How to manage Zeus AI channels
Last updated October 28, 2026
Overview
Channels is where you turn Zeus AI on for your workspace and decide how it handles tickets on each support channel: Chat, Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack Connect, and Discord.
Each channel has its own Zeus Mode. The mode decides who manages the ticket: your team alone, your team with a draft from Zeus AI, or Zeus AI itself. Because each channel is configured separately, you can, for example, let Zeus AI take control of Chat tickets, give your agents drafts on Email, and keep it off SMS.
Key features
- Global switch: Turn Zeus AI on or off for all channels at once with "Enable Zeus".
- One mode per channel: Choose "Disabled", "Suggestion" or "Agent" for Chat, Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack Connect, and Discord independently.
- Tone per channel: Optionally assign one of your tone configurations so Zeus AI sounds right on each channel.
- Response delay: In "Agent" mode, choose how many minutes (0 to 60) Zeus AI waits before it replies to the customer.
- Human in control: In "Suggestion" mode nothing reaches the customer until an agent reviews and sends it.
Zeus Modes and how they affect your tickets
The mode you choose changes what happens every time a customer writes to you on that channel. Use this table to compare them, then read the details for each mode below.
| Mode | What Zeus AI does | Who replies to the customer | What your team does | Best for |
| Disabled | Nothing. It doesn't read, draft, or reply on this channel. | Your agents | Handles every ticket as usual. | Channels where you don't want AI help yet. |
| Suggestion | Drafts a reply inside the ticket each time the customer sends a message. | Your agents, after reviewing the draft | Uses, edits, or ignores the draft, then sends the reply. | Getting started, sensitive topics, and teams that want to review every reply. |
| Agent | Takes control of the ticket and manages it as an AI agent: replies to the customer, follows your protocols, and uses your tools. Hands the ticket to your team when a human is needed. | Zeus AI | Picks up the tickets Zeus AI hands over and reviews its conversations in Run history. | High-volume, repetitive requests once Zeus AI's answers are validated. |
Disabled
Zeus AI is off for this channel. Tickets arrive and are handled by your team exactly as they would without Zeus AI: no drafts appear and no automatic replies are sent. Every channel starts as "Disabled" until you change it.
Suggestion
Zeus AI works as a co-pilot for your agents. It never writes to the customer directly.
- When the customer sends a message, Zeus AI drafts a reply using your knowledge, protocols, guardrails, and the channel's tone.
- The draft appears in the ticket as "Suggested response by Zeus". The agent can click "Use suggestion" to insert it in the reply box and edit it, or "Ignore suggestion" to discard it.
- The reply is sent only when the agent clicks "Send".
- If the agent starts typing or saves a draft, new suggestions pause until the customer replies again.
- If Zeus AI can't find an answer it's confident about, or the message is outside its guardrails, it doesn't suggest a reply and the agent answers manually.
- Suggestions are visible to Agents and Admins.
Agent
Zeus AI works as an AI agent on this channel: it takes control of the ticket and manages it itself, instead of helping a human agent.
- When a customer writes, Zeus AI takes control of the ticket and replies after the "Response Delay" you set.
- From that moment, Zeus AI manages the conversation: it replies to the customer and works through the request using your knowledge, protocols, tools, guardrails, and the channel's tone. Your agents don't need to act on the ticket.
- When a human is needed (Zeus AI has no confident answer, a guardrail blocks the reply, or a protocol tells it to hand over), Zeus AI escalates the ticket to your team, and a human agent continues the conversation.
- Your team can review every ticket Zeus AI managed in Run history .
- "Agent" is the only mode with a "Response Delay" setting.
How to turn on Zeus AI
"Enable Zeus" is the global switch. Turn it on before configuring any channel.
- Go to " Zeus AI > Channels > Overview ".
- Turn on "Enable Zeus".
- A confirmation message appears. Zeus AI is now available, and each channel uses the mode you set for it.
How to configure Zeus AI on a channel
Repeat these steps for each channel you want to configure. The settings of one channel don't affect the others.
