Frequently asked questions

Quick answers to the most common questions about Commslayer.

Getting Started

How do I sign up and set up Commslayer?

Head to commslayer.com and create an account. The setup guide walks you through connecting your first inbox and installing the Shopify app. See Setting up Commslayer for full instructions.

Can I migrate from Gorgias, Helpscout, or another helpdesk?

Yes, from Gorgias, Zendesk, Help Scout, Re:amaze, Richpanel, Freshdesk, Front and Kustomer. Other helpdesks have no importer. See the Migration Setup Guide for a step-by-step guide.

Can I connect multiple stores to one account?

Yes, you can connect unlimited stores to one account and only pay for one plan. If the stores are different brands, we recommend keeping them in separate accounts so the AI agent doesn't get confused between brands. Switching between accounts is easy from the top-left menu.

How do I add teammates as agents?

Go to Settings → Agents and invite them by email. See Add agents for details.

Email Setup

How do I connect my email inbox?

Follow the guide for your email provider:

Why aren't my replies showing up in my Gmail sent folder?

With the standard DNS setup, emails are sent from Commslayer's servers, so replies won't appear in your Gmail sent folder. Replies only show there on inboxes connected with the Gmail option, described in Gmail quick setup. That option requires a paid Google Workspace account and is limited to 1,500 emails a day.

I set up Gmail forwarding but emails aren't arriving. What's wrong?

After setting up forwarding in Gmail, Google sends a confirmation email to your Commslayer inbox. You need to click the link in that email to approve the forwarding.

Can I connect a Microsoft 365 / Outlook inbox?

Yes. You may need to enable external forwarding in Microsoft 365 first, then follow the standard setup guide.

Is there a cost for adding more email inboxes?

No, adding more inboxes doesn't cost extra.

Is there a limit on the number of inboxes?

Plans don't limit the number of inboxes. An email address can be connected to one inbox only, across all Commslayer accounts.

Why do I see "Access restricted" when I add an email inbox?

Our team needs to review your account before you can add an email inbox with Standard setup. Contact support from the chat inside the app. See Access restricted when adding an email inbox.

Pricing & Plans

Where can I find pricing?

See commslayer.com/pricing for current plans and costs. Commslayer pricing explains how billing works and how to change a plan. To cancel, uninstall the Commslayer app from your Shopify admin.

Is the AI agent included on the Free plan?

Yes. Free includes 300 AI agent messages and 300 AI drafts per month. You need a connected Shopify store. See Commslayer pricing for what each plan includes.

Can I manage multiple stores under one plan?

Yes, unlimited stores on one account with one subscription. Separate accounts are recommended for separate brands.

AI Agent

How do I test the AI agent before going live?

Use the AI Playground. It lets you simulate conversations with the AI without affecting real customers. Guidance with the status Testing or Enabled runs there, on the channel you select. See Testing the AI agent for full instructions.

What happens to guidances in testing status when the AI agent is live?

Testing guidances apply only in the playground. In live conversations the AI ignores them. If "Restrict AI responses to enabled guidances only" is off, the AI still replies using its general knowledge, it just won't follow the testing guidance. If the setting is on, testing guidances don't count as enabled, so the AI leaves those conversations for your team.

Why isn't the AI agent replying?

Open the conversation and read the activity lines between the messages. The usual causes:

  • On email the AI agent waits up to 3 minutes before it starts on a reply. Chat and DMs are answered right away.

  • The inbox isn't selected for the AI agent. Go to AI agent → Settings, add the inbox with Select inboxes, switch on Enable AI agent and click Update settings.

  • The conversation existed before the AI agent was switched on. It only joins new conversations.

  • Restrict AI responses to enabled guidances only is on and no guidance with the status Enabled matched. This applies to email and social inboxes, not to chat or WhatsApp. The AI agent leaves the conversation for your team and the customer gets no message from it.

  • A teammate replied or was assigned. That takes the AI agent off the conversation.

Why the AI agent didn't reply →

Can the AI look up Shopify orders?

Yes. On email, the AI automatically looks up orders using the customer's email. On chat and social channels, it asks for the order number plus the email or phone used at checkout to verify identity.

Can I customize how the AI verifies customers for order lookups?

No. Order verification is built in and can't be changed or switched off. An order number on its own is not enough. It has to belong to the email or phone number the customer writes from, or to one they give. If a customer writes from a different address than the one on the order, the AI agent continues with that order only when they also give the email or phone number used on it. Until something matches, it shares no order details and makes no changes.

Why can't the AI find orders when I test in the playground?

Order lookups need a contact who is a real customer with orders in Shopify. Select such a customer when you start the test, or click Test under a customer message in a real conversation. A test contact without orders finds nothing.

How do I stop the AI from handling certain conversations?

Three ways:

  • Remove an inbox from the AI agent. In AI agent → Settings, click Remove next to the inbox, then Update settings.

  • Use an auto-label (Plus and up). In Settings → Labels, open a label that has Apply automatically on and tick Unassign AI agent. The AI agent stays out of conversations that get that label.

  • Switch on Restrict AI responses to enabled guidances only in AI agent → Settings. On email and social inboxes the AI agent then answers only what matches an enabled guidance.

Can I connect the AI agent to external systems?

Yes, use custom actions to connect via HTTP webhooks. See Connect AI agent to external systems with custom actions.

Shopify Integration

Why isn't Commslayer showing customer info from Shopify?

The two most common causes:

  • The customer emailed from a different address than the one they used at checkout.

