Getting Started

Everything you need to know to start using AstraChat and manage your customer conversations effectively.

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Welcome to AstraChat

AstraChat is a unified customer support platform that lets you manage conversations from WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Email, Telegram, and web chat -- all in one inbox. Instead of switching between apps and tabs, your team can handle every customer interaction from a single, streamlined dashboard.

When you first log in, you will see the main dashboard. It is organized into three primary areas:

  • Conversations list -- The left-center panel displays all your conversations, sorted by most recent activity. Each entry shows the contact name, channel icon, a message preview, and the time of the last message.
  • Chat area -- The center panel shows the active conversation. This is where you read incoming messages, type replies, attach files, and use canned responses.
  • Contact details panel -- The right panel displays information about the current contact, including their name, phone number, email, labels, previous conversations, and any custom attributes you have configured.

Tip: Bookmark your AstraChat dashboard URL so you can access it quickly each day. You can also install it as a Progressive Web App (PWA) from your browser for a native app-like experience.

Understanding the Dashboard

The AstraChat dashboard is designed to give you full visibility into your support operations at a glance. Here is a breakdown of each area:

Left Sidebar (Navigation)

The left sidebar is your primary navigation panel. It provides quick access to:

  • Conversations -- Your unified inbox with all active, pending, and snoozed conversations across every connected channel.
  • Contacts -- A searchable directory of all customers who have contacted you, with their full conversation history and profile details.
  • Reports -- Analytics and performance metrics for your team, including response times, resolution rates, and agent activity.
  • Settings -- Account configuration, channel setup, team management, canned responses, automation rules, and more.

Conversation List (Center-Left)

The conversation list shows all conversations matching your current filter or view. Each conversation entry displays:

  • The contact's name and avatar
  • A channel indicator icon (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
  • A preview of the most recent message
  • The timestamp of the last activity
  • Any assigned labels (color-coded tags)
  • The assigned agent's avatar (if assigned)

You can filter conversations by status (open, pending, snoozed, resolved), by team, by label, or by inbox. Use the search bar at the top to find specific conversations by contact name or message content.

Active Conversation (Center)

When you select a conversation from the list, it opens in the center panel. Here you will see the full message thread, including messages from the customer and replies from your team. At the bottom of this panel is the message composer where you type your replies.

Contact & Conversation Details (Right)

The right panel shows detailed information about the contact and the current conversation. This includes:

  • Contact name, email, phone number, and location
  • Custom attributes (company, plan, account ID, etc.)
  • Conversation labels and assigned agent/team
  • Previous conversations with this contact
  • Conversation actions (assign, label, mute, snooze)

Your First Conversation

Handling your first conversation in AstraChat is straightforward. Follow these steps:

Step by Step

  1. Open a conversation -- Click on any conversation in the conversation list to open it. Unread conversations appear in bold with an unread message count badge.
  2. Read the customer message -- The full message history is displayed in the center panel. Scroll up to see older messages if the conversation has prior history.
  3. Type your reply -- Click into the message composer at the bottom of the chat area and type your response. Press Enter to send (or Shift+Enter for a new line).
  4. Use canned responses -- Type / in the message box to trigger the canned response selector. Start typing a keyword to filter available responses. Click the one you want to insert it into your reply. Canned responses are pre-written templates that help you reply quickly and consistently.
  5. Add labels -- Labels are color-coded tags that help you categorize conversations (e.g., "billing", "technical", "urgent"). Click the label icon in the conversation details panel, or use the Alt+L shortcut, to add or remove labels.
  6. Change the status -- Once you have responded, decide whether to keep the conversation open or change its status. Click the status dropdown or use the resolve button to mark it as resolved. See the next section for a detailed explanation of each status.

Tip: You can also add private notes that are only visible to your team. Toggle to the "Private Note" tab in the message composer to leave internal comments for your colleagues.

Conversation Statuses

Every conversation in AstraChat has a status that indicates its current state. Understanding these statuses helps you and your team stay organized and ensure no customer is left waiting.

Available Statuses

Open

Active conversations that need attention. These appear in your main inbox view. Any new incoming conversation starts with the Open status. Conversations remain open until an agent resolves them or changes their status.

Pending

Conversations where you are awaiting a response from the customer. Moving a conversation to Pending removes it from the main Open view, reducing inbox clutter. When the customer replies, the conversation automatically moves back to Open.

Snoozed

Conversations that are temporarily hidden from your inbox. When you snooze a conversation, you choose a time for it to reappear (e.g., in 1 hour, tomorrow morning, next week). This is useful for follow-ups or when you are waiting on an external process.

