BoldDesk Chat Workflow: Complete Guide
BoldDesk Chat Workflows automate live chat interactions by executing predefined actions based on triggers and conditions. This ensures faster responses, accurate routing, and a seamless customer experience.
What is a Chat Workflow in BoldDesk?
A chat workflow is a set of automated actions triggered by specific conditions during a live chat. It can:
- Assign chats to the right agents
- Send instant replies based on user input
- Route conversations intelligently to departments or AI
How to Create a Chat Workflow
Follow the steps below to create a workflow for chat automation:
-
Navigate to Admin > Chat > Chat Automation > Workflows.
Explore further instructions about Chat Workflow Overview: Automate Actions for Efficient Customer Support.
-
Select the desired workflow trigger and click Add Workflow.
-
Provide the required details to create the workflow. They include:
- Workflow name – Provide a descriptive name that reflects the workflow’s purpose (e.g., “Auto-Assign Chats”).
- Brand – Choose the brand to specify which brand’s conversations this workflow should apply to.
- Source – Define the communication channel where the workflow will be executed. This can include live chat, WhatsApp, SMS, or other supported platforms.
- Conditions – Configure conditions that must be met for the workflow to execute. You can add multiple conditions and specify if all or at least one of them should be met. The workflow executes primarily based on the selected brand and chat source.
You can define additional conditions to refine the execution criteria further, such as:
- Agent availability – Execute the workflow only if no agent is assigned to the chat.
- Chat status – Trigger actions when a chat is in a specific state, such as open, hold, or closed.
- Click Next to proceed and begin designing the workflow block.
For workflows intended for multiple use cases, configure them as “Reusable Workflows” to enhance efficiency. This feature allows workflows to be reused across various scenarios, reducing redundancy.
Activating a Workflow
Before you can publish or activate a workflow, make sure all paths are complete. Any open-ended paths must be closed using Exit blocks. A workflow with incomplete paths can’t be published.
Publishing a Workflow
Once you’ve added all the required blocks in the workflow designer, click the Publish button. This makes the workflow active and ready for use.
Once published, the workflow will be listed under the Inactive tab.
Publishing and Activating a Workflow
Just like in the step above on publishing a workflow, add all the necessary blocks to your workflow in the workflow designer. Then, click the Publish and Activate button to enable the workflow.
Once published, the workflow will be listed under the Active tab. To access existing workflows, navigate to Admin > Chat > Chat Automation > Workflows.
Different Ways to Exit a Workflow
You can exit a workflow in different ways using the following blocks:
- End & start another workflow: Use this to stop the current workflow and immediately start a different one.
- Calling another workflow (Reusable workflow): This option transfers execution to a reusable, predefined workflow.
- End & transfer to AI: Use this to hand over the conversation to an AI assistant.
- End current workflow: This ends the workflow so a human agent can take over the conversation.
Learn more about How to Configure Exit Blocks in a Workflow.
Workflow States and Use Cases
Workflows can have different states based on their configuration and activation status. These states define how a workflow operates within the system.
| Workflow state | Description | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Fully configured and running. It executes automatically when trigger conditions are met. | Use when the workflow is ready for automation and needs to run in real-time. |
| Draft | Still being configured and not yet active. It won’t execute until finalised and activated. | Use when creating or updating a workflow before activation. |
| Inactive | Previously active but currently disabled. It remains stored but does not execute unless reactivated. | Use when a workflow is temporarily not needed but may be required later. |
Switching Between Workflow States
Managing workflow states gives you control over when and how automation runs. You can edit, activate, deactivate, or delete workflows as needed.
Follow the steps below to manage workflow states:
1. Editing a Workflow
You can edit a workflow at any time, regardless of its current state.
-
Go to the workflow list.
-
Click the Edit icon in the row of the workflow you want to modify.
Learn more about Workflow Edit Guide.
2. Activating a Workflow
You can activate workflows that are in Draft or Inactive state.
