Creating and managing shortcuts

The instructions below are for desktops and laptops only. For Android, click here. For iOS, click here.

Shortcuts are pre-written responses to streamline communication, reduce response times, and maintain consistency in customer interactions. They're helpful for answering common questions, sharing useful resources, and reinforcing your brand voice.

AI Assist uses your shortcuts as a data source to respond to your visitors’ questions exactly how you want it to. 

• Boost efficiency
  Respond to common questions quickly without repeating the same messages.
  
  

• Maintain consistency
  Deliver a uniform tone and message across all customer conversations.
  
  

• Simplify onboarding
  Help new team members get up to speed faster with ready-to-use responses.
  
  

• Streamline resource sharing
  Easily send documents, images, and links to customers directly in the chat window.
  
  

• Streamlined workflow
  Automate tasks like tagging chats with relevant topics or routing complex inquiries to the most qualified department on your team.

• Integrate with AI Assist
  Use shortcuts as a data source for AI Assist to generate automated responses that reflect your predefined messaging.

A shortcut consists of:

• Shortcut name
  An internal label to identify the shortcut, visible only to you and your team.
  
  

• Message
  This is the message that will be sent to your visitors.
  
  

• Elements
  You can send visitors a file, a ticket form, and up to 4 suggested messages.
  
  

• Actions
  You can set automatic actions to tag the chat or transfer it to other agents or departments.

• Access level
  Choose whether the shortcut is public (available to all team members) or personal (visible only to you).
  
  

• Associated questions
  These are only visible to you. AI Assist automatically triggers the shortcut when it detects matching keywords or phrases in your visitors’ questions.

Follow these steps to create a shortcut:

1. Log in to your tawk.to account.

3. Click Administration in the top menu.

4. On the Administration menu, select Shortcuts under Settings.

5. Click Add shortcut and select New Shortcut.

6. Enter a descriptive shortcut name.

7. Enter the message you want to send to your customers.

8. Click Add Element to send a file, ticket form, or up to 4 suggested messages.

9. Click + Action to change tags or transfer the chat to other agents.

10. Click Add Question to add up to 5 related questions to train AI Assist.

11. Click Save.

You can format your messages using Markdown syntax:

• Bold: *bold text*

• Italic: _italic text_

• Numbered list: 1. Item

• Bullet list: - Item

• Quote block: > quote

• Code block: `code`

• Hyperlink: [text](https://example.com)

To import multiple shortcuts:

2. Click + Add Shortcut and select Import from CSV.

3. Select your CSV file containing shortcut names and messages.

4. Edit your shortcuts, if needed, and click Save.

For step-by-step instructions on preparing your CSV file, see this guide:

Shortcut templates for easy conversations.

Select the Shortcuts tab on the right of the chat, and click Add New Shortcut.

Go to the AI Assist Data Source, select Shortcuts, and click Add Shortcut.

Follow these steps to edit or delete shortcuts:

2. Select the correct property.

3. Click Administration on the top menu.

4. On the Administration menu, select Shortcuts under Settings.

5. Click the shortcut you want to edit.

6. Make the changes and click Save.

7. To delete a shortcut, click the checkbox next to the shortcut and click the “Delete” icon.

• Android: See Creating and managing shortcuts on Android

• iOS: See Creating and managing shortcuts on iOS

Type “/” followed by the shortcut name to insert a shortcut in chats and tickets.

Example:

/welcome

Make sure to test your shortcuts regularly to ensure they work as expected and provide a smooth experience for your customers.

• Global shortcuts
  Available only to you and accessible across all properties. Learn more here: Creating and managing global shortcuts
  
  

• Profile shortcuts
  Limited to your profile page and not used by AI Assist. Learn more here: Managing and creating profile shortcuts
  
  

• AI Assist integration
  Define your shortcuts clearly to improve the accuracy of AI Assist’s automated responses. To learn more about AI Assist and its data sources, see these guides:
  Understanding AI Assist’s Data Sources
  Understanding how AI Assist prioritizes your data sources

If you have feedback about this article, or if you need more help:

• Click the green live chat icon
  

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