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Thread Migration

When you update your routing rules, existing conversations automatically move to the right channel

Tarek Khalil avatar
Written by Tarek Khalil
Updated yesterday

What Is Thread Migration?

When you change which channel a notification rule points to, conversations that match that rule will move to the new channel the next time they receive a message.

Example:

  1. You have a rule routing VIP customers to #support-tier1

  2. A VIP conversation is created in #support-tier1

  3. You update the rule to route VIP customers to #support-tier2

  4. The customer sends a new message

  5. The conversation moves to #support-tier2

No manual work needed. BackReply handles the move automatically.

What Happens to the Old Thread?

When a conversation migrates, the old thread is marked as redirected:

  • The header changes to show "Redirected Conversation"

  • A notice explains the conversation has moved

  • A link takes you to the new thread

  • Replies to the old thread won't sync to Intercom

This prevents confusion and ensures everyone knows where the active conversation lives.

What Happens in the New Channel?

The conversation appears as a new thread with:

  • A note showing where it came from: "Continued from #old-channel"

  • A link to view the previous thread history

  • All the usual action buttons (Assign, Close, Add Note, etc.)

New messages from the customer and your team continue in the new thread.

If You Reply to the Old Thread

If someone accidentally replies to the old thread after migration, they'll see a warning:

⚠️ This conversation has moved

This conversation was moved to #new-channel based on updated notification rules.

Your reply was not sent to Intercom. [Go to new thread]

The warning is only visible to them (ephemeral message). They can click the link to find the active conversation.

When Does Migration Happen?

Migration occurs when both conditions are true:

  1. Your routing rules have changed (pointing to a different channel)

  2. A new message arrives for the conversation

Migration doesn't happen immediately when you edit rules—it waits for the next message. This keeps the conversation in its original location until there's activity.

Common Scenarios

Changing Channel for a Customer Tier

You decide VIP customers should go to a dedicated channel:

  1. Create a new rule: Tags = "vip" → #vip-support

  2. Move it above your general rule

  3. When VIP customers send new messages, their conversations migrate to #vip-support

Reorganizing Your Channel Structure

You're consolidating from multiple channels to one:

  1. Update your rules to point to the new channel

  2. Existing conversations move as they receive new messages

  3. Old threads show redirection notices

Fixing a Routing Mistake

A conversation went to the wrong channel:

  1. Adjust your rule conditions or priority

  2. When the next message arrives, the conversation moves to the correct channel

Tips

Don't worry about breaking things. Migration preserves conversation history. The old thread stays accessible for reference.

Update rules during low-traffic times. While migration is safe, doing it during quiet periods reduces the chance of team confusion.

Communicate changes to your team. Let them know you're updating routing so they're not surprised when conversations move.

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