# Conversation history and search

Find current and previous conversations and open their messages using dates, search and conversation filters.

*Release 3.3 · developer, operator, supervisor*

**History** · **Conversations › Search** · **Visitor history**

## What it is

**History** lets you find stored conversations and open their messages. You can narrow the results by date, platform, operator and other available filters, or inspect a visitor's earlier conversations from their history view.

## Who uses it and why

Operators look up earlier advice before replying. Supervisors review outcomes and historical work. Developers supporting integrations use the same conversation context to investigate client-reported issues.

## Where to find it

Open **History** for historical results. Use **Search** in **Conversations** for current work, or open a visitor's history from their details.

## How it works

1. Choose the relevant platform and date range.
2. Apply the available operator, team, status, disposition, tag, contact or data-field filters.
3. Run the search and open the required conversation.
4. Load earlier messages or further results as needed.

History and current conversation searches have different purposes and can offer different filters. A result row summarises a conversation; open it to read its messages and attachments.

Your access affects the results. Website, team and subsite restrictions can narrow what you see, while personal-data permissions can mask visitor identity or conversation content. Dates are presented using the applicable operator time-zone handling.

## Configure it

Use the filters in the history screen for each search. An operator with the **Settings** role controls range restrictions, team and subsite reporting restrictions, and **Allow History Export**.

The chat pane can combine conversations for a linked contact. An operator with the **Settings** role can change **Disable Merging Same Contact Conversations**, which changes that display to visitor-only history; it does not physically merge stored conversations.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restrict Chat History Range | Settings › General Settings › Website | website | Off | Settings role | Restricts the date range offered for chat history. |
| Restrict Chat History Range To (days) | Settings › General Settings › Website | website | 7 days | Settings role | Sets the permitted history range, with an input range of 1 to 31 days. |
| Filter Reports Data By Subsite | Settings › General Settings › Website | website | Off | Settings role | Applies operator subsite restrictions to reporting data, with administrative role exemptions. |
| Enable Team Restrictions for Reports | Settings › General Settings › Website | website | Off | Settings role | Applies operator team restrictions to reporting data, with administrative role exemptions. |
| Disable Merging Same Contact Conversations | Settings › General Settings › Website | website | Off | Settings role | Limits the chat pane's displayed history to the visitor rather than combining conversations for the linked contact. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Allow History Export | Allows the operator to export historical conversation results. |
| Can view Customer PII and Conversation Data | Controls access to personal information and conversation data in returned views. |

## Limits and good to know

- The ordinary history date search can reject a range with **Date range cannot be greater than 31 days.** Search a shorter period when this appears.
- A website can impose a smaller range.
- Counts and result summaries do not contain every message body. Open the conversation to inspect the full available content.
- Masked data and deleted data are different. A restricted view does not mean the original conversation has been erased.
- Available history depends on your website's retention policy.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Configured in** Admin settings and feature switches (managed by Powerfront): Admin settings control history date limits and team or subsite reporting restrictions.
- **Configured in** [Website, channel and subsite access](ADM-009.md): Website and subsite access restrict the available conversations.
- **Configured in** [Operator settings](ADM-010.md): Operator settings control wider conversation search and history export permissions.
- **Configured in** [Customer identity and conversation visibility permissions](SEC-016.md): Personal-data permissions can mask identity and message content.
- **Works better with** [Dispositions](CHAT-019.md): Disposition filters include closed conversations missing classification.
- **Works better with** [Transcripts by email and print](CHAT-025.md): Opened conversations can be printed or emailed where permitted.
- **Works better with** [Tags and conversation data](CHAT-031.md): Tags and configured data fields help narrow conversation results.
- **Works better with** [Contact matching](CRM-003.md): Linked contact identity can bring together conversations from multiple visitors.
- **Related** [History and message inspection](CON-016.md): The transcript-reading guide explains how to inspect messages after opening a history result.
- **Related** [Conversation detail and abandonment reports](REP-006.md): Conversation detail reports provide outcome and abandoned-work views alongside history.

