Push notifications are like Desktop notifications but with some key difference. Desktop notifications, also called Web notifications, are requested directly by the client while Push notifications come from a server. The main difference is that the Push notifications work always, also if your device is offline, or MsgSmartly is not open. Also, they are persistent and always visible until closed. Push notifications require an external service to work. We use Pusher, it is free to use for the admin notifications sent to the agents, and it’s free to use for up to 2000 users/devices when sending notifications to the users. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to provide iOS support, but we hope it will come soon.

Activation #

• Go to https://dashboard.pusher.com/accounts/sign_up and create a new account.
• From your dashboard at https://dashboard.pusher.com, choose the Beams product by clicking Get started.
• Enter the Instance name and create the instance. You can enter any value you want.
• From the left menu of the dashboard click Keys, copy the Instance ID and Primary key.
• Enter the MsgSmartly admin area, go to Settings > Notifications > Push notifications, and paste instance ID, primary key.
• You’re done.

Information #

• Pusher is free to use for up to 1000 concurrent subscribers. While you should be able to use the free plan for the admin area and all the agents, you may need a paid plan for Push notifications sent to the users depending on your user traffic.
• Push notifications are currently not supported on iPhone and iOS devices. Push notifications are supported only on Mac, Windows, and Android devices.
• When a user click the notification the last page visited by the user is open and the chat is open automatically.
• On desktop the browser needs to be running since that is the process that receives the push messages.
• When push notifications are active, they replace desktop notifications.
• On Android and mobile devices, desktop notifications may not work, in which case you need to use push notifications.
• If Push notifications are active and not working, disable them and try again.
• Push notifications can not be received on a desktop PC unless a browser is running.

Push notifications for admin and agents #

• When an agent click the notification the admin area is open and the right conversation is selected. If the admin area is already open the notification will not open a new tab.
• When a user sends their first message, a Push notification is sent to all validated agents; subsequent notifications are sent only to the last agent in the conversation.
• If you’re using the Dialogflow App, and Settings > Dialogflow > Human takeover is active, no notifications are sent if the chatbot knows the answer.
• If you’re using the WordPress version, Push notifications are not supported in the WordPress admin area, you need to access the MsgSmartly admin area directly.
• If the Routing setting is active, only the agent assigned to the conversation receive the notification, admins see all conversations but don’t receive notifications.
• If the Queue setting is active, only the agent assigned to the conversation receive the notification. Notifications are not sent for messages sent by the user while waiting in queue. Admins see all conversations but don’t receive notifications.
• If a user conversation is assigned to a department, only the agents assigned to that department receive the notification.
• If a user conversation is not assigned to any department, only agents with no assigned department receive the notification.
• Notifications are not supported on iPhone and iOS devices.
• Notifications are sent only if the last agent in the conversation is offline.
• and Settings > Dialogflow > Human takeover is active, no notifications are sent if the chatbot knows the answer.
• If push notifications are not working, make sure you allowed the notifications, in Chrome you can check this from Privacy and Security > Site settings > Notifications. If they don’t work on a mobile device, try these steps too: install the PWA or delete it and install it again, restart the mobile device.