AI features in Synkra Chat
Everything you need to know about the AI tools built into your conversation inbox, what they do, and how they’re billed.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Synkra Chat puts AI directly inside your support inbox. From any conversation, a single click lets you draft a reply, summarise a long thread, improve your writing, or adjust the tone before sending. The AI is there to save you time, not to replace your judgement. You stay in control of everything that goes out.
This guide covers:
- Every AI action available in the inbox
- How to trigger them
- What consumes AI credits
- How your plan’s allowance works
- What happens when credits run out
- How to buy more
Getting started
Section titled “Getting started”Every AI action lives in the same place: the sparkle icon in the reply box.
Open a conversation, look for the sparkle icon at the top right of the reply editor, and click it. The menu that opens depends on whether you’ve already typed something into the reply box.
- Empty reply box: you’ll see the actions that generate new content.
- Reply box with text: you’ll see the actions that refine what you’ve written.
That’s it. No setup, and no separate AI panel to open.
The AI actions
Section titled “The AI actions”Suggest Reply
Section titled “Suggest Reply”What it does: Reads the conversation so far and drafts a suggested reply you can send to the customer.
When to use it: When you’re starting a reply from scratch and want a head start. Particularly useful on long threads where you want to see what a fresh, informed response might look like.
Where to find it: Sparkle icon → Suggest Reply
The suggested reply appears in your reply box. Edit it however you like before sending. Nothing is sent automatically.
Summarize Conversation
Section titled “Summarize Conversation”What it does: Produces a short, structured summary of the conversation. It includes the customer’s intent, a summary of what was discussed, action items the agent committed to, and any open questions that remain unresolved.
When to use it: When you’re picking up a conversation you weren’t part of, or catching up on a long thread that’s been running for days. It saves you from scrolling through fifty messages to work out what’s going on.
Where to find it: Sparkle icon → Summarize conversation
Good to know: Action items are pulled from what was actually committed to in the conversation. Suggestions made but not agreed to are not included, so your action list only reflects real promises.
Improve Reply
Section titled “Improve Reply”What it does: Takes what you’ve typed and rewrites it for clarity and flow, keeping your meaning intact.
When to use it: When you’ve written a reply that gets the point across but reads awkwardly, or when you want a second pass on wording without changing the substance.
Where to find it: Type something in the reply box first, then sparkle icon → Improve Reply
Important: This action only appears when there’s already text in the reply box. There’s nothing to improve on an empty draft.
Change Tone
Section titled “Change Tone”What it does: Rewrites your draft in a different tone while keeping the meaning. Five tones are available:
- Professional: polished and businesslike
- Casual: relaxed and conversational
- Straightforward: direct and to the point
- Confident: assured and clear
- Friendly: warm and personable
When to use it: When your natural writing style doesn’t quite match the customer or the situation. A refund complaint and a feature request might both need the same information, but delivered in very different ways.
Where to find it: Type something in the reply box first, then sparkle icon → Change Tone → pick a tone from the submenu.
Fix Spelling & Grammar
Section titled “Fix Spelling & Grammar”What it does: Corrects spelling mistakes, grammar, and punctuation in your draft. It does not change the meaning or rewrite sentences. It only fixes what’s wrong.
When to use it: When you’ve written your reply quickly and want to send a clean version without reading it over twice.
Where to find it: Type something in the reply box first, then sparkle icon → Fix spelling & grammar
Important: Like the other two rewrite actions, this only appears when the reply box has text in it.
Suggest Labels
Section titled “Suggest Labels”What it does: Reads the conversation and suggests labels that fit. Useful for routing, reporting, and keeping your inbox organised without manual tagging.
Where to find it: Available from the conversation actions menu.
Follow Up Suggestion
Section titled “Follow Up Suggestion”What it does: Proposes a natural next message for the customer, based on where the conversation left off. Helpful for reopening conversations that have gone quiet, or checking in on a resolution.
Where to find it: Available from the conversation actions menu.
AI credits
Section titled “AI credits”Synkra Chat uses a simple credit system so you always know what you’re using and what you’re spending.
What consumes a credit
Section titled “What consumes a credit”One AI credit is consumed each time an AI action successfully completes. That’s the whole rule.
