Action Buttons
Every conversation thread includes buttons for common actions. You can handle most support tasks without switching to Intercom.
Button | What it does |
Assign to Me | Claim ownership of the conversation |
Reassign | Transfer to another teammate or team |
Add Note | Post an internal note (hidden from customer) |
Close | Mark the conversation as resolved |
Open | Reopen a closed conversation |
View Details | See full customer and company context |
View in Intercom | Open the conversation in Intercom |
Assign to Me
Click Assign to Me to claim a conversation. This tells your team you're handling it and prevents duplicate responses.
What happens:
The conversation is assigned to you in Intercom
The thread updates to show you as the assignee
The button changes to Reassign
When to use: Before you start responding. Claiming first avoids confusion about who's handling what.
Reassign
Click Reassign to transfer the conversation to someone else.
A dropdown appears with:
Teammates: Individual Intercom admins
Unassign: Remove the assignment entirely
You can also check "Post a note about this assignment change" to explain why you're handing it off.
When to use:
Escalating to a specialist
Handing off at the end of your shift
Routing to the right department
Tip: Always include context when reassigning. A note like "Customer needs API help, logs attached" is much more helpful than a silent handoff.
Add Note
Click Add Note to post an internal message visible only to your team.
The customer never sees internal notes. Use them to:
Coordinate with teammates
Document context for future reference
Flag issues for specialists
@mention people who need to see the conversation
Options in the note dialog:
Option | What it does |
Post to channel | Also shows the note in the main channel (not just the thread) |
Close conversation | Posts the note and closes in one action |
Close
Click Close when the issue is resolved.
What happens:
The conversation is marked closed in Intercom
A status message appears in the thread: "Conversation closed by [Your Name]"
The button changes to Open
If the customer replies to a closed conversation:
It automatically reopens
You'll get a nudge notification (based on your settings)
The button changes back to Close
Open (Reopen)
Click Open to reopen a closed conversation.
When to use:
You closed it prematurely
You need to add more information
The customer has a follow-up question
View Details
Click View Details to see comprehensive information about the customer and conversation without leaving Slack.
What you'll see:
Section | Information |
Customer | Name, email, phone, location, last seen |
Company | Company name, plan, MRR, industry |
Conversation | Status, assignee, message count, wait time |
Tags | All conversation tags |
From this dialog, you can also assign or close the conversation.
When to use: Before responding to complex issues. Understanding the customer's context helps you give better answers.
View in Intercom
Click View in Intercom to open the conversation in a new browser tab.
When to use:
You need features not available in Slack (tags, snooze, macros)
You want to see the full conversation history
You need to edit customer attributes
For quick replies and common actions, stay in Slack. For complex operations, jump to Intercom.
Common Workflows
Quick resolution
Click Assign to Me
Reply in the thread
Customer confirms the issue is resolved
Click Close
Resolution with documentation
Click Add Note
Document what you did: "Issue: corrupted config. Solution: restored from backup."
Check "Also close the conversation"
Click Send Note
Escalation
Click Reassign
Select the specialist
Check "Post a note about this assignment change"
Write context: "Needs engineering review—API rate limiting issue"
Click Reassign
Shift handoff
Review your assigned conversations
For each ongoing conversation, click Reassign
Select your colleague taking over
Add a note with current status and next steps
What You Can't Do from Slack
Some actions still require Intercom:
Add or remove tags
Snooze conversations
Use macros or saved replies
Merge conversations
Change priority
Start new outbound messages
For these, click View in Intercom to switch over.
Troubleshooting
Button click does nothing
Check your internet connection
Refresh Slack
The action may have already been completed—check the thread for updates
Can't find teammate in Reassign
They may not be mapped in BackReply
They may be deactivated in Intercom
Check that they're in the same Intercom workspace
Note didn't post
Make sure the note isn't empty
Keep notes under 3,000 characters
Try again if you see an error
Action succeeded but UI didn't update
Wait a few seconds for the sync
Scroll away and back to refresh
The action completed in Intercom even if Slack is slow to update
Tips
Claim before responding. Click Assign to Me first. This prevents teammates from duplicating your work.
Document as you go. Add notes while context is fresh. Future you will thank present you.
Close when done. Don't leave resolved conversations open. It keeps your queue clean and metrics accurate.
Use notes for handoffs. When reassigning, always explain why and what's needed next.
Check details before complex responses. The View Details button gives you context that helps you give better answers.