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Replying, noting, tracking time, scheduling, and approvals — the muscle memory of working in Thread. Master the first distinction below and the rest follows.

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Reply vs. Note — the one that matters most

The chat box at the bottom of every thread has two primary modes:
  • Reply — a customer-facing message sent to all contacts on the thread. This is your voice to the end user.
  • Note — an internal-only message visible to workspace members. Troubleshooting logs, escalation context, teammate questions.
Always check which tab is selected before you send. Posting an internal note as a customer reply is the most common mistake new Thread users make. The tabs are color-differentiated — build the habit of glancing before sending.

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The “Send by email” checkbox

Below the composer, this controls whether your reply also goes out as email. It’s on by default on non-live threads (email-sourced) and off by default on live threads (Messenger, Slack, Teams — the customer is already getting it in chat).
The Send-by-email checkbox is available on ConnectWise and HaloPSA workspaces. Autotask shops handle outbound email through a configured email communication workflow — ask your admin how yours is set up.

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Slash commands — keep your hands on the keyboard

The composer also has Snippets, Time, and Actions tabs — the Actions tab is where PSA actions and Magic AI tools live if you prefer clicking.

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Time tracking with Time Pad

Time Pad lives in the Control Panel. Start/stop the timer (or key in start/end times), attach notes, and save the entry straight to your PSA. Two things make it painless:
  • Magic AI can write your time-entry notes from the conversation — no reconstructing what you did an hour later.
  • Your Preferences automate the start/stop/remind cycle around replies and closures (you set these in day-one setup).
Entries can be internal (team-only) or external (visible to the contact, without emailing them). Your workspace sets a default for the primary button — ask your admin which.

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Scheduling with Planner

Planner (left rail) is a drag-and-drop board of active threads in swimlanes:
  • Triage swimlane — all unassigned active threads. Drag one into a member’s lane to assign it.
  • Member swimlanes — each member’s threads, in spaces: Overdue, Backlog (assigned, no plan yet), and Day spaces (Today plus the next two days).
Drag a thread into a day space to plan it; hover a card and click the calendar icon for exact start/end times. You can also create plans from the Planner card in any thread’s Control Panel.
PSA sync behavior. Planner is available for ConnectWise and Autotask. ConnectWise plans sync both directions in real time. Autotask: Thread→PSA is real-time; PSA→Thread updates every five minutes (or force it with the sync icon, top-right of Planner). Autotask requires times — a day-only plan syncs with a 12:00 AM start. TimeZest, if connected, sends a booking link tied to your real calendar; see Planner + Outlook calendar.

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Requesting approvals

Need a client sign-off — a server upgrade, a purchase, after-hours work? Type /approval or use Action → Request Approval. See approvals in Inbox.
1

Select approvers

By Contact Type or specific contacts (ConnectWise/Autotask), or individual contacts (Halo).
2

Preview the standardized message

Approver names are filled in automatically.
3

Send

Approvers join the conversation and are notified via Teams, Messenger, or email, with one-click Approve / Decline.
Requests stay pending until someone acts — no timeout. Track everything under Inbox → Apps → Approvals. Every action is logged in Thread and your PSA for auditing. Three tickets about the same outage? Open Link Threads from the thread header (or press ⌘⇧L): Bundle groups them under a parent while each stays open and handled separately; Merge closes the child threads — you set a closing status — and moves their conversation into the parent. Link Threads is available on ConnectWise workspaces.
If something looks stale, hit the thread’s PSA Sync icon first. For workspace-wide gaps, an admin can run a manual sync (Admin → Integrations → PSA → PSA Sync) — allow up to an hour.

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Next

You’ve got the manual workflows. Now let the AI carry the routine.

Your AI toolkit

Triage Agent, Magic AI, Intelligence, and Super Magic — with prompts to steal.

Related topics

Day-one setupTechnicianThread Partner Change Management Guide