FAQ — My conversation is stuck or I can’t reply
If you can’t reply, check the conversation header first: the block is almost always one of four things — the conversation is Archived, it’s assigned to someone else, the channel is temporarily down, or the customer’s contact is invalid. Walk through them in that order; most cases resolve on the first or second check.
“I can’t reply — the editor won’t open or send fails”
Is the conversation Archived?
Archived conversations are locked. The reply editor either won’t open or the send button is disabled. Check the conversation status in the header. If it says Archived, the conversation is permanently closed.
To handle the customer’s continued issue, ask them to reach out again — their reply will create a new linked conversation. Or send a fresh outbound from the contact’s CRM record.
See Archive a conversation for why archived is terminal.
Is the conversation assigned to someone else?
Some teams configure assignment rules so only the assigned agent can reply. Check the conversation header — if it’s assigned to a teammate, either:
- Reassign to yourself (
A) and reply - Add an internal note tagging the assigned agent
- Coordinate via your team’s chat
Is the channel temporarily down?
If the channel provider is having issues (e.g., your email provider, Twilio for SMS, Meta for Messenger), outbound replies may fail. Check the channel’s status indicator in Settings → Channels, or look for a banner at the top of the conversation noting delivery issues.
Is the customer’s contact missing or invalid?
If the email bounced or the phone number was disconnected, replies will fail at send. Check the conversation header — invalid contacts are usually flagged. Update the contact’s record in CRM and try again.
“My reply went out but engagement didn’t change”
Check whether you sent a reply or an internal note. The reply editor has a Reply / Note tab toggle, and internal notes don’t change engagement state because they’re invisible to the customer. If the message you sent shows up styled as a note (typically a different color or marked “Internal”), it was a note, not a reply.
If the message was sent by an automation rule tagged with isAutomated: true, some engagement views filter it out — your view might be excluding the message that ought to flip engagement. See Engagement state and Status vs engagement for how automation messages are treated.
“The conversation feels stale and nothing happens”
If the conversation hasn’t moved in a while and you can’t tell why:
- Check engagement — is it Engaged (waiting on customer) or Pending (waiting on us)?
- Check assignment — is anyone listed as responsible?
- Check tags — is something flagging it (waiting-on-supplier, blocked, etc.)?
- Check the SLA priority — is it in a green / non-urgent state?
Stale conversations are often Engaged + assigned correctly + just genuinely waiting on the customer. Snooze with a sensible window if you want to be reminded to follow up.
Different symptom?
- Conversation has new messages but isn’t rising in your list → New messages don’t move a conversation up my list
- You marked it Done and it’s back in Active → I marked a conversation Done but it’s back in Active
- The customer says they replied but you don’t see it → The customer says they replied but I don’t see it
- The conversation isn’t in your list at all → I can’t find a conversation
When to escalate to support
If none of the above explains the behavior:
- The conversation status seems wrong (e.g., shows Active but reply editor is locked)
- Engagement state doesn’t match the message log
- Customer messages disappear silently
- Bulk actions don’t apply
That’s an Atender bug, not a configuration issue. Capture the conversation ID and reach out to your account contact.