-
Click More Options (three-dot menu) next to the workflow.
-
Select Activate. Once activated, the workflow will run automatically when its trigger conditions are met.
3. Deactivating an Active Workflow
You can deactivate workflows that are currently Active.
-
Click More Options next to the active workflow.
-
Select Deactivate.
The workflow will stop running for new conversations but will continue in any ongoing ones where it is already active. You can reactivate it at any time by following the activation steps.
Deleting a Workflow
Deleting a workflow will permanently remove it from your workspace.
-
Click More Options next to the workflow you want to delete.
-
Select Delete.
If the workflow is currently active in any conversations, it will stop immediately.
How to Set Up Workflow for Non-business Hours
You can set up a Live Chat workflow for non-business hours where users select a department and submit a form with their details. This form will create a ticket and route it to the appropriate queue based on their selection using automation. You can achieve this by following the procedures below;
Create and Configure a Custom Ticket Form
- Navigate to: Admin → Field and Forms → Ticket Forms
- Click on “Create New Form” or equivalent option to start a new ticket form setup.
- Add and configure the following fields:
- Name – Required
- Company – Required
- Email – Required
- Phone – Optional
- Message – Free text field
- In the existing Category field, add the following options like HR Support, Employee Screening Support, Sales Inquiry, Accounting & Billing etc.
- Review the form configuration. Save the form and ensure it’s active or assigned to the relevant portal or workflow. Learn more about How to Add a New Custom Field to a Ticket Form.
Once you have configured the ticket form, add this ticket form into your Live Chat widget so contact details can be submitted during non-business hours. Learn more about Customize the Away Experience for Your Live Chat Widget.
Set Up Auto Assignment
- Navigate to Admin → Ticket Automation. Here, you can:
- Use Auto Assignments to automatically assign tickets to agents in a group using Round-Robin (Even Distribution or Load-Based). Learn more about How to Automatically Assign Tickets.
- Alternatively, select Create Ticket Trigger to assign tickets to a specific group or agent and set up rules based on the selected category for routing as per the provided summary. Learn more on How to Run an Automation When a Ticket Event Occurs.
Order of Workflow Execution
When multiple workflows are configured with the same brand and source, they are evaluated one after another. The first workflow that satisfies the defined conditions will be executed.
Reordering Workflows
Proper workflow ordering ensures that the most critical workflows execute first, avoiding conflicts in automation.
-
Active workflows can be reordered to control execution priority.
-
To change the execution order, click and drag the Six Dots icon to reposition the workflow.
-
The topmost workflow in the Active tab takes priority when multiple workflows match the same conditions.
Restrict Customer and Agent Messaging During Workflow Execution
To control messaging during workflow execution, use the Manage Inputs block in the Workflow Designer:
- Open the Context menu.
- Select Actions > Manage Inputs to add and configure the block.
This block allows you to enable or disable customer and agent interactions at specific workflow stages. This ensures a structured conversation flow, preventing disruptions and maintaining control over interactions.
- Once the workflow reaches an Exit block, messaging will automatically be re-enabled if it was previously disabled.
- BoldDesk chat workflows support auto-closing conversations based on inactivity (e.g., if a chat remains inactive for a specified time). However:
- It is not possible to automatically close chats based on agent availability (such as when no agent is online).
- Auto-close is inactivity-based, not total open duration. For example, if a chat is active, the timer resets even if it has been open for more than 2 hours.
Explore further instructions about Automatically Close Idle Chat Conversations in BoldDesk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I reuse a workflow across multiple chat widgets?
A: Yes, use the Reusable Workflow option.
Q: What happens if I forget to add an Exit block?
A: The workflow cannot be published until all paths are closed.
Q: Can I activate a workflow later after publishing it?
A: Yes, you can activate it from the Inactive tab.
Q: Is it possible to automate chat routing based on agent availability?
A: Yes, you can set conditions like agent availability in the workflow.
