> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aide.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Aide works in Front

> This is a reference for how Aide behaves once Front is connected: which inboxes it reads, how its drafts stay current, which conversations it answers itself and what it writes back.

This is a reference for how Aide behaves once Front is connected: which inboxes it reads, how its drafts stay current, which conversations it answers itself and what it writes back. Front's page is under **Integrations**. To connect Front and for what each inbox setting does, see [Connect Zendesk, Front or Gorgias](https://docs.aide.app/integrations/connect-helpdesk.md).

## What Aide reads

* **Shared inboxes.** Each shared Front inbox is an inbox in Aide, with its channel: email, chat, SMS or messaging. Private inboxes aren't read. An inbox you add in Front shows up at the next sync, or select **Sync now**. One you remove is switched off in Aide and keeps its settings.
* **Conversations and comments** in those inboxes.
* **Teammates and company tags.** Private tags aren't read.

## Where drafts appear

Under **Where drafts go**, an inbox offers three places:

* **Draft reply in the helpdesk:** a shared Front draft on the conversation, visible to every teammate.
* **Internal note:** the draft is a Front comment. Aide's handoff notes are comments too.
* **In the Aide panel:** the draft sits in the Front sidebar, and the composer plugin puts it at the cursor. See [The Aide panel in Zendesk and Front](https://docs.aide.app/integrations/aide-panel-zendesk-front.md).

## How a shared draft stays current

* When the customer writes again, Aide edits the same draft instead of adding another.
* If a teammate has edited the draft, Aide leaves their version alone.
* If the draft was sent or discarded, the next one is a new draft.

## What Aide answers itself

Once an inbox's rollout is past Watch only and **Send replies** is on, Aide answers email conversations itself, on the channel the customer wrote to, for topics set to AI Agent.

On chat, SMS and messaging inboxes Aide drafts for your team and doesn't send.

For going live step by step, see [Take a helpdesk inbox live in stages](https://docs.aide.app/integrations/rollout-stages.md).

## Custom-channel inboxes

A Front inbox that runs on a custom channel, the kind a connector uses to bring a WhatsApp number or another messaging app into Front, is treated as messaging:

* Aide writes short, plain-text replies, split into up to three messages where that reads better.
* It drafts in the place the inbox is set to. A teammate sends the draft from Front and the connector delivers it.
* Aide doesn't send on its own there.

## After Aide replies

**Set the status to** offers **Workspace setting**, **Leave the status as it is**, **Open**, **Waiting on customer** and **Closed**. Closed archives the conversation, or sets your resolved status if you use Front ticket statuses. Waiting on customer needs Front ticket statuses. Without them the option is unavailable and the settings say "Front ticket statuses are off in this workspace."

## What Aide writes back

* **Tags.** A procedure's tags land on the Front conversation, and a tag Front doesn't have yet is created.
* **Topics as tags.** Turn on **Write topics as tags** to tag each conversation with its topic. Front conversations get topics as tags only, not as a field. See [Topics and how Aide tags conversations](https://docs.aide.app/automation/topics.md).
* **What Aide did.** **Tag what Aide did** adds `aide-drafted`, `aide-replied` or `aide-handoff`.
* **Status and comments.** A procedure's status change and internal notes land on the conversation.
* **Assignment.** Aide can assign a conversation to a Front teammate. Assigning to a team stays in Aide.

Aide doesn't read or fill Front's custom fields. A macro in Aide can carry Front actions; see [Macros for Aide, Zendesk and Front](https://docs.aide.app/automation/macros.md).

## Aide as a Front teammate

On the Front integration page, **Aide as a Front teammate** lets Front assign conversations to Aide like to anyone on your team. Aide then answers the conversations assigned to it and hands back what it shouldn't send, and a teammate can mention Aide in a comment to ask for a draft. This is in beta. See [Add Aide to Front as an AI teammate](https://docs.aide.app/integrations/front-ai-teammate.md).

Without the teammate link, every inbox works as **Aide drafts for your team**: your team keeps every conversation, and Aide drafts and sends only where you allow it.


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