Setting Up Conversation SLAs in Captivation Hub

Conversation SLAs (Service Level Agreements) let you set response-time targets for your team's inbox so no customer message gets left waiting. When a new message comes in, a countdown timer appears on the conversation — turning orange when the deadline is approaching and red once it's been missed. This guide walks through how to set up and track SLAs in Captivation Hub.

Note: To access this feature, enable CRM Redesign – Conversations + Contact Detail Page (Upgrade) from Labs. SLAs are supported only on the new Conversations page.

What Is a Conversation SLA?

An SLA is a response-time goal attached to incoming conversation threads in your Captivation Hub inbox. Timers start when a new customer message arrives and change color as the deadline approaches:

• Grey — Active, within the allowed time
• Orange — Due Soon, approaching the deadline
• Red — Overdue, the SLA has been missed

The timer disappears once an agent replies or manually marks the conversation as read.

Step 1 — Navigate to SLA Settings

Go to Conversations in your account. At the top panel, click the Settings tab, then click the SLA Settings toggle to turn it on.

Step 2 — Choose How SLAs Apply Across Channels

Under How should SLAs apply across channels?, select one of two options:

• Common SLA — Apply the same response target to all channels (Email, SMS, Facebook, TikTok, etc.)
• Channel-Specific SLA — Set different targets per channel (e.g., SMS within 15 minutes, Email within 2 hours)

Step 3 — Define SLA Timings

Set your time limits:

• Due Soon — The warning window before a breach. When a conversation enters this window, the timer turns orange.
• Overdue — The maximum allowed response time. Once exceeded, the timer turns red.

Step 4 — Choose How Workflow Messages Affect SLAs

Decide whether automated messages from workflows count as valid replies for your SLA timers:

• Count all automation messages as valid responses — The SLA timer stops whenever a workflow sends a message.
• Don't count automation messages as valid responses — The timer keeps running until a team member replies.
• Count messages only from specific workflows — Choose which workflows can stop the timer.

Step 5 — Choose How AI Agent Messages Affect SLAs

Decide how replies from your AI Agent should impact SLA timers:

• Count AI replies as valid responses — The SLA timer stops when the AI Agent responds. (Default)
• Don't count AI replies as valid responses — The timer continues until a human agent replies.

Step 6 — Save and Apply Settings

Once you've configured your preferences, click Save. From this point on, all new incoming customer messages will automatically have SLA timers applied. Existing conversations will continue under the SLA rules that were active before the change.

Filter and Sort by SLA

Conversations includes SLA-based filters and sorting to help your team prioritize:

• Filter by SLA Status — View only Active, Due Soon, or Overdue conversations.
• Sort by SLA — Organize by Longest Overdue or Next SLA Target.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will SLAs apply to existing conversations after I enable them?
No. SLAs only apply to new incoming messages created after the feature is enabled. Existing conversations continue without SLA tracking.

What happens if I disable SLAs?
Existing conversations keep their current SLA timers, but new messages will no longer have SLAs applied. You can re-enable at any time from the SLA Settings tab.

Do automated or AI replies stop the SLA timer?
Only if configured to do so. By default, workflow messages do not stop the timer and AI messages do stop it. Both behaviors are adjustable in your SLA settings.

Does SLA tracking consider business hours?
Currently, SLAs are based on calendar hours. Business hours configuration will be added in a future update.

Can I have different SLAs for each channel?
Yes. Choose Channel-Specific SLA to set different response targets per communication channel.

Do SLAs apply to internal comments or team chats?
No. SLAs apply only to customer-facing conversations, not internal messages or comments.

If I modify SLA settings, will they apply to all conversations?
No. Changes apply only to new incoming messages. Ongoing conversations follow the SLA rules that were active when they began.

If a contact sends multiple messages, how is the SLA timer calculated?
The timer is based on the oldest unanswered customer message. This ensures response time reflects how long the contact has been waiting, even if they sent follow-up messages.