  • You have several stores in one account, and the conversation's inbox is linked to a different store than the one the customer ordered from. Each inbox is linked to one store. Check which one under Settings → Inboxes → Manage → Store.

What Shopify actions can the AI agent perform?

The AI can tag orders, edit order items, update marketing consent, remove items, hold or cancel fulfillment, change shipping addresses, create orders, and more. Actions can be enabled or disabled individually in AI agent → Actions.

Social & Messaging Channels

Does Commslayer work with Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart or TikTok Shop?

No. Commslayer connects to Shopify stores only. Orders and buyer messages from marketplaces don't come in. The TikTok integration covers comments on your videos, not TikTok Shop or TikTok direct messages.

How do I connect Instagram and Facebook Messenger?

See Connect Instagram & Messenger. During setup, make sure to grant Commslayer access to all the pages you want connected. If a Page is missing, go through Settings → Inboxes → Add inbox → Meta comments & DMs again and, in Meta's window, edit your earlier selection so the missing Page is ticked. Don't delete your existing Meta inboxes.

Will Commslayer sync my old Facebook / Instagram DMs?

No, only new messages going forward are synced. Send a test message after connecting to confirm it's working.

Does the AI agent reply to Facebook and Instagram comments?

No. The AI agent answers Facebook and Instagram DMs, but it doesn't post replies to comments. This is a safety measure that keeps your Page from being restricted by Meta. With Auto-generate drafts on, a draft reply is prepared for a teammate to review and send, and auto-moderation can hide unwanted comments. TikTok comments work the same way: drafts only. See Facebook and Instagram comments: find, reply and moderate.

Automations, Macros & Labels

What's the difference between a macro and an automation?

A macro is triggered manually. You click a button to run it on a conversation. An automation runs automatically when a trigger condition is met (e.g., a new conversation is created).

Do automations run on conversations I already have?

No. Rules only run on new events, such as a new conversation or a new message. For existing conversations, select them in the conversation list and use the bulk actions. See Using automations.

Can incoming tickets be auto-assigned to agents?

Yes. Turn on Enable auto-assignment in the inbox's Collaborators card under Settings → Inboxes → Manage. Tickets are handed out in turns to the inbox's collaborators who are online, or to all collaborators if you tick Include offline agents. A ticket that arrives when nobody is eligible stays in Unassigned and is not assigned later. See How does auto-assignment work? for details.

How does ticket reassignment work when a conversation is reopened?

A reopened ticket keeps its assignee, whether that agent is online or not. Two exceptions: if the assignee isn't a collaborator of that inbox and auto-assignment is on, the ticket moves to a collaborator when it reopens. And when a teammate with the Agent role reopens a ticket by hand, it is assigned to that teammate.

Can I resolve or reassign many conversations at once?

Yes. Hover over a conversation in the list, tick its checkbox, select more, and use the toolbar at the bottom to resolve, assign, label or mark them as spam. Administrators and managers can also resolve every open conversation in the account under Settings → Account settings → Resolve all conversations. That covers every inbox and can't be undone. See Bulk actions: resolve, assign or label many conversations at once.

Can I sort conversations by the date they were created?

Yes. Click Sort at the top of the list, pick Created at and choose Oldest first or Newest first. See Sorting the conversation list.

Is there a Sent folder?

No. Outgoing messages are shown inside each conversation, with their timestamps.

Reports & Exports

Where can I find agent performance reports?

Go to Reports → Agents. Metrics include Resolved tickets, Unique tickets replied, First response time and Resolution time. Agents without admin access see their own row only. See Agents report for how each number is counted.

Can I use business hours in reports?

Yes. Set up business hours on your inbox, then toggle "Business hours" in the Reports section to calculate metrics against those hours.

Can I export my conversations?

Yes. Go to Settings → Account settings → Export, choose a time period and click Export. The file is emailed to the account's Administrators. See How to export your ticket history.

Most reports have their own Export button (Agents, Teams, Inboxes, AI agent, CSAT, Contact reasons, Conversation traffic and Conversations). Overview and Labels don't.

To save one conversation, open it and use Download PDF or Send transcript in the three-dots menu.

Does Commslayer have a public API?

Yes. You can create an API key to connect Commslayer to external tools, and connect AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT through MCP. See Where to find your API key (integration tokens) and Connect Claude and ChatGPT via MCP.

Help Center

Can I set up a public help center for my customers?

Yes. Commslayer includes a built-in help center. You can customize the look, add a custom domain, and publish articles in multiple languages. See Setting up a help center to get started.

Feature requests & getting help

How do I contact support?

Use the chat inside the app. Click the chat bubble in the bottom right corner. If you don't see it, widen your browser window. It's hidden on phones and narrow windows.

If you're writing from an address that isn't your Commslayer login, mention your login email so we can find your account. If you have more than one store or account, tell us which one you mean.

You can close the chat after sending your message. If you're away when we reply, the reply is sent to your email.

How do I submit a feature request?

Head to our feature request board to submit and vote on feature ideas. The team reviews all requests and factors them into the roadmap.

Something isn't working. How do I report it?

Contact support from the chat inside the app (the chat bubble in the bottom right corner) with a description of the issue and, if possible, a link to the affected conversation.

Commslayer is slow for us. What can we do?

Use https://edge.commslayer.com/ instead of app.commslayer.com, especially if your team works from the Philippines, elsewhere in Asia, or Australia. If it's still slow, see App slow or conversations not loading?.