If you’re drowning in customer chats and can’t keep track of what’s urgent, what’s a bug, and what’s just another password reset, you’re not alone. Whether you manage a support team or handle chats solo, you need a simple way to cut through the noise. This guide dives into how to use tags in LiveChat to make sense of the chaos—without turning your inbox into a junk drawer of half-baked labels.
Here’s how to actually use LiveChat tags to organize and prioritize customer requests, skip the fluff, and finally get your support queue under control.
What Are LiveChat Tags, Really?
Tags in LiveChat are just labels you stick onto chats. You can use them to mark chats as “bug,” “VIP,” “refund,” or whatever makes sense for your workflow. The trick is using tags consistently and not letting them spiral into a mess of overlapping, redundant, or forgotten labels.
Done right, tags help you:
- Sort and filter chats by topic or urgency
- Quickly spot high-priority issues
- Pull reports on trends (like, “How many refund requests did we get last month?”)
- Speed up follow-ups and hand-offs between agents
Done wrong, and you’ve got a tagging graveyard no one actually uses.
Step 1: Decide What You Actually Need to Track
Before you start slapping tags on everything, pause. Ask yourself: “What am I trying to organize or prioritize?” Don’t just tag for the sake of tagging.
Start with these questions:
- What types of requests do we get most often?
- Which requests need a different workflow (like escalation or a callback)?
- What do I wish I could filter by when reviewing past chats?
Common useful tags:
- Product areas: “shipping,” “billing,” “features”
- Request types: “bug,” “feature-request,” “refund,” “setup-help”
- Customer status: “VIP,” “trial,” “partner”
- Urgency: “urgent,” “follow-up,” “escalate”
Pro tip:
If you have to scroll to see all your tags, you probably have too many. Stick to what matters.
Step 2: Create and Manage Tags in LiveChat
Actually creating tags in LiveChat is straightforward, but you want to stay organized from the start.
To create a tag:
- During any chat, just type the tag you want into the tag box and hit enter. It’ll be saved for next time.
- To manage (rename, delete, or merge) tags, head to the “Tags” section in your LiveChat settings.
Tips for managing tags:
- Use consistent naming (all lowercase, no weird abbreviations)
- Avoid duplicates (“refund” and “refunds” shouldn’t both exist)
- Clean up unused tags every month or so (otherwise, you’ll end up with “test123” and “misc” for eternity)
What to ignore:
Don’t waste time making tags for every tiny detail (“blue widget question from Canada”). If you’re the only one using a tag, and only once, skip it.
Step 3: Tag Chats—But Don’t Overdo It
It’s tempting to tag every chat with three or four things. Resist. The best tags are quick to apply and mean something to you later.
How to tag efficiently:
- Tag chats as soon as you spot the main issue (don’t wait until after the convo ends)
- Use a max of 1–2 tags per chat, unless there’s a really good reason
- If a chat doesn’t fit any tag, leave it blank—forcing a tag just creates clutter
Pro tip:
Train your team (or yourself) to use the same tags for the same situations. Consistency is what makes filtering and reporting work. If one person uses “refund” and someone else uses “money-back,” you’ll never get clean reports.
Step 4: Use Tags to Prioritize and Take Action
This is where tagging pays off. With solid tags, you can zero in on what needs attention—fast.
Ways to use tags for prioritization:
- Filter your inbox: Show only chats tagged “urgent” or “escalate” so nothing mission-critical falls through the cracks.
- Assign or route chats: Agents can grab chats tagged “setup-help” if that’s their specialty.
- Follow up: Filter for “follow-up” or “pending-info” so you don’t forget to check back in with a customer.
- Spot trends: Pull reports on tags like “bug” or “refund” to see what’s spiking and head off bigger issues.
What doesn’t work:
If you tag everything as “urgent” or “bug,” those tags lose meaning. Be honest about what’s truly a priority.
Step 5: Automate Tagging (But Don’t Trust Robots Blindly)
LiveChat lets you set up rules to auto-tag chats based on keywords or chat sources. This helps, but keep an eye on what’s actually getting tagged.
How to automate:
- In LiveChat, set up automation rules like:
“If chat contains ‘cancel’ or ‘unsubscribe’, add ‘cancellation’ tag.” - Review auto-tagged chats now and then. Make sure the rules aren’t misfiring and cluttering your tags with junk.
Pro tip:
Automation is great, but it’s not perfect. Some customers don’t use the words you expect (someone might say “stop my subscription” instead of “cancel”). Be ready to tweak your rules.
Step 6: Review and Clean Up Tags Regularly
Even the best tagging system gets messy over time. Once a month (or quarter), take a few minutes to audit your tags.
What to look for:
- Tags no one uses anymore—delete them
- Tags that mean the same thing—merge or pick one
- Tags that are too vague (“misc”)—replace with something actionable or get rid of them
Don’t:
Leave your tags on autopilot. It’s easier to clean as you go than to untangle a mountain of useless labels later.
Step 7: Use Tags for Reporting (But Don’t Chase Vanity Metrics)
Tags can help you pull real insights: How many refund requests did we handle last month? Are bug reports rising? But beware of counting just for the sake of counting.
How to get actual value from reports:
- Run tag-based reports to spot patterns and recurring issues
- Share only the numbers that lead to action (if “feature-requests” spike, prioritize them)
- Don’t drown in data; focus on what helps you improve your workflow or product
Skip this:
Don’t create reports just to tick a box for your boss or look busy. Only track what you’ll actually use.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Here’s the honest truth: Tags are only as useful as you make them. Start with a few that matter, teach your team (or yourself) to use them the same way every time, and don’t let your tag list snowball. Review and clean up regularly, and don’t be afraid to ditch what isn’t working.
Stay skeptical of any advice that makes tagging sound like the answer to all your support problems. It’s a tool, not magic. Use it to make your life easier, not more complicated.
Ready to get started? Pick three tags that’ll make your day-to-day better and build from there. That’s all you really need.