# History and message inspection

Read earlier conversation messages, return to unread work and inspect email content without losing your place.

*Release 3.3 · operator, supervisor*

**Settings › Chat › General Settings**

## What it is

The transcript shows messages, timestamps and conversation events in one reading area. It includes supported rich content, attachments, internal comments and sending feedback. You can load earlier content and inspect an email's original presentation or source.

## Who uses it and why

- Operators read earlier exchanges before replying and return to new messages when they arrive.
- Supervisors review the conversations they can access, including internal comments and operational events.

## Where to find it

Open a visitor or conversation to read the central message area. Use **History** in the top toolbar to find historical work. Email message menus provide **View Original** and **View Source** where available.

## How it works

Scroll upwards to read earlier messages. More content loads as you approach the top. Conversation start markers help separate earlier exchanges from the currently selected conversation.

The console remembers your reading position for the visitor and conversation while you switch work. It also restores the earlier messages needed to return to that position. Loading images can cause a further adjustment as the message layout settles.

When new messages arrive while you are reading above the latest content, an indicator shows the new-message count. Select it to return to the new content. A new-comment indicator can instead take you to the relevant internal comment.

Use **Hide system messages** to reduce operational event entries, or **Show system messages** to display them again. This changes your view; it does not remove messages from the record.

For email, use **Show full message** when the preview is shortened. **View Original** opens the original email presentation, and **View Source** shows its source. The email preview offers HTML and text views when applicable.

## Configure it

An administrator with **Settings** can change **Show Consecutive Chat Messages Separately** under **Settings › Chat › General Settings**. Your system-message visibility choice is made in the transcript itself and remembered in the browser.

Transcript copying, emailing, printing and removal of message data are separate actions with their own access rules.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Consecutive Chat Messages Separately | Settings › Chat › General Settings | website | Off | Settings role | Displays consecutive chat messages separately rather than grouping them together. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Chat | Read transcripts for conversations available to the operator. |
| Settings | Configure Show Consecutive Chat Messages Separately in Chat General Settings. |

## Limits and good to know

- Hidden system messages can explain a transfer or status change. Show them when reviewing how a conversation progressed.
- Remembered reading position is a workspace convenience. Do not rely on it as a permanent bookmark.
- Rich content and attachment previews depend on the message type and channel.
- Personal-data restrictions still apply to historical messages.
- Some file previews or downloads display a safety warning. Read it before choosing whether to continue.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Messages and rich content](CHAT-002.md): The transcript displays conversation messages and their supported content.
- **Configured in** [Customer identity and conversation visibility permissions](SEC-016.md): Personal-data access determines what transcript information is visible.
- **Works better with** [Conversation history and search](CHAT-024.md): Conversation history adds earlier conversations and messages to the transcript view.
- **Works better with** [Message delivery and read receipts](CHAT-003.md): Supported delivery and read indicators appear alongside messages.
- **Works better with** [Internal comments](CHAT-014.md): Internal comments appear separately from visitor-facing replies.
- **Works better with** [Attachments in conversations](CHAT-018.md): Attachments can be previewed or downloaded subject to the available safety controls.
- **Works better with** [Transcripts by email and print](CHAT-025.md): Transcript email and print actions provide separate ways to take a copy where permitted.
- **Works better with** [Email replies and support conversations](CHN-027.md): Email messages offer original-message and source inspection.
- **Related** [Current Chat workspace and panels](CON-014.md): The conversation workspace restores the reading position when you switch conversations.

### Used by

- **Required by** [Academy coaching and message feedback](CON-030.md): Comments attach to messages and appear with conversation context.
- **Required by** [Business Feed message highlights](CON-031.md): A highlight refers to a visitor message excerpt in a conversation or its history.
- **Enhances** [Current Chat workspace and panels](CON-014.md): Transcript reading preserves conversation-specific reading positions during switching.
- **Related** [Conversation history and search](CHAT-024.md): The transcript-reading guide explains how to inspect messages after opening a history result.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why does the transcript reopen halfway through?

It has restored your previous reading position for that conversation. Use the new-message indicator or scroll down to return to the latest content.

### Why are there fewer event entries than before?

You may have hidden system messages. Select **Show system messages** to display them again.

### Why is an email cut short?

Select **Show full message** if it appears. Use **View Original** to inspect the original email rather than its transcript preview.

### Why does the reading position move slightly after opening?

Images and other message content can change height as they load. The console adjusts the restored position as the layout settles.

### Does hiding a message remove it from the transcript record?

Hiding system messages changes the display only. Removing retained conversation data is a separate feature with separate permissions.