited can mean you have reached ordinary capacity. Existing work remains with you while new automatic assignment is restricted.
Why did a disconnected visitor free a slot?
Away visitors normally leave the ordinary web chat count. With the Settings role, enable Count away chat customers in operator chat limit if they should remain counted.
Why has Wind Down not completed?
Review remaining chats, ticket states, visitors still on your floor, voice wrap-up and video calls.
Why can I not edit an operator's limits?
With the Manager role, you also need Edit Operator Conversation Limits, access to that operator and permission to make changes rather than View Only access.