This article explains how the chat inactivity (expiration) timer works in LiveAgent and clarifies a recent change in its behavior. This change may cause chat slots to be released from the queue earlier than expected.
Overview
LiveAgent allows you to configure a chat inactivity timeout, which automatically releases a chat slot from the queue after a defined period of inactivity. This setting is intended to free up agent capacity when a customer stops responding.
Recent Behavior Change
The chat inactivity timer now tracks time from the last customer message only.
Previously, the timer was reset by any activity in the chat — including messages sent by the agent, the customer, or the system. With the updated behavior, only messages from the end-customer reset the inactivity timer.
This means:
- If an agent sends a message but the customer does not reply, the inactivity countdown continues from the customer's last message — it is not reset.
- A chat slot may be released even if the agent was actively responding, as long as the customer has not sent a new message within the configured timeout window.
Why Chats May Be Released Earlier Than Expected
If you notice chats being released sooner than your configured inactivity time (for example, after ~3 minutes instead of 10), consider the following:
- The timer starts from the customer's last message, not from the agent's last action.
- If the customer stopped messaging while the agent was still replying, the timer may have already been running for several minutes before the agent's final response.
- The effective remaining time can therefore be significantly shorter than the full configured timeout period.
Summary of the Change
| Activity Type | Resets Timer (Previous Behavior) | Resets Timer (Current Behavior) |
|---|---|---|
| Customer message | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Agent message | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| System message | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |