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How to Manage Chat Visibility to Restrict Access to Assigned Conversations

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Summary

Wati’s Chat Visibility feature allows you to limit what each operator can see within a team. When this setting is enabled, operators will only be able to view the conversations assigned to them—helping maintain privacy across team members. This is especially useful for sales teams that handle leads individually and don’t want conversations shared with other operators.

Note: The Chat Visibility feature is only available to Wati customers who are on the Business plan.

Prefer a visual guide? Watch our video walkthrough to learn how to manage and use Chat Visibility:

Instructions

What changed?

Previously, operators added to a team could view all conversations assigned to anyone in that team. With Chat Visibility turned on, each operator will now only see the chats directly assigned to them—making the platform more secure and focused.

Who is this feature for?

This feature is designed for:

  • Sales teams that want to keep leads confidential.

  • Support teams that want to restrict conversation visibility per operator.

  • Any use case where individual privacy among operators is important.

Example scenario

Imagine you have a sales team made up of multiple operators. With chat visibility enabled, each operator will only see their own assigned conversations, and won’t be able to view messages assigned to others in the team.

Key things to know about Chat Visibility feature

  • Can be enabled only for users with the Operator role.

  • Admins will still have access to all conversations.

  • Applies only to WhatsApp conversations (does not apply to Instagram or Messenger chats).

  • The operator can assign their own conversations to other teams or operators, even if the privacy feature is enabled for them.

Behavior with Contact Manager role

If an operator is also assigned the Contact Manager role and Chat Visibility is enabled:

  • They will only see contacts assigned to them on the Contacts page.

  • If Operator Privacy is disabled, they will be able to see all contacts, regardless of assignment.

Steps to enable and manage Chat Visibility for a user

  • Step 1: Log in to your Wati account.

  • Step 2: Go to More in the left sidebar, then click on User Management.

  • Step 3: Click on the Add User button.

  • Step 4: While adding the user, select the Operator role.

  • Step 5: Enable the checkbox "View only assigned conversations".

  • Step 6: Click Save to apply the changes.

Once done, the operator will only be able to view conversations that are assigned to them.

You can also manage Chat Visibility for an existing operator.

  • Step 1: Go to User Management in your Wati account.

  • Step 2: Hover over the operator you want to update.

  • Step 3: Click the three dots next to their name and select Edit User.

  • Step 4: Enable the checkbox "View only assigned conversations".

  • Step 5: Click Save to apply the changes.

That’s it! The operator will now only see conversations assigned to them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Questions

1. What is the Chat Visibility feature in Wati?

→ Chat Visibility is a feature that limits each operator’s visibility to only the conversations assigned to them. It helps maintain privacy within teams by preventing operators from accessing conversations assigned to others.

2. Who can use the Chat Visibility feature?

→ This feature is available only to Wati customers on the Business plan and can be enabled for users with the Operator role.

3. Who is Chat Visibility designed for?

→ It is especially useful for sales teams that manage leads individually and support teams that need to restrict conversation access per operator. It's ideal for any use case where operator-level privacy is important.

Feature Behavior

4. Can admins still see all conversations if Chat Visibility is enabled?

→ Yes, admins will continue to have full access to all conversations, regardless of the Chat Visibility setting.

5. Does Chat Visibility affect chats on all platforms?

→ No, this feature only applies to WhatsApp conversations. It does not affect Instagram or Messenger chats.

6. Can an operator assign their own conversations to others if Chat Visibility is enabled?

→ Yes, operators can reassign their own conversations to other teams or user agents even when Chat Visibility is enabled.

7. How does Chat Visibility interact with the Contact Manager role?

→ If Chat Visibility is enabled and the user also has the Contact Manager role, they will only see contacts assigned to them. If Chat Visibility is disabled, they can view all contacts regardless of assignment.

#Setup and Configuration

8. How do I manage Chat Visibility when adding a new user?

→ While adding a user with the Operator role, check the box labeled "View only assigned conversations" under User Management, then click Save.

9. Can I manage Chat Visibility for an existing operator?

→ Yes. Go to User Management, click the three dots next to the operator’s name, select "Edit User", check "View only assigned conversations", and click Save.

10. Where can I find a visual walkthrough for managing Chat Visibility?

→ You can watch the step-by-step video guide here: Chat Visibility video walkthrough.

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