Resolved

Conversations that have been completed. Resolving a conversation moves it out of your active inbox. If the customer sends a new message on a resolved conversation, it automatically reopens.

How to Change Status

  • Click the Resolve button (checkmark icon) in the message composer area to resolve the conversation.
  • Click the status dropdown in the conversation header to choose between Open, Pending, Snoozed, or Resolved.
  • Use keyboard shortcuts for quick status changes (see the Keyboard Shortcuts section).

Assigning Conversations

Assigning conversations ensures that each customer inquiry is handled by the right person or team. AstraChat supports both agent-level and team-level assignments.

Assigning to an Agent

To assign a conversation to a specific agent:

  1. Open the conversation you want to assign.
  2. In the conversation details panel on the right, find the Assigned Agent section.
  3. Click the dropdown and select an agent from the list. You can type to search by name.
  4. The agent will be notified of the new assignment via push notification and/or email, depending on their notification preferences.

You can also use the Alt+A keyboard shortcut to quickly open the agent assignment dropdown.

Assigning to a Team

Teams allow you to group agents by department or function (e.g., Sales, Support, Billing). To assign a conversation to a team:

  1. In the conversation details panel, find the Assigned Team section.
  2. Click the dropdown and select a team.
  3. All members of that team will be able to see and pick up the conversation.

Auto-Assignment

AstraChat can automatically assign new conversations to available agents. Auto-assignment can be configured per inbox in Settings > Inboxes. You can choose between:

  • Round-robin -- Conversations are evenly distributed among online agents.
  • Load-balanced -- Conversations are assigned to the agent with the fewest open conversations.

Auto-assignment respects agent availability. If an agent sets their status to "Busy" or "Offline", they will not receive auto-assigned conversations.

Using the Command Bar

The command bar is a powerful quick-access tool that lets you navigate AstraChat faster without reaching for the mouse. It works similarly to Spotlight on Mac or the command palette in modern code editors.

How to Open

  • Press Cmd+K on Mac
  • Press Ctrl+K on Windows/Linux

What You Can Search

Once open, start typing to search for:

  • Conversations -- Search by contact name, phone number, or message content to jump directly to a conversation.
  • Contacts -- Find a contact and view their profile or conversation history.
  • Actions -- Perform quick actions like switching views, navigating to settings pages, or toggling between inboxes.
  • Help articles -- If you have a help center configured, you can search articles directly from the command bar.

The command bar is context-aware. When you have a conversation open, it will also show actions relevant to that conversation, such as assigning an agent, adding a label, or changing the status.

Tip: The command bar is the fastest way to switch between conversations. Instead of scrolling through the conversation list, press Cmd+K, type the contact's name, and press Enter.

Keyboard Shortcuts

AstraChat includes a set of keyboard shortcuts to help you work more efficiently. These shortcuts let you manage conversations, navigate the interface, and perform common actions without leaving the keyboard.

Available Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Cmd+K / Ctrl+K Open the command bar
Alt+L Add or manage labels on the current conversation
Alt+A Open the agent assignment dropdown
Alt+M Mute/unmute conversation notifications
E Toggle the emoji picker in the message composer
Cmd+Enter / Ctrl+Enter Send the current message
Cmd+Shift+Enter Send and resolve the conversation
Alt+N Toggle between reply and private note
/ Open the canned response selector (in message composer)

You can view the full list of shortcuts at any time by pressing ? when you are not focused on a text input field.

Mobile Access

AstraChat is fully accessible from mobile devices, so you can manage customer conversations on the go. There are two ways to use AstraChat on mobile:

Mobile Browser

The AstraChat dashboard is fully responsive and works in any modern mobile browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox). Simply navigate to your AstraChat URL and log in. The interface automatically adapts to smaller screens, with a collapsible sidebar and swipe-friendly conversation navigation.

Mobile Apps

AstraChat offers dedicated mobile apps for both iOS and Android. The mobile apps provide:

  • Push notifications -- Receive instant notifications when new messages arrive or when conversations are assigned to you, even when the app is closed.
  • Quick replies -- Reply to customers directly from the notification without opening the full app.
  • Full conversation management -- View conversations, assign agents, change statuses, add labels, and use canned responses, all from your phone.
  • Offline access -- View previously loaded conversations even without an internet connection. Your replies will be sent automatically when connectivity is restored.

Tip: Enable push notifications in your mobile device settings and within AstraChat preferences to make sure you never miss an important customer message.

Next: Account Setup