To prioritize unassigned conversations and prevent new customers from waiting, Papo (https://papo.global/) displays the “Unassigned” metric in the inbox summary, which indicates all newly arrived conversations that still have no owner. By monitoring this number and acting quickly, you distribute the workload, reduce first-response time, and keep your operation organized.
Papo's conversations dashboard shows a summary at the top with the totals for open, pending (or unattended), unassigned, and resolved conversations. These numbers are not just statistics; they are direct management tools that let you act before the waiting queue grows. Understanding what each metric means and how to use it to prioritize tasks is the first step toward agile service.
What each summary metric says about your operation
| Metric | What it shows | How to use it to prioritize |
|---|---|---|
| Unassigned | New conversations that have not yet been assigned to any agent or team. | Total focus: clear this queue as quickly as possible. Assign manually or set up automatic distribution so every new contact already lands with an owner. |
| Open | All conversations in progress (not resolved). Includes unassigned, pending, and being handled. | Monitor the overall active load. If the number of open conversations is high and the number of resolved ones is low, reassess distribution or team capacity. |
| Pending | Conversations whose last message is from the customer and who is waiting for an agent's response. | Highest response priority. Many pending conversations signal overload or bottlenecks that need immediate attention. |
| Resolved | Conversations completed with the customer's request handled. | Track team productivity throughout the day or week. |
How to use the summary to distribute team work
The “Unassigned” metric is the barometer for the moment a customer enters your service pipeline. Each unassigned conversation represents someone waiting for a first response. A high volume for this indicator can happen due to demand spikes or a failure in automatic distribution configuration.
When you open the inbox, you will find predefined filters that include the “Unassigned” view. This filter lists only conversations that have just arrived and do not yet have a responsible agent. From this list, you can:
- Assign manually one by one, choosing the ideal agent or team for that service.
- Select multiple conversations in bulk and assign them at once to the same agent, speeding up the operation when there are many backed-up messages.
- Start automatic distribution so the next conversations land directly with someone: simply associate a team (not individual agents) with the inbox. In this mode, Papo uses round-robin among team members, skipping anyone who is offline.
For even finer control, you can combine the “Unassigned” filter with priority tags (e.g., “Urgent”) and assign those first. This combination keeps the initial queue under control even during busier periods.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between “Unassigned” and “Pending”?
An “Unassigned” conversation does not yet have any responsible agent, while a “Pending” one is already assigned but its last message was from the customer and they are waiting for an agent's response. Every “Unassigned” conversation appears as “Open,” but it only becomes “Pending” after being assigned and with a response pending.
What happens if no agent picks up an unassigned conversation?
It remains in the general queue, visible to everyone who has access to the inbox. The longer it stays unassigned, the longer the response time and the greater the risk of dissatisfaction. That is why it is ideal to monitor and clear this metric constantly.
Can I assign an unassigned conversation to myself?
Yes. Inside the conversation, you will find the option to “Assign to me” or choose another agent. Multiple agents can use the “Unassigned” view to proactively pull conversations and balance the load.
Is it possible to set up automatic assignment so unassigned conversations disappear?
Yes. In inbox management, when you add a team instead of individual agents, Papo starts automatically distributing each new conversation among that team's members, in round-robin order.
How can I lower the number of “Unassigned” conversations quickly?
Immediate action: go to the “Unassigned” filter, select all listed conversations, and assign them to an available team or agent. Then check whether the inbox is configured with a team so that new messages are automatically distributed from that moment on.
Does the inbox summary consider only new conversations or also reopened ones?
Reopened conversations (customer sends a new message after the “Resolved” status) usually enter the flow as open, but they generally return already assigned to the last agent. The “Unassigned” number, however, mainly reflects entirely new contacts that have not yet gone through any distribution.
Read also
- How to use tags to flag priority in service
- Key indicators to evaluate the efficiency of the service team in Papo
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