### Used by

- **Enhances** [Saved search filters](VIS-014.md): Conversation history supplies the search criteria saved in history filter tabs.
- **Enhances** [History and message inspection](CON-016.md): Conversation history adds earlier conversations and messages to the transcript view.
- **Enhances** [Academy coaching and message feedback](CON-030.md): Conversation history lets managers add coaching comments to eligible earlier operator messages.
- **Enhances** [Mobile console](CON-033.md): Customer work includes available conversation history.
- **Enhances** [Transcripts by email and print](CHAT-025.md): History provides an operator entry point for transcript actions on stored conversations.
- **Enhances** [Chat Translate and language detection](AI-010.md): On-demand translation can make historical transcripts readable in another language.
- **Enhances** [Browser call recording and live captions](RTC-021.md): Recording links and saved transcript messages appear with the conversation history.
- **Enhances** [Conversation lead capture and follow-up](COM-026.md): Leads can link to a conversation and open its transcript from History.
- **Enhances** [Purchase details and conversion credit](COM-030.md): Conversation History can open Conversion Info for a recorded conversion.
- **Enhances** [Customer contact identities across channels](CRM-005.md): Contact associations can bring conversations from different channels into the customer's history.
- **Enhances** [Conversation detail and abandonment reports](REP-006.md): Conversation history provides the messages behind a report row.
- **Enhances** [Audit search for retained customer records](REP-021.md): Conversation history provides transcript inspection from search results.
- **Related** [Visitor browsing and activity history](VIS-020.md): Open conversation history to read the transcripts behind conversation milestones in the activity timeline.
- **Related** [Floor search and filters](CON-007.md): Use conversation history to find stored conversations outside the loaded floor.
- **Related** [Conversation translation](CHAT-023.md): History provides access to stored conversations for on-demand transcript translation.
- **Related** [Merging tickets and related conversations](CHAT-026.md): Review the conversation history before choosing duplicate tickets to merge.
- **Related** [Previous chat history for visitors](VX-033.md): Operator History provides a separate search and review view of retained conversations.
- **Related** [Virtual Assistant usage](ENG-025.md): Conversation history helps check what was sent and answered during a recorded task.
- **Related** [AI conversation summaries](AI-009.md): Saved summaries can be reviewed alongside conversations in History.
- **Related** [AI conversation quality scoring](AI-029.md): Conversation History lets reviewers open the messages used as scoring evidence.
- **Related** [AI resolution and first-contact metrics](AI-030.md): Earlier stored conversations provide evidence for reviewing first-contact outcomes.
- **Related** [Conversation history tools for AI](AI-038.md): The conversation tools read stored conversations also available for review in History.
- **Related** [WhatsApp Business App connection](CHN-009.md): Use conversation history to review messages imported from the Business App.
- **Related** [Legacy Google Business Messages connection](CHN-020.md): History lets operators review retained messages even when the legacy connection is unavailable.
- **Related** [Legacy Twitter direct messages](CHN-021.md): History lets operators review retained messages even when the legacy connection is unavailable.
- **Related** [Outbound calling permissions and restrictions](RTC-005.md): Use conversation history to review completed outbound calls.
- **Related** [Voicemail messages and follow-up](RTC-010.md): Use conversation history to review voicemail recordings and saved transcription.
- **Related** [Call recording](RTC-013.md): Use conversation history to find available recording playback and deletion notices.
- **Related** [Telephone transcription](RTC-014.md): Saved telephone transcripts can be read in conversation history.
- **Related** [Co-Browse with website visitors](RTC-030.md): A linked conversation records Co-Browse session start and end messages in its history.
- **Related** [Email verification for protected exports](SEC-013.md): Conversation-history exports use their own email-verification category.
- **Related** [Customer identity and conversation visibility permissions](SEC-016.md): History views apply personal-data restrictions when displaying retained conversations.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why can a supervisor find a conversation that I cannot?

Compare website, subsite and team access, then check that the same platform, date range and filters are selected.

### Why does a search show no messages?

Open the result to load the conversation. If it remains empty, check access, retention and whether you selected the correct visitor or contact.

### Why can I not export the results?

Ask an operator with the **Settings** role to check **Allow History Export** and your access to the history screen.