Every action in the sparkle menu, and every AI action in the conversation actions menu, counts as one AI operation when successful. The length of the conversation doesn’t matter: summarising a conversation with 200 messages costs the same as summarising one with five.
You are never charged for:
- AI actions that fail or time out
- Requests you cancel before they finish
- Any internal Synkra feature that uses AI behind the scenes
If it doesn’t produce a result, it doesn’t cost you anything.
What’s included with each plan
Section titled “What’s included with each plan”Each paid plan includes a monthly AI operations allowance that resets at the start of each billing period. AI credits in the inbox are the same as AI operations on your plan and billing pages. Here is what each plan includes:
| Plan | AI actions per month |
|---|---|
| Free | 0 |
| Starter | 1,000 |
| Business | 1,750 |
| Pro | 1,750 |
Free plan: Free accounts don’t include AI credits. To use the AI features, either upgrade to a paid plan or buy AI credits from Settings → Billing → AI Credits (see below).
When you run out
Section titled “When you run out”When your allowance is used up, the AI stops. Clicking the sparkle icon returns a clear message: “You’ve run out of AI credits. Buy more from the billing section, or wait until your next billing cycle.” Nothing is charged and no request is made. Your conversation continues working normally, you just answer manually.
You’ll get a heads up before this happens. Notifications appear inside the app when you cross 70%, 90%, and 100% of your monthly allowance, so you can buy more before you run out.
Buying more credits
Section titled “Buying more credits”You can buy AI credits at any time from Settings → Billing → AI Credits. Click the buy button and you’ll be taken to Paystack to complete your payment. Extra credits you buy:
- Never expire
- Are used only after your included monthly allowance runs out
- Apply immediately, with no waiting for the next billing cycle
AI credits and automatic replies
Section titled “AI credits and automatic replies”Synkra Chat doesn’t send AI replies on its own. Every AI action is something your team triggers from the inbox, and every result is a suggestion for you to review and send. Automatic replies aren’t available yet.
All AI actions use the same credits and the same monthly allowance, whoever on your team triggers them. To set up the business information behind the AI’s suggestions, see Synkra AI Agent.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Do I need to click anything to activate AI?
Section titled “Do I need to click anything to activate AI?”No. The AI features are available in every conversation as soon as your account has AI credits, either from a paid plan or from credits you’ve bought.
Does the AI send replies on its own?
Section titled “Does the AI send replies on its own?”No. Nothing the AI produces is sent automatically. Every suggestion appears in your reply box for you to review, edit, and send. You always have the final word.
Can I use AI on every conversation?
Section titled “Can I use AI on every conversation?”Yes, as long as you have credits remaining in your monthly allowance.
What happens to my unused credits at the end of the month?
Section titled “What happens to my unused credits at the end of the month?”Included allowances reset at the start of each billing period. They don’t roll over. Extra credits you’ve purchased do roll over and never expire.
Are AI credits shared across my team?
Section titled “Are AI credits shared across my team?”Yes. Credits are measured at the account level, not per agent. Every member of your team draws from the same pool.
Does a longer conversation cost more credits?
Section titled “Does a longer conversation cost more credits?”No. Every AI action costs one credit, regardless of how long the conversation is.
Can I turn AI off for specific agents?
Section titled “Can I turn AI off for specific agents?”AI features are available to everyone with access to the inbox. If you’d like to restrict AI features for particular roles, contact us at hello@synkra.co.za or through the chat widget on synkra.co.za.
I upgraded my plan part way through the month. When does the new allowance apply?
Section titled “I upgraded my plan part way through the month. When does the new allowance apply?”Immediately. Upgrades take effect the moment they’re processed.
I downgraded my plan. When does the new allowance apply?
Section titled “I downgraded my plan. When does the new allowance apply?”At the end of your current billing period. You keep your current plan’s features until then.
What happens if the AI gives a bad suggestion?
Section titled “What happens if the AI gives a bad suggestion?”Edit it or ignore it. Nothing is sent until you send it. If the AI suggests something that’s incorrect or that doesn’t fit your business, treat it as a first draft, not a finished answer.
