How Message Drafts Work for BoldDesk Chat in Agent Portal
Message drafts in BoldDesk help you avoid losing unsent messages during live chat. Whether you’re replying to a customer or adding a private note for your team, drafts are automatically saved so you can return and finish them later.
This guide covers:
- How drafts work in BoldDesk chat editors
- What content can be saved in a draft
- How drafts are stored and managed
- How drafts appear in the chat list
How Drafts Work in BoldDesk
Each chat in BoldDesk includes two editors:
- Reply Editor – for messages sent to the customer or requester
- Private Note Editor – for internal notes visible only to your team
You can save drafts in both editors. If a draft exists in one editor while you switch to the other, BoldDesk displays a banner notification indicating a draft is available in the other editor.
Example:
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If you’re in the Reply Editor and have a private note draft, you’ll see a banner notifying you about the draft in the Private Note Editor.
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Similarly, if you’re in the Private Note Editor and have a reply draft, the system alerts you about the unsent reply.
What Can Be Saved in a Draft?
BoldDesk drafts support multiple content types:
- Text messages – including formatted text
- Attachments – files, images, and documents
- Emojis and mentions – to personalise messages or tag teammates
- Canned Response and templates – for faster communication
Everything added to the message box remains saved until you send or delete the draft.
How Drafts Are Stored and Managed
Message drafts are stored locally on your device using browser storage. Here’s how BoldDesk handles drafts:
| Scenario | System Action |
|---|---|
| Type and leave the chat | BoldDesk saves your message as a draft |
| Return to the chat | The draft appears in the input field |
| Send the message | BoldDesk clears the draft |
| Delete the message manually | The draft is removed |
| Use incognito mode or clear browser data | The draft becomes unavailable |
Drafts are private to your device and do not sync across multiple devices.
To keep things clean and efficient
- Drafts automatically expire after 12 hours
- You can store drafts for up to 5 conversations
If you save a draft for a 6th conversation, the system removes the oldest draft to make space; you don’t need to manage this manually—the system handles everything in the background.
How Drafts Appear in the Chat List
Drafts are easy to spot in your chat list:
- A Draft icon will appear next to conversations with unsent messages
- You’ll see a short preview of the draft message
- If the draft includes files, it shows “Attached file(s)”
- If both reply and private drafts exist, the reply draft is shown in the list
Please refer to the GIF for more details
Draft previews do not appear for the currently selected conversation
FAQs
1. Do drafts sync across multiple devices?
No. Drafts are stored locally and do not sync across devices.
2. How long are drafts retained?
Drafts expire automatically after 12 hours.
3. Can I save drafts for multiple chats?
Yes. BoldDesk supports up to 5 active drafts. When a 6th draft is created, the oldest one is removed.
4. Are attachments preserved in drafts?
Yes. Files, images, and documents remain saved until the draft is sent or deleted.
5. Can I disable draft saving in BoldDesk?
No, draft saving is an automatic feature and cannot be disabled.
6. Does clearing browser data affect drafts?
Yes. Clearing browser data or using incognito mode will remove all saved drafts.
