See new messages arrive in real time
The Inbox updates itself. New messages, assignments and typing indicators appear without you reloading the page.
#How the live updates work
The Inbox listens to a live stream from HelpWell Cloud. It shows these changes as they happen:
- New messages in a conversation.
- Changes to a conversation, such as assigning it to a teammate.
- A visitor typing.
The stream only tells the Inbox what kind of change happened. The message text is not sent over the stream. The Inbox fetches it through the signed-in API.
The stream only carries events from your own workspace. A signed-out browser can't open it.
#If the connection drops
The Inbox reconnects on its own. After it reconnects, it replays the events it missed, so nothing is skipped. The Inbox also polls as a fallback.
#If a conversation does not refresh
- Refresh the page.
- If you see Could not open your workspace, sign in again, then refresh the page.
- Check that you are signed in to the right workspace.
Note
The material I have does not say which plan or role the live Inbox needs. It describes the Inbox as updating live for signed-in users.
#What visitors see in the chat widget
When a visitor is in a conversation with a person, the widget checks for new replies on a schedule. It does not use a live stream.
| Visitor's state | How often the widget checks |
|---|---|
| Panel open, page focused, touched in the last minute | Every 3 seconds |
| Anything else (for example, a tab left open) | Every 15 seconds |
| Page hidden | Not at all |
When the visitor comes back to the tab, the widget checks right away.
The widget sends "typing" to your team at most once every 3 seconds. It treats 5 quiet seconds after the last keystroke as stopped typing.
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