How Email Threading Works for Help Desk Conversations
Email threading is a crucial feature for managing support conversations effectively. It ensures that all email replies related to a single topic are grouped into a single conversation thread. This allows support teammates to view the entire context of an email thread in one place, preventing confusion and ensuring a more efficient workflow.
Benefits of Email Threading
- Unified Context: Teammates can see the entire conversation history in one thread, eliminating the need to track multiple separate conversations.
- Efficient Workflow: Prevents email threads from going through workflows multiple times or being assigned to different teammates who may not have the necessary context.
- Streamlined Communication: Helps avoid fragmented communication and ensures that all relevant information is kept together.
How Email Threading Works
Emails contain metadata called headers, which are used to determine whether an email should be threaded into an existing conversation. The specific headers used for threading are:
- Message-ID: A unique identifier for every email, typically generated by the email provider. It looks like an email address, e.g., <[email protected]>.
- In-Reply-To: This header contains the Message-ID of the email being replied to.
- References: Similar to the In-Reply-To header, this includes the Message-ID of the replied email and can also contain Message-IDs of earlier emails in the thread.
When an email is received in your workspace, Web2Chat uses the References and In-Reply-To headers to search for a conversation that contains an email with a matching Message-ID. If a match is found, the new email is threaded into that conversation.
Troubleshooting Email Threading Issues
Why is an email reply not threading into an existing conversation?
- Stripped Headers: Some email clients remove headers that Web2Chat uses to thread emails. Without these headers, Web2Chat cannot reliably find the conversation to thread the email into.
- Messenger to Email Transition: If a conversation started on Messenger and later included participants via email, threading issues might occur if the alias email address (e.g., [email protected]) is removed from the To or Cc fields. Removing this alias causes the reply to split into a new conversation.
Why are emails not threading in my email client?
- Client-Specific Features: Email clients and servers have varying features and behaviors that affect threading. Some clients have settings to enable or disable threading, so it’s important to check and configure these settings.
- Header Requirements: Different email clients require specific headers to be present for threading. They might also split conversations based on changes in the subject line or recipients.
By understanding how email threading works and being aware of potential issues, you can ensure that your support team maintains efficient and organized communication. This helps provide a better experience for both the support team and your customers.