Skip to main content

Setting Up Agent File Sharing for Messaging

  • Messaging

Updated ~ minute read

Agent file sharing provides a way for agents and bots to share files with a consumer. This article explains how to set up this feature.

After file sharing is set up, you can share photos and other supported file types with consumers. (See the limitations section below for more details).

Prerequisites

This article explains how to set up this feature for our modern Messaging engagement platform. Before you can set up this feature, therefore, you need to set up Messaging.

You also need to have us enable the file sharing feature for your account. To request this, contact support and they will make the back end change to your account settings. Afterwards you may proceed with the steps below.

How to Set Up File Sharing for Messaging

To enable file sharing, there are three steps you must take from the Engagement Portal. 

    1. Step 1: Enable the file sharing feature in the "Night Vision" settings
    2. Step 2: Enable file sharing permissions for the Agent Profile
    3. Step 3: Activate the file sharing feature from the Management Console

To access the Engagement Portal, first go to the Live Assist Admin Center. Then from the Links menu, click on Engagement Portal. (Learn more).

Step 1: Enable the file sharing feature in Night Vision

  1. Click the Night Vision icon in the top right corner. (It is the icon marked with an annotated red 3 circle in the screenshot below).
    The Engagement Portal with various settings annotated. The Night Vision icon is marked with a red circle and the number 3.
     
  2. A list of settings will be displayed on the Night Vision dashboard. Find the File sharing section and click the Edit button.
    The Night Vision dashboard in the Engagement Portal, showing the various settings that can be adjusted for the Live Assist tag.
     
  3. Turn on the Agent file sharing enabled option to enable the feature and then click Save.
    The File Sharing setting bubble in edit mode withing Night Vision in the Engagement Portal. The 'Agent File Sharing enabled' slider is set to the 'on' position.
     

Step 2: Enable file sharing permissions for the Agent Profile

The agent file-sharing capability is permission-based. After the back-end enablement of the file-sharing feature on your account, new permissions are added to the Agent profile. These are:

  • Send files to consumers from the local file browser
  • Send files to consumers from custom widgets

These permissions are disabled by default. You need to enable these permissions in order for file sharing to work. 

  1. On the left panel of the Engagement Portal, go to Manage and then Users and Skills.
    The left panel of the Engagement Portal. The 'Manage' heading is marked with a red bubble with the number 1 and the 'Users and Skills' subheading is marked with a red bubble with the number 2.
     
  2. Go to the Profiles tab and then click on Agent.
    The Agent profile is highlighted on the profiles tab
     
  3. Enable the permissions Send files to consumers from the local file browser & Send files to consumers from custom widgets and then click the Save button.
    The sliders for the two permission types are set to the 'on' setting
     

Step 3: Activate the file sharing feature from the Management Console

  1. On the left panel of the Engagement Portal, go to Manage and then to Management Console.
    The Management Console subheading is highlighted under the Manage heading in the Engagement Portal
     
  2. Type "File Sharing" in the search bar and then search. Open File Sharing from the search results.
    The words 'File Sharing' have been typed into the search bar in the Management Console
     
  3. The feature is not activated by default. Click on the Click to activate button to enable this feature in the Management Console.
    The File Sharing feature page
     
  4. Confirm the activation process by clicking the Yes, activate button.
    A confirmation popup asking if the user is sure that they want to activate file sharing
     
  5. The feature is now enabled in the system. 
    File Sharing is now active
     

Using the File-sharing feature

  1. In an ongoing conversation, click on the paper clip icon in the agent widget to share a file with the consumer.
    paperclip icon is selected in the Live Assist for Dynamics 365 agent widget
     
  2. The local file browser dialog will open. Choose the file that you want to share.
    The Finder opens in a Mac operating system with a list of files displayed
     
  3. The attachment will be presented in the agent widget. You can add a caption before sending the file. Click the paper plane icon if the file is ready to be sent.
    The file is displayed in the agent widget in Live Assist for Dynamics 365 but has not been sent yet
     
  4. Once sent, the file will be shown on the Agent Widget as well as on the consumer side and is ready for download.
    Agent Side
    View of the file in the agent widget, as shown on the agent side
      Consumer Side
    View of the file in the conversation, as shown from the consumer side
     
  5. The customer may view the shared file.
    A PDF file open on the consumer side
     

Limitations:

  • Supported file types: JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, PDF, DOCx, XLSx, PPTx.
  • The capability is currently supported only on Web Messaging, Apple Messages for Business, and WhatsApp Business.
  • The file size is currently limited to 5MB.
  • Authenticated consumers who receive a file from an agent over the web will see an empty line in the native app if the file is sent without a caption or only the caption.

Related articles