# Previous chat history for visitors

Display current messages and permitted earlier chats with participant identity, timestamps, links and media.

*Release 3.3 · operator, visitor*

**Settings › Chat › General Settings** · **Settings › Chat › Themes**

## What it is

**Show Previous Chats within** controls how much conversation history a visitor can see. The pane displays current messages and can include earlier chats from the current session. Theme options determine how names, times and message bubbles appear.

## Who uses it and why

Visitors read replies, scroll back to earlier answers and open supported links or media. Operators use the conversation record and read status to follow the exchange. A person with the **Settings** role chooses the permitted history scope and message presentation.

## Where to find it

Visitors read messages in the chat pane and scroll back through the available history. New-message controls help them return to recent replies.

With the **Settings** role, configure history scope in **Settings › Chat › General Settings**, and **Show Timestamps** and **Show Operator Name** in **Settings › Chat › Themes**. Powerfront can change **Restrict print conversation** for you.

## How it works

Messages use visual cues for visitors, advisors, bots and system notices. The pane can group consecutive messages from the same sender, while cards, avatar views and other special messages can use different layouts. Names and timestamps follow the active theme.

Supported message content includes text, links, images, attachments and rich content. Older message formats can also have a readable presentation. The exact controls depend on the content and pane in use.

With **Current Conversation**, the history scope stays with the current conversation. With **Current Session**, the pane can load earlier session chats above the current messages. This is not an unrestricted view of all the visitor's past conversations.

Earlier-history loading can wait while a pre-chat form is visible if that form expires at conversation or session end. **Restrict print conversation** also blocks the ordinary earlier-session loading path, despite its name referring to printing.

In the browser pane, eligible advisor messages in the current chat can be marked read when the pane is open and focused. The pane does not mark them read through this path while a video feed or video popup is displayed. Read status is not proof that the visitor inspected each message individually.

## Configure it

Ask the person with the **Settings** role to choose **Current Conversation** or **Current Session** under **Show Previous Chats within**. Review **Show Previous Chats when no operator is online** alongside the offline experience.

In the active theme, set **Show Timestamps** and **Show Operator Name**. Older panes also use **Show Consecutive Chat Messages Separately** in **General Settings**.

Ask Powerfront to review **Restrict print conversation** if the intended history remains unavailable or transcript scope needs tightening. Test the result through the visitor entry, including any pre-chat form and offline state.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Previous Chats within | Settings › Chat › General Settings | website | Current Conversation | Settings role | Choose current-conversation history or permit earlier chats from the current session. |
| Show Previous Chats when no operator is online | Settings › Chat › General Settings | website | Off | Settings role | Keep permitted earlier chats visible in the offline experience rather than replacing that view with the offline form or message. |
| Restrict print conversation | Settings › Chat › General Settings | website | Off | Settings role | Restrict transcript scope and suppress ordinary loading of earlier session chats in the visitor pane. |
| Show Timestamps | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | On | Settings role | Show message times in the selected theme. |
| Show Operator Name | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | On | Settings role | Show the advisor name in the selected theme's message presentation. |
| Show Consecutive Chat Messages Separately | Settings › Chat › General Settings | website | Off | Settings role | Keep consecutive messages separate in the older pane's presentation. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Configure client-managed history scope and theme message display. |

## Limits and good to know

- Earlier session chats must be available and permitted; changing a display setting does not restore deleted history.
- Current-session history is narrower than all conversations associated with a visitor.
- Pre-chat and offline settings can change when history appears.
- Rich content and older panes can display the same message differently.
- Read status describes the pane's qualifying state, rather than individual attention or understanding.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Messages and rich content](CHAT-002.md): Message delivery supplies current conversation content.
- **Requires** [Visitor chat pane](VX-002.md): The visitor chat pane displays current messages and permitted earlier chats.
- **Configured in** [Visitor chat themes and branding](VX-003.md): Themes control timestamps, advisor names and message presentation.
- **Configured in** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): A visible pre-chat form with conversation-end or session-end expiry can defer earlier-history loading.
- **Configured in** [Visitor chat languages and text direction](VX-031.md): Language and text direction affect labels, dates and layout.
- **Configured in** [Legacy chat pane settings](VX-032.md): Legacy pane settings control the grouping of consecutive messages.
- **Works better with** [Message delivery and read receipts](CHAT-003.md): The visitor pane updates read state when its focus and open-state conditions are met.
- **Works better with** [Visitor chat notifications](VX-015.md): Unread and new-message controls help visitors return to recent messages.
- **Works better with** [Rich content in visitor chat](VX-018.md): Supported rich messages appear within the conversation.
- **Works better with** [File attachments for visitors](VX-021.md): Attachments and image previews form part of the message display.
- **Works better with** [Chat avatars and visitor reactions](VX-027.md): Avatar presentation changes bubble layout and message grouping.
- **Works better with** [Streaming AI replies for visitors](VX-030.md): Streaming replies are reconciled with their saved final messages.
- **Related** [Conversation history and search](CHAT-024.md): Operator History provides a separate search and review view of retained conversations.
- **Related** [Email and print transcripts for visitors](VX-022.md): The same visitor-history restrictions also limit email and print transcript exports.

### Used by

- **Required by** [Streaming AI replies for visitors](VX-030.md): The conversation display reconciles the temporary reply with the saved final message.
- **Configures** [Email and print transcripts for visitors](VX-022.md): Conversation history settings affect which chats are included.
- **Enhances** [Legacy chat pane settings](VX-032.md): Older panes can display earlier permitted conversation messages.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why can the visitor see only the current conversation?

Check **Show Previous Chats within**. **Current Session** permits earlier session chats, subject to available history and other restrictions.

### Why is history missing before the visitor completes pre-chat?

A visible pre-chat form configured to expire at conversation or session end can defer earlier-history loading. Complete the required intake and check again.

### Why does an offline form appear instead of earlier chats?

Check **Show Previous Chats when no operator is online** and whether earlier history is available and permitted.

### Why are advisor names or times hidden?

Check **Show Operator Name** and **Show Timestamps** in the active theme. Avatar and older-pane presentations can use different layouts.

### Why does a focused video view not mark chat replies read?

The browser chat read-update path excludes the video feed and video-popup views. Return to the open, focused chat pane.

### Why did Powerfront's print restriction also affect visible history?

**Restrict print conversation** also suppresses ordinary loading of earlier session chats. Ask Powerfront to review the restriction if that is not your intended experience.