- Go to " Zeus AI > Channels " and select the channel: "Chat", "Email", "SMS", "WhatsApp", "Slack Connect", or "Discord".
- In the "Zeus Mode" section, open "Mode" and select "Disabled", "Suggestion", or "Agent".
- (Optional) Open "Tone" and select a tone configuration. You can leave it empty and add one later.
- If you selected "Agent", enter the "Response Delay" in minutes (0 to 60). Use 0 for Zeus AI to reply right away.
- Click "Save". A confirmation message appears.
Settings reference
| Setting | Where | Description |
| Enable Zeus | Channels > Overview | Turns Zeus AI on or off for all channels. |
| Mode | Each channel | "Disabled", "Suggestion" or "Agent". Required. |
| Tone | Each channel | Optional tone configuration Zeus AI uses when it drafts or sends replies on this channel. |
| Response Delay | Each channel, only in "Agent" mode | Minutes Zeus AI waits before it replies to the customer, from 0 to 60. |
Configuration example
A team that wants AI help everywhere, but answers its customers on Chat around the clock, could use:
- Chat: "Agent", Response Delay 1 minute, tone "Friendly Support".
- Email, WhatsApp, Slack Connect and Discord: "Suggestion", tone "Friendly Support".
- SMS: "Disabled".
Expected result: A customer writes in Chat. Zeus AI takes control of the ticket, answers after one minute, and manages the conversation. If the customer needs something Zeus AI can't handle, the ticket is escalated and an agent takes over. On Email, agents open each ticket and find a draft ready to use, edit, or ignore. SMS tickets reach the team with no Zeus AI involvement.
How to change or turn off Zeus AI
On one channel
- Go to " Zeus AI > Channels " and select the channel.
- Change the "Mode", or select "Disabled" to turn Zeus AI off for that channel.
- Click "Save".
On all channels
- Go to " Zeus AI > Channels > Overview ".
- Turn off "Enable Zeus".
FAQs & Troubleshooting
What's the difference between Suggestion and Agent mode?
In "Suggestion" mode, Zeus AI only drafts replies and your agent decides what to send. In "Agent" mode, Zeus AI takes control of the ticket and manages it itself, and escalates it to your team when a human is needed.
Can Zeus AI reply to a customer in Suggestion mode?
No. In "Suggestion" mode a reply reaches the customer only when an agent clicks "Send".
What happens when Zeus AI can't resolve a ticket in Agent mode?
Zeus AI escalates the ticket to your team, and a human agent continues the conversation. You can find escalated conversations in Run history.
What does Response Delay do?
It's the number of minutes Zeus AI waits before it replies to the customer in "Agent" mode, from 0 to 60. With 0, Zeus AI replies right away.
Why don't I see the Response Delay field?
"Response Delay" only appears when the channel's mode is "Agent".
Can I use a different mode on each channel?
Yes. Each channel has its own mode, tone, and delay. Changing one channel doesn't affect the others.
Do I have to choose a tone?
No. "Tone" is optional. You can leave it empty and add one later.
Does changing the mode affect replies that were already sent?
No. Zeus AI acts on new customer messages. Replies and drafts created before the change aren't removed or resent.
Why can't I save the channel settings?
Only Admins can turn Zeus AI on and change channel settings. Agents can open these pages but can't save changes.
My agents don't see Zeus AI suggestions
Check that "Enable Zeus" is on, that the channel's mode is "Suggestion", and that the agent has the Agent or Admin role. Suggestions also pause while an agent is typing, and Zeus AI doesn't suggest a reply when it has no confident answer.
Zeus AI isn't taking control of tickets
Check that "Enable Zeus" is on and that the channel's mode is "Agent" (in "Suggestion" mode Zeus AI only drafts replies). Check the "Response Delay", and look in Run history to see whether the conversation was escalated.
Where do I configure Front, Intercom, or Zendesk?
These platforms have their own integration pages and response modes. See Zeus AI Platform Overview .