Email View Modes in Conversations

In email conversations in ConnectiveOne, you can choose how to see the customer's correspondence: only the current thread (one email chain), or all messages from this customer to this mailbox in a single timeline. This helps operators quickly grasp the context — especially when a customer writes a new message about the same matter instead of using Reply.

Context and Problem

In day-to-day email work, the same situation comes up over and over: a customer discussed something with you a week ago and today wrote a new message with a different subject about the same topic. If the interface shows only the current email chain (thread), the operator:

  • Doesn't see prior discussions with this customer.
  • Wastes time switching between dialogs/tickets to find context.
  • May repeat questions the customer has already answered.

On the other hand, some teams need a clear "one email thread = one ticket" rule to keep separate cases from blending into one another.

The email view modes let each operator work in whatever way suits the specific dialog or the team's standard routine.

Core Concepts

Two view modes

Current thread only — the dialog window shows messages from the current email chain only (replies within a single subject thread). This is the "1 chat = 1 conversation" behaviour: every new message from a customer without Reply creates a separate ticket.

All customer emails — the dialog window shows a merged chronological timeline of all messages from this customer to this email address, even if they belong to other tickets or topics. Messages from other tickets get a header above them showing where they came from.

Where to switch

  • In the active chat header — a quick switcher for the current email dialog.
  • In the "Dialog history" accordion (right-side panel) — the same switcher, kept in sync with the one in the header.

The switcher appears for the email channel only. In messengers, widget, or telephony chats it's hidden — there's no email thread concept there.

Default mode for the team

An administrator can set which mode new email dialogs open in by default for all operators. The setting lives in Settings for all operators (the "Show all customer messages by email" checkbox). Off — default is "Current thread only", on — "All customer emails".

The chat-level choice is temporary

When you switch modes inside a specific dialog, it affects only that dialog and the current session. Open another email chat and you'll see the administrator's default again. Come back to the same chat later and it also reverts to the default. So the in-chat switcher is a quick "see wider / narrow down" gesture, not a personal preference.

Approach Variants

Default "Current thread only"

  • ✅ Pros: clear "1 thread = 1 ticket" contract, less noise in the timeline, easy to focus on the current dialog.
  • ❌ Cons: operators may lose context of the same customer's prior tickets.

Best for: B2B / transactional support, where each ticket is about a separate matter (invoice, order, incident) and blending contexts only gets in the way.

Default "All customer emails"

  • ✅ Pros: full context of the conversation with the customer immediately, no extra clicks.
  • ❌ Cons: long timelines for active customers, messages from different tickets blend together.

Best for: B2C support with frequent repeat contacts, sales / account management, where it's important to keep the whole communication history in mind.

Hybrid strategy

A team can leave the default at "Current thread only" and have operators selectively switch to "All customer emails" in tricky cases. This is the most balanced option for most teams.

Decisions Made

The switcher is bound to the email channel

The view-mode switcher only appears in email dialogs. Other channels (Telegram, Viber, Widget, etc.) don't have an email thread concept — their message structure is different and the switcher would be meaningless there.

Default by administrator, temporary choice by operator

The administrator sets the baseline behaviour aligned with the team's process. An operator can temporarily widen the view when more context is needed — without affecting other operators and without diving into personal settings.

Header above messages from other tickets

When "All customer emails" mode pulls in messages from other tickets — a label appears above each such message showing where it came from. This helps operators tell the current ticket apart from history.

Implications for Users

For operators

  • By default, you see the mode chosen by the administrator.
  • In any email chat you can temporarily switch the mode — in the chat header or in the "Dialog history" accordion.
  • The switcher choice is not preserved when moving to another chat: the default behaviour comes back automatically.
  • For step-by-step instructions, see How to switch the email view mode.

For administrators

  • Pick the team's default based on how your customers usually write (recurring messages as new threads vs. each topic in its own thread).
  • Configure it in Settings for all operators — see How to configure operators in chats.

Common pitfalls

Issue: the operator can't see context of the customer's prior tickets. Cause: default or current mode is "Current thread only". Fix: temporarily switch to "All customer emails" in the chat header.

Issue: the dialog timeline contains "extra" messages from other tickets of the same customer. Cause: default or current mode is "All customer emails". Fix: switch to "Current thread only" in the chat, or ask the administrator to change the default.