Merging threads (beta)
Merge threads to consolidate related conversations into a single view. When a customer contacts you about the same issue across multiple threads, merging lets your team track and respond to everything from one place.
How it works
When you merge two threads, you choose a parent thread and a child thread:
- Parent thread - Stays active and becomes the central thread for the conversation. All new messages from the child thread will appear in the parent's timeline.
- Child thread - Is automatically set to "ignored" status. It still exists and retains its full history, but new activity flows into the parent.
After merging:
- New messages on the child thread appear as grouped entries in the parent thread's timeline, labeled "New activity in merged thread."
- You can reply to child thread messages directly from the parent thread without switching context.
- The child thread displays a "Thread is merged" card with a link back to the parent, so anyone who lands on the child thread knows where the conversation continues.
Merging Two Threads
There are three ways to start a merge:
1. From the thread header - Open the thread you want to merge, click the overflow menu (three dots) in the thread header, and select Merge thread.
2. From the command palette - Open the command palette and search for Merge thread.
3. From the thread links section - Use the thread links panel to initiate a merge.
In the merge dialog:
1. Select the parent thread (the one that stays active) using the search dropdown.
2. Select the child thread (the one that will be set to ignored) using the search dropdown.
3. Use the switch button to swap the parent and child roles if needed.
4. Click Merge thread to confirm.
The search dropdowns let you find threads by title or reference number. Recent threads in "todo" status appear by default when the search field is empty.
What Happens After Merging
Area | Behaviour |
|---|---|
Parent thread timeline | New messages from the child thread appear as grouped "New activity in merged thread" entries, showing the child thread's reference number and title. |
Child thread status | Automatically moves to "ignored." |
Child thread view | Displays a "Thread is merged" card indicating the parent thread, with a link to navigate there. |
Replying | A reply composer appears inline on the parent thread for each batch of merged messages, allowing you to respond to the child thread's customer without leaving the parent. |
Thread links | Both threads show the merge relationship in their thread links section, with distinct icons indicating which is the parent and which is the child. |
Supported Channels
Merged thread messages work across all communication channels, including email, chat, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Discord. When replying from the parent thread, the response is sent through the child thread's original channel.
Unmerging Threads
If you need to separate threads again:
1. Open either the parent or child thread.
2. From the thread header overflow menu, select Unmerge thread. Alternatively, click Unmerge thread from the thread link's overflow menu in the links section, or use the command palette.
3. Confirm the action in the dialog.
When you unmerge:
- The child thread is moved to "done" status.
- New messages on the child thread will no longer appear in the parent's timeline.
- Both threads become fully independent again.
- Existing messages that were shown in the parent's timeline prior to unmerging remain in the parent's history.
Things to Know
- A thread can only be merged as a child into one parent thread at a time.
- You cannot merge a thread into itself.
- Merging is available for internal threads only - it is not available for external issue tracker links (such as Linear or Jira).