In chat, roles control what each user can do, from managing settings to replying to chats. Learn about each role type, how to assign permissions, and how licences work for chat agents and admins.
Chat user types
There are three types of user in Chat:
Account owner
The master account for Chat and the primary email address associated with your account. Account owners automatically have all possible permissions.
Chat admin
Responsible for managing your chat settings. If they also have a chat agent licence, they can reply to messages too.
Chat admins are created by assigning the user the Can manage account permission, which also enables them to access and edit other account settings. Learn more in the section Understand user permissions.
Chat agent
Chat agents are assigned incoming chats and can read and reply to messages. To make a user a chat agent, you must assign them the Can use Chat user permission.
Whatever the user type, a user must also be assigned to a chat team to ensure that they can be correctly assigned chats and can receive related notifications.
Learn more in the section Add agents to a chat team.
The table below shows the capabilities of each role:
| Account owners | Chat admins | Chat agents |
Manage chat admins | Yes | Yes | No |
Manage chat teams | Yes | Yes | No |
Manage chat agents | Yes | Yes | No |
Edit chat settings | Yes | Yes | No |
Edit automated messages | Yes | Yes | No |
View reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Read chats | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Reply to webchats* | Yes | Yes, with a Chat agent license | Yes |
Reply to SMS* chats | Yes | Yes, with a Chat agent license and Contacts permission enabled | Yes, with Contacts permission enabled |
Reply to WhatsApp chats* | Yes | Yes, with a Chat agent license and Contacts permission enabled | Yes, with Contacts permission enabled |
Transfer chats | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*As long as this channel is available on your account.
Capabilities may depend on the number of chat licenses in your account. If the Can use Chat permission isn’t available for a new user, your license limit might be reached.
To discuss additional licenses, contact your Customer Success representative.
Add a new chat agent
Expand the User menu, then go to Settings > Users and teams > Users.
Select Edit (the pencil icon) for the user you want to add to Chat.
On the Manage user page, select the Default permissions tab.
For the permission Can use Chat, select YES.
For the permission Contacts, select YES.
All chat agents must have Contacts permission set to YES.Select SAVE.
Remove a chat agent
Expand the User menu, then go to Settings > Users and teams > Users.
Select Edit (the pencil icon) for the user you want to remove from chat.
On the Manage user page, select the Default permissions tab.
For the permission Can use Chat, select NO.
Select SAVE.
Add a chat admin
Before you start
Assigning the Can use Chat permission to a chat admin uses one chat agent license from your account’s allocation.
Expand the User menu, then go to Settings > Users and teams > Users.
Select Edit (the pencil icon) for the user you want to add as a chat admin.
On the Manage user page, select the Default permissions tab.
Select YES for Can manage account.
This also allows the user to edit other account settings.If you want the user to be able to reply to messages, select YES for Can use Chat. This uses one chat agent license.
Select SAVE.
Remove a chat admin
Expand the User menu, then go to Settings > Users and teams > Users.
Select Edit (the pencil icon) for the user you want to remove from being a chat admin.
On the Manage user page, select the Default permissions tab.
Select NO for Can manage account.
This also stops the user editing other account settings.If you still want the user to be able to reply to chat messages, select YES for Can use Chat. This uses one chat agent license. To remove the ability to respond to chat messages, select NO.
Select SAVE.