By default, Social Intents creates a dedicated Slack channel for every live chat conversation. Threaded Mode is an alternative that keeps all conversations as threaded replies in a single channel instead. This article explains how both modes work, when to use each, and how to switch between them.
How the Default Mode Works (Dedicated Channels)
When a visitor starts a chat on your website, Social Intents creates a new Slack channel for that conversation. The channel is named after the visitor and acts as a private space for the chat. When the conversation ends, the channel is automatically archived.
This is the behavior you get out of the box without changing any settings.
What happens step by step
- Visitor opens the chat widget and sends a message
- A notification is posted to your default Slack channel (e.g.
#live-chat) - A new dedicated channel is created for the conversation (e.g.
#visitor-jane-smith) - Agents join the dedicated channel and reply to the visitor
- When the chat ends or an agent uses
/end, the channel is archived
How Threaded Mode Works
With Threaded Mode enabled, Social Intents does not create new channels. Instead, when a visitor starts a chat, a parent message is posted to your default notification channel and all messages for that conversation flow inside that Slack thread.
What happens step by step
- Visitor opens the chat widget and sends a message
- A parent message is posted to your default Slack channel with the visitor's details
- All visitor messages and agent replies appear as threaded replies under that parent message
- When the chat ends, a closure message is posted in the thread
Multiple conversations run as separate threads in the same channel, so agents can see all active chats at a glance.
Comparing the Two Modes
| Feature | Dedicated Channels (Default) | Threaded Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Where conversations live | Each chat gets its own Slack channel | Each chat is a thread in your notification channel |
| Channel creation | A new channel is created per chat | No new channels are created |
| Channel cleanup | Channels are archived when the chat ends | Not applicable — threads remain in the channel |
| Multi-agent collaboration | Multiple agents can join the dedicated channel | Multiple agents can reply in the thread |
| Conversation history | Full transcript lives in the archived channel | Full transcript lives in the thread |
| Workspace clutter | Can accumulate many channels during busy periods | All activity stays in one channel |
| Slack channel limits | Counts toward your workspace channel limit | Does not create channels, so no impact |
| Slash commands | /end, /transcript, /ai | /end, /transcript, /ai (used inside the thread) |
| Escalation routing | Notification posted to the target channel; agents join the dedicated conversation channel | A new thread is created in the target channel with the full AI transcript |
When to Use Dedicated Channels
Dedicated channels work best when:
- Low to moderate chat volume — Your team handles a manageable number of simultaneous conversations and the extra channels are not a problem
- Multi-agent collaboration is critical — You regularly have several agents working together on a single conversation and prefer a full channel for discussion
- Conversation isolation matters — You want each chat completely separated with no risk of replying in the wrong place
- You use Slack search on channels — Archived channels are individually searchable, which some teams prefer for historical lookups
When to Use Threaded Mode
Threaded Mode works best when:
- High chat volume — Your team handles many concurrent conversations and creating a channel for each one would flood your workspace
- You prefer a centralized view — Seeing all active conversations as threads in one channel lets agents scan and pick up chats faster
- Your workspace is near Slack's channel limit — Threaded Mode avoids creating channels entirely, so it will not push you toward limits
- You want a cleaner sidebar — Fewer channels means less scrolling and a less cluttered Slack workspace
- Quick response workflow — Agents who prefer to stay in one channel and handle chats as they appear in threads can work more efficiently
How to Enable Threaded Mode
Go to Integrations
Log in to your Social Intents account and navigate to the Integrations page.
Open Client Settings
Find your Slack integration and click the Settings button to open the client settings.
Toggle Threaded Mode On
Locate the Threaded Mode toggle. It is described as "Keep chats as threads in your inbound channel instead of creating dedicated channels." Turn the toggle on.
Save Your Settings
Click Save to apply the change. New conversations will now appear as threads in your notification channel instead of creating dedicated channels.
The change takes effect immediately for new chats. Any conversations that are already in progress will continue in their current mode (dedicated channel or thread) until they end.
How to Switch Back to Dedicated Channels
If you want to return to the default behavior:
- Go to your Integrations page
- Click the Settings button on your Slack integration
- Turn off the Threaded Mode toggle
- Save your settings
New chats will create dedicated channels again. Existing threaded conversations will continue in their threads until they end.
Per-Widget Setting
Threaded Mode is configured per widget. If you have multiple widgets connected to Slack, you can enable Threaded Mode on some widgets and keep dedicated channels on others. Each widget operates independently.
For example:
- Sales widget — Dedicated channels (lower volume, multi-agent collaboration)
- Support widget — Threaded Mode (higher volume, quick responses)
How Agents Reply in Threaded Mode
When a new chat starts, a parent message appears in your notification channel. To reply to the visitor:
- Click on the parent message to open the thread
- Type your reply inside the thread
- The visitor sees your message in the chat widget on your website
Important: Agents must reply inside the thread, not as a new message in the channel. Messages posted directly to the channel (outside the thread) will not be delivered to the visitor.
Escalation Routing with Threaded Mode
If you use escalation routing with AI chatbots, Threaded Mode works seamlessly. When the AI escalates a conversation to a specific department channel, a new thread is created in the target channel. The thread includes the full AI conversation transcript so the agent has complete context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose any features by switching to Threaded Mode?
No. All core features work in both modes — slash commands (/end, /transcript, /ai), file sharing, agent profile display, escalation routing, and AI chatbot integration. The only difference is where the conversation lives: a dedicated channel versus a thread.
Can I search threaded conversations later?
Yes. Slack's search works on threaded messages. You can search for visitor names, keywords, or message content and find past conversations in threads just as you would in channels.
What happens to existing chats when I switch modes?
Existing conversations are not affected. If you switch from dedicated channels to Threaded Mode, any active chats will continue in their dedicated channels until they end. New chats after the switch will use threads. The same applies in reverse.
Does Threaded Mode work with all Slack plans?
Yes. Threaded Mode uses standard Slack threading, which is available on all Slack plans including Free, Pro, Business+, and Enterprise Grid.
Will the visitor experience change?
No. The visitor sees the same chat widget regardless of which mode you use. The choice between channels and threads only affects how conversations appear on the Slack side.
Can I use Threaded Mode with multiple notification channels?
Threaded Mode uses the default notification channel you configured during Slack setup. If you use escalation routing, escalated conversations create threads in the target department channels.