> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.taqnyat.sa/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.taqnyat.sa/docs/readme/admin-setup/departments.md). # Departments This page explains how departments work in LiveChat and how they help organize and route conversations. Departments are managed from the **Portal** by the admin or authorized users. They help teams separate conversations by function, responsibility, or routing needs. ### What are Departments? Departments are groups used to organize LiveChat users and conversations. A department can represent a team or business function, such as: * Customer Support * Sales * Operations * Complaints * Technical Support * Customer Satisfaction Departments help make sure customer conversations are routed to the right team and handled by the most suitable users. ### When Departments are Useful Departments are especially useful when the company has multiple teams, many agents, or chatbot flows that need to route conversations based on the customer’s request. Departments can be useful in cases such as: * A chatbot flow routes conversations directly to a specific department. * A main team receives conversations first and transfers them to the correct department. * Different teams handle different types of requests. * Supervisors need to monitor conversations for their own team. * The company wants to organize workload by department or service type. For example, a chatbot may ask the customer to choose the service they need, then route the conversation to the relevant department based on the selected option. ### Default Department When starting with a new LiveChat account, the first department that appears is usually department number **1**, named **Default Department**. By default, new conversations may be routed to this department unless another routing rule or chatbot flow sends the conversation to a different department. Admins can manage departments from the **Portal** under **LiveChat Management**. From the Departments page, admins can: * Edit the default department name * Add new departments * Name departments in Arabic * Name departments in English The default department can be renamed based on the company’s setup. For simple setups, where the company has only a few employees and does not need routing or escalation between teams, all agents can be added to the default department. For more advanced setups, admins can create multiple departments and use them to route conversations based on the team structure or chatbot flow. ### Department Routing Department routing controls where conversations go based on the account setup. A conversation may be routed to a department in different ways, such as: * Default routing to the default department * Chatbot routing based on customer selections * Manual transfer from one department to another * Supervisor or agent transfer based on the customer’s request For example, if the customer chooses **Sales** in the chatbot menu, the chatbot flow can route the conversation directly to the Sales department. If the customer reaches the wrong department, a supervisor or authorized user can transfer the chat to another department. ### Assigning Users to Departments When creating or editing a LiveChat user, the admin can assign the user to a department. The selected department may affect which conversations the user can see, receive, or manage. For example: * An agent may handle chats related to their assigned department. * A supervisor may monitor ongoing conversations in their department. * A user may only see department-related conversations based on their permissions. The available visibility and actions depend on the user’s role and permissions. ### Department View The **Department** view inside the Chats page shows ongoing conversations related to the user’s assigned department. This view is mainly useful for supervisors or users with supervisor capabilities. From the Department view, supervisors may be able to: * View ongoing conversations in their department * Monitor agent activity * Review conversation history * Leave internal notes for agents * Transfer chats from one agent to another * Transfer chats to another department * Transfer chats to themselves when needed This helps supervisors support agents and manage conversations without directly interrupting the customer experience. ### Transferring Chats Between Departments Chats can be transferred from one department to another when the customer request should be handled by a different team. For example: * A sales inquiry can be transferred from Support to Sales. * A technical issue can be transferred from Customer Service to Technical Support. * A complaint can be transferred to the Complaints department. To transfer a chat to another department: 1. Open the customer conversation. 2. Click the transfer or assignment option. 3. Select the target department. 4. Confirm the transfer. After the transfer, the chat will be available based on the selected department setup and user permissions. ### Internal Logs for Department Transfers When a chat is transferred between departments, the action is reflected inside the chat as an internal system message. This internal message may show: * Who transferred the chat * Which department the chat was transferred from * Which department the chat was transferred to * When the transfer happened These internal logs are visible to LiveChat users only and are not sent to the customer. They help teams track conversation movement for internal reference and accountability. ### Simple Setup Without Multiple Departments Not every company needs multiple departments. If the company has a small team, few agents, or no need for routing and escalation, all agents can be added to the default department. This setup can work well when: * The same team handles all conversations. * There is no chatbot routing by department. * The team does not need to transfer chats between departments. * Supervisors can manage all conversations from one team view. In this case, the department setup can remain simple. ### Best Practices When setting up departments: * Create departments only when there is a clear routing or management need. * Keep department names clear and easy to understand. * Add department names in both Arabic and English when needed. * Use departments to match the company’s real workflow. * Assign users to the correct department. * Use chatbot routing when conversations should go directly to a specific team. * Avoid creating too many departments if the team does not need them. * Review department setup when teams, services, or workflows change. ### Important Notes Departments are managed from the Portal under **LiveChat Management**. In a new account, department number **1** is usually created as the **Default Department**, and it can be renamed from the Portal. Admins can add new departments and define department names in Arabic and English. The user’s department may affect which conversations they can see, receive, or manage. The Department view is mainly available for supervisors or users with supervisor capabilities. If a user cannot see department conversations, the admin should review their department assignment and permissions from the Portal. ### Next step After learning about departments, continue to the **Template Messages** page to understand how admins create and manage approved template messages from the Portal.