Configure dead-connection detection

When a visitor’s connection drops — they closed the laptop, walked away from Wi-Fi, the browser crashed — Atender notices the disconnect and can switch the conversation to another channel automatically. The visitor’s next interaction happens there, so the thread doesn’t die.

Important: this triggers on a dropped connection, not on inactivity. A visitor who’s reading the chat without typing is not idle from the widget’s perspective — they’re still connected.

Before you start

• The widget exists. If not, create one first.
• The destination channel you want to switch to is configured (email, SMS, or WhatsApp).
• For an email switch, you need the visitor’s email — usually from the pre-chat survey. For SMS or WhatsApp, you need a phone number.

Steps

1. Open Settings → Web Chat and click your widget.
2. Open the General tab.
3. Find the Dead connection detection section.
4. Enable it.
5. Set the timeout — how long the connection has to be dead before Atender switches the conversation. The minimum is 300 seconds (5 minutes). Shorter timeouts risk false positives from brief network blips; longer timeouts give the visitor more chance to reconnect on their own.
6. Pick the target channel — email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
7. Customize the message the visitor sees in the chat before the switch happens. The default uses two variables:
   {channel} — the channel name (Email, SMS, WhatsApp).
   {seconds} — the timeout in seconds.

A typical custom message: We'll continue this conversation via {channel} since the connection's been quiet for {seconds} seconds. 8. Save.

Verify it worked

You can simulate a dead connection by opening the widget, then taking the device offline (airplane mode, or turning off Wi-Fi). Wait the timeout period, then bring the device back online. The conversation should be in the target channel; the message you customized should appear in the chat history before the switch.

How it differs from manual channel switching

• Who triggers it — The visitor clicks a button — Atender detects the disconnect
• When it fires — Whenever the visitor wants — After the configured timeout
• Where configured — Channel Switching tab — General tab, Dead connection detection section
• Visitor sees — A button to switch — A confirmation message before the switch

Both can be enabled at the same time. They serve different scenarios.

Choosing the target channel

• Email is the most forgiving — the visitor doesn’t need to be reachable instantly, and they can reply when convenient. Best when you don’t expect immediate continuity.
• SMS is great when the conversation was urgent and the visitor probably wants to keep going. Phone numbers are usually attached to a device the visitor still has.
• WhatsApp is best where it’s the dominant messaging app, especially in Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia.

Limits

• Atender will only switch to a channel for which it has the visitor’s identifier. If the conversation has no email address, switching to email won’t work even if you’ve enabled it.
• The visitor must have completed the pre-chat survey or otherwise supplied the relevant contact information.

Troubleshooting

• Symptom: The dead-connection switch isn’t firing on test disconnects. Fix: Confirm the timeout. The minimum is 300 seconds — anything shorter is silently clamped. Also confirm the visitor’s identifier for the target channel is present on the conversation.

• Symptom: The visitor gets switched to email but the email never arrives. Fix: Confirm the Email channel is set up and a domain is Active.

See also

• Configure channel switching
• Add a pre-chat survey