The Problem with Slack Threads
Slack threads are great for keeping conversations organized. But they have a major flaw: new messages in threads don't appear in the main channel.
This means a customer could be waiting for a response, sending follow-up after follow-up, and your team wouldn't know unless they happened to click into that specific thread.
BackReply solves this with smart notifications called nudges.
What Are Nudges?
Nudges are channel-level alerts that appear when a customer needs attention. They pull hidden thread activity into the channel where your whole team can see it.
When a nudge fires, you'll see something like:
Customer replied in thread Sarah Chen sent a message 5 minutes ago "Any update on this?" [View Thread]
Anyone monitoring the channel can now see that Sarah is waiting.
Notification Modes
Choose how aggressively BackReply should notify you:
Quiet
No channel notifications. All activity stays in threads.
Best for:
Channels handling automated or bot conversations
Very high-volume channels where nudges would be overwhelming
Channels you monitor through other means
Responsive (Recommended)
Smart notifications based on context. You get nudged when it actually matters.
Best for:
Standard support channels
Most teams
When you want awareness without overwhelm
Attentive
Notify on every customer message.
Best for:
VIP or enterprise customer channels
Small teams that can handle high notification volume
Channels with few conversations
When Nudges Fire (Responsive Mode)
In Responsive mode, nudges appear when specific situations occur:
Customer follows up after you replied
You said "Let me check on that." The customer says "Any update?" A nudge fires so you know they're waiting for you.
Conversation reopened
A closed conversation comes back to life. The customer replied to something you thought was resolved. Nudges always fire for reopens—these are high priority.
Stale conversation reactivated
No activity for 24+ hours, then the customer sends a message. The conversation was likely forgotten, so BackReply alerts you.
Customer waiting too long
The customer sent a message and no one has responded. Once the wait time exceeds your threshold (e.g., 30 minutes), a nudge fires.
Controlling Notification Frequency
Too many nudges can be as bad as none at all. BackReply limits how often nudges appear for the same conversation.
Frequency Presets
Preset | Max nudges | Minimum gap | Best for |
Calm | 1 | 30 minutes | Low-urgency, patience preferred |
Balanced | 1 | 10 minutes | Most teams (default) |
Urgent | 3 | 5 minutes | VIP, SLA-sensitive |
How it works
If a nudge fires at 10:00 AM:
Calm: Next nudge possible at 10:30 AM
Balanced: Next nudge possible at 10:10 AM
Urgent: Next nudge possible at 10:05 AM
When you respond to the customer, the count resets. This starts a fresh cycle.
Suppress When Active
If you're already engaged in a conversation, you don't need nudges interrupting you.
Example without suppression:
10:00 - You reply: "Let me check"
10:01 - Customer: "Thanks"
10:01 - Nudge fires (annoying—you're right there!)
With suppression enabled:
10:00 - You reply: "Let me check"
10:01 - Customer: "Thanks"
No nudge (BackReply knows you're active)
10:06 - Customer: "Any update?"
Nudge fires (you may have moved on)
The suppression window is configurable: 1, 2, 5, or 10 minutes.
Bot Message Handling
If you use Intercom bots (like Fin AI), you can control how their responses affect nudging.
Informational (Default)
Bot responses don't count as agent engagement. If a bot answers but no human has replied, BackReply still considers the customer "waiting for a human."
Use when: Bots assist, but humans should verify or follow up.
Agent
Bot responses count as agent engagement. The customer is considered "handled" after a bot reply.
Use when: Your bot fully resolves issues without human follow-up.
Configuration Options
Setting | Options | What it controls |
Mode | Quiet, Responsive, Attentive | When nudges fire |
Frequency | Calm, Balanced, Urgent | How often nudges can repeat |
Suppress if active | On/Off | Skip nudges when you're engaged |
Suppress window | 1-10 minutes | How long "active" lasts |
Wait threshold | 15, 30, 60 minutes | When to nudge for waiting customers |
Bot handling | Informational, Agent | How bots affect nudging |
Setting Up Per Channel
Different channels can have different notification settings. Configure these in your notification rules.
Example:
Channel | Mode | Frequency | Why |
#vip-support | Attentive | Urgent | Every VIP message matters |
#general-support | Responsive | Balanced | Smart notifications, not overwhelming |
#bot-conversations | Quiet | — | Bot handles these; no nudges needed |
Troubleshooting
Not getting any nudges
Is the mode set to Quiet? Switch to Responsive or Attentive.
Has the maximum nudge count been reached? Wait for the gap period or respond to reset.
Did you recently reply? Suppress-if-active may be blocking nudges.
Getting too many nudges
Lower the mode from Attentive to Responsive.
Switch frequency from Urgent to Balanced or Calm.
Increase the suppress window.
Getting nudges for conversations I'm handling
Enable suppress-if-active if it's off.
Increase the suppress window.
Make sure you're replying in the thread (not just viewing it).
Tips
Start with Responsive + Balanced. This works for most teams. Adjust based on feedback.
Use Attentive for VIPs. High-value customers deserve immediate attention.
Don't rely solely on nudges. Check threads regularly. Nudges are a safety net, not a replacement for proactive monitoring.
Match wait threshold to your SLA. If your target is 30-minute response time, set the wait threshold to 30 minutes or less.