Use the Conversation Timeline
Learn how to read the conversation timeline, understand event types, and use the timeline to track the full history of a customer interaction.
What this guide covers
This guide explains how to read and use the conversation timeline in the JobsiteOn inbox. The timeline is a chronological log of everything that has happened in a conversation -- not just messages, but also status changes, assignments, linked records, and internal notes. It gives your team a complete audit trail for every customer interaction.
By the end you will know how to:
- Read the conversation timeline from top to bottom
- Identify different event types in the timeline
- Use the timeline to understand the full history of a conversation
- Filter timeline events by type
Before you begin
- You need inbox access in your JobsiteOn workspace
- Open a conversation that has some activity (messages, status changes, assignments) to see the timeline in action
What the timeline shows
The conversation timeline appears when you open a conversation in the inbox. It displays every event in chronological order, with the oldest events at the top and the newest at the bottom. Unlike a simple email thread, the timeline weaves together multiple types of activity.
Screenshot: A conversation timeline showing a mix of inbound emails, outbound replies, internal notes, status changes, and assignment events in chronological order
Event types in the timeline
Each event in the timeline has a visual indicator that tells you what type it is. Here are the event types you will encounter:
Inbound messages
Messages received from the customer. These appear with the customer's name and avatar on the left side of the timeline. The message body, any attachments, and the timestamp are all visible.
Outbound replies
Messages sent by your team to the customer. These appear on the right side of the timeline (or with a different background color) and show the team member's name who sent the reply.
Internal notes
Notes added by your team that are not visible to the customer. Internal notes are visually distinct -- typically shown with a yellow or highlighted background and a "Note" label. They may include @mentions of other team members.
Status changes
When a conversation's status changes (Open, Closed, Snoozed), a small event marker appears in the timeline showing who changed the status and when.
Assignment changes
When a conversation is assigned to a different team member, the timeline records the change with the previous assignee and the new assignee.
Linked records
When a job, invoice, or other record is linked to the conversation, a timeline event notes what was linked and by whom.
Tip: The timeline acts as a complete audit log. If you ever need to understand why a conversation is in its current state, scroll through the timeline to see every action taken.
Reading the timeline effectively
Chronological flow
Start at the top of the timeline to see how the conversation began. Scroll down to follow the progression of events. Each event is timestamped, so you can see exactly when things happened and how long gaps between events lasted.
Identifying who did what
Each event shows the actor -- the person who performed the action. For inbound messages, the actor is the customer. For outbound replies, notes, and status changes, the actor is the team member who took the action.
Understanding context from system events
System events like status changes and assignments provide important context. For example, if you see that a conversation was closed and then reopened, it might mean the customer replied after the issue was resolved, indicating a follow-up is needed.
Screenshot: A close-up of timeline events showing a status change from Open to Closed by one team member, followed by an automatic reopen when the customer replied
Filtering timeline events
If a conversation has a long history, you may want to filter the timeline to see only specific event types. Look for a filter control near the top of the timeline that lets you toggle visibility for:
- Messages only (hides system events)
- Internal notes only
- All events (the default)
This is useful when you need to quickly scan just the customer messages without the noise of status changes and assignment updates.
Animation: A walkthrough showing a user opening a conversation with a long timeline, clicking the filter control to show only messages, then switching back to all events
Using the timeline for accountability
The timeline creates accountability across your team. Managers can review:
- Response times -- How long between a customer message and the team's reply
- Handling history -- Who worked on the conversation and what actions they took
- Resolution path -- The sequence of events that led to the conversation being closed
This information is valuable for coaching, quality assurance, and identifying process improvements.
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