Tags let the AI automatically categorize incoming messages so your team can filter, prioritize, and act on the right conversations. The tag description is what tells the AI when to apply a tag, so writing a clear, specific description is the difference between tags that work and tags that create noise.
Writing Tag Descriptions
A vague description leads to over-tagging (the tag fires on conversations it shouldn’t) or under-tagging (it misses conversations it should catch). The goal is a description specific enough that the AI knows exactly when to apply the tag and when not to.
Be Specific About What Qualifies
Describe the exact situation, not a general category. Include the type of message, the context, and the intent behind it.
Bad: “When a customer has a problem”
Good: “When a customer reports that a product or service is broken, damaged, or not functioning correctly. Examples: defective item, missing feature, service outage, billing error.”
Include Negatives (What Shouldn’t Be Tagged)
Adding explicit exclusions prevents the AI from over-applying a tag to similar but unrelated conversations. Think about the most common false positives and call them out.
Bad: “Customer wants to change their order”
Good: “When a customer requests to change their order details, delivery date, or quantity on an existing order. Do NOT apply for new purchase inquiries, cancellation requests, or questions about availability.”
Use Concrete Examples
Give the AI a few real-world message examples so it understands the language customers actually use, not just the abstract category.
Bad: “Refund request”
Good: “When a customer asks for money back or compensation. Examples of customer messages: ‘I’d like a refund,’ ‘Can I get my money back,’ ‘I think I deserve a discount for the issues.’ Do NOT apply when a customer is simply complaining without requesting compensation.”
Good vs Bad Tag Descriptions
Example 1 - Access Issues
Bad: “When a customer can’t access their account”
Good: “When a customer reports they cannot log in to their account or access a service. This includes password reset failures, locked accounts, two-factor authentication issues, and expired sessions. Do NOT apply for customers simply asking how to set up their account.”
Example 2 - Early Check-In
Bad: “Customer wants expedited service”
Good: “When a customer asks for faster delivery, priority processing, or early access to a service. Do NOT apply when a customer simply asks about standard timelines, or when they confirm the scheduled date works.”
Example 3 - Noise Complaint
Bad: “Service disruption”
Good: “When a customer reports a service disruption affecting their experience, such as downtime, degraded performance, or intermittent errors. Do NOT apply when a customer asks about scheduled maintenance windows, or when reporting a one-time minor glitch that self-resolved.”
Example 4 - Payment Issue
Bad: “Problem with payment”
Good: “When a customer reports a failed charge, double charge, unexpected charge, or billing discrepancy. Examples: ‘My card was charged twice,’ ‘I see an extra fee I wasn’t expecting,’ ‘My payment didn’t go through.’ Do NOT apply for refund requests (use the Refund Request tag) or general pricing questions.”
Tips
- Start broad, then narrow down. Write the tag description, then think about every situation where it might incorrectly apply. Add exclusions for each.
- Think from the customer’s perspective. Customers don’t use your internal terminology. Describe the tag using the language customers actually use in messages.
- One tag, one purpose. If your description covers two distinct situations, split it into two separate tags.
- Test with the Test Tags feature. After writing a description, use the Test Tags feature to send sample messages and verify the tag applies when it should and doesn’t when it shouldn’t. Iterate on the description until it’s accurate.
Use the Test Tags feature to validate your tag descriptions. Send sample messages that should trigger the tag and messages that should not. Refine your description until the results match your expectations.Conversation tags are managed globally at the workspace level under Settings > Inboxes > Conversation Tags and apply across all agents in your workspace.
