FAQ — My conversation is stuck or I can’t reply
If you can’t reply, check the conversation header first. The block is usually visible there: the AI may currently be handling the conversation, the conversation may be Archived, it may be assigned to someone else, the channel may be temporarily down, or the customer’s contact may be invalid. Walk through the checks below in order; most cases resolve near the top of the list.
“I can’t reply — the editor won’t open or send fails”
Is AI currently handling the conversation?
If the conversation shows an AI-handling banner, Atender is preventing human reply paths while the AI is in control. Human replies, a macro’s reply text, Sidekick insertion, and bulk reply actions are blocked until a human agent takes over.
If Take Over Conversation is available, click it, then try replying again. If you do not see a takeover option, check with an admin or the teammate responsible for AI handoff settings.
Is the conversation Archived?
Archived conversations are locked. The reply editor won’t open. Check the conversation status in the header. If it says Archived, the conversation is permanently closed.
For most channels, ask the customer to reach out again — their reply will create a new conversation. Or send a fresh outbound from the contact’s CRM record.
Amazon is the exception: if a buyer replies on an Amazon Dashboard or Q&A thread, Atender reopens the existing conversation and returns it to Active. Look for the resurfaced original thread rather than a new ticket.
See Archive a conversation for why archived is terminal.
Is the conversation assigned to someone else?
Some teams configure assignment rules so only the assigned agent can reply. Check the conversation header — if it’s assigned to a teammate, either:
- Reassign to yourself (
A) and reply - Add an internal note tagging the assigned agent
- Coordinate via your team’s chat
Is this a Trustpilot review conversation?
Trustpilot review conversations can be blocked by the review’s current state or by your Trustpilot settings. When that happens, the composer notice gives the exact reason you can’t reply. If Atender needs you to reconnect or adjust Trustpilot access, the notice includes an Open settings action.
Trustpilot also allows only one public reply per review. If the review already has a Trustpilot reply, delete the existing Trustpilot reply before writing a new one.
Is the channel temporarily down?
If the channel provider is having issues (e.g., your email provider, Twilio for SMS, Meta for Messenger), outbound replies may fail. Check the channel’s status indicator in Settings → Channels, or look for the delivery-failure marker on the sent message.
For Messenger or Instagram conversations, Meta may refuse a reply because the messaging window has expired. When that happens, Atender shows that reason on the failed message. For Messenger, a human reply may still work inside Meta’s 7-day Human Agent window if the Meta app feature is enabled; after that, use another channel to reach the customer.
Is the customer’s contact missing or invalid?
If the email bounced or the phone number was disconnected, replies will fail at send. Check the failed message — it names the reason, for example “Email bounced” or “Invalid phone number”. Update the contact’s record in CRM and try again.
“My reply went out but engagement didn’t change”
Check whether you sent a reply or an internal note. Internal notes are added through the separate Add a comment form (C), not the reply editor, and they don’t change engagement state because they’re invisible to the customer. If the message you sent shows up styled as a note (a highlighted block with a sticky-note icon, reading “added a comment”), it was a note, not a reply.
If the message was sent by an automation rule tagged with isAutomated: true, it doesn’t flip engagement at all — the engagement classifier skips automated messages unless the Agent Stack authored them. See Engagement state and Status vs engagement for how automation messages are treated.
“The conversation feels stale and nothing happens”
If the conversation hasn’t moved in a while and you can’t tell why:
- Check engagement — is it Engaged (waiting on customer) or Pending (waiting on us)?
- Check AI handling — is an AI-handling banner showing, and does someone need to click Take Over Conversation?
- Check assignment — is anyone listed as responsible?
- Check tags — is something flagging it (waiting-on-supplier, blocked, etc.)?
- Check the SLA priority — is it in a green / non-urgent state?
Stale conversations are often Engaged + assigned correctly + just genuinely waiting on the customer. Snooze with a sensible window if you want to be reminded to follow up.
Different symptom?
- Conversation has new messages but isn’t rising in your list → New messages don’t move a conversation up my list
- You marked it Done and it’s back in Active → I marked a conversation Done but it’s back in Active
- The customer says they replied but you don’t see it → The customer says they replied but I don’t see it
- The conversation isn’t in your list at all → I can’t find a conversation
When to escalate to support
If none of the above explains the behavior:
- The conversation status seems wrong (e.g., shows Active but reply editor is locked)
- Engagement state doesn’t match the message log
- Customer messages disappear silently
- Bulk actions don’t apply
That’s an Atender bug, not a configuration issue. Capture the conversation ID and reach out to your account contact.