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November 19, 2025
Send Emails Outside of a Conversation via API
You can now send emails to Customers outside of an active Conversation using the Gladly REST API.
This allows your team to send things like CSAT surveys, status updates, and other outbound messages directly by email, without starting or reopening a Conversation thread in Gladly.
[Coming Soon] New “Customer Abandoned Contact” Column in Contact Export
We’re adding a new ‘Customer Abandoned Contact’ column to the end of the Contact Export report. This yes/no field indicates whether a Customer abandoned the Contact and applies to all Channels where abandonment is tracked—currently Phone Calls, and soon Gladly Chats.
Note: This update could introduce a breaking change for integrations that don’t allow additional columns to be appended to the end of the report.
Look for this enhancement in release notes following the Thanksgiving holiday
[Coming Soon] Automatic Topic Assignment for Sidekick Guides
In December, Sidekick will automatically apply your key contact reasons as Topics for Conversations where more specific Topics haven’t been applied within a Guide. This will help keep Topics consistent between automated and Hero-led Conversations, once you teach Sidekick your priority Topics and what they mean.
As a reminder, you can already manually apply existing Topics directly within a Guide. This lets teams:
Gain visibility into Customer contact reasons, and
Trigger automation workflows (like routing to an Inbox) for Conversations handled by Sidekick.
Learn more about best practices and key use cases for applying Topics within a Guide.
[Action Required] Update IVR Holiday Schedule
It’s time to review your Gladly IVR for the holidays.
Please confirm that your Schedule node (typically named “Holiday Check”) is using the correct year and dates so your IVR routes calls properly during holiday hours.
Watch this quick overview video to see how to verify and update your IVR holiday settings.
A Better Answer Guide Experience is on the Way
Sidekick’s getting smarter. Over the next few weeks, your current Answers Guide will evolve into the new Questions and Recommendations Guide–same foundation, just more impactful and precise.
You’ll soon be able to point Sidekick to trusted websites so it can pull up-to-date information about your products, company policies, store hours, locations, and other key details, all straight from your brand’s own sources.
No setup needed, no downtime—just a smoother experience built for better answers.
Note: Your previous Answers Guide will remain available under the ‘Inactive’ tab within Sidekick Guides for reference.
Sidekick Assists by Classification Topic Report Moved to Sunsetting
The Sidekick Assist by Classification Topic report has been moved to the Sunsetting category. While it will remain available until December 8, 2025, it’s being phased out in favor of newer Sidekick out-of-the-box reports and dashboards that better reflect current definitions and metrics.
To prepare, we recommend using reports listed below as replacements for the insights your team may currently rely on from this report.
Conversation Export — now enhanced with six new Sidekick fields for deeper insight
No Release Update Week of November 24
Please be advised that there will be no release update or email during the week of November 24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Gladly Support Holiday Hours
Please note Gladly Support’s holiday schedule. SLAs for P1 and P2s remain the same For Thanksgiving, we’ll have reduced staffing on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28. For the Christmas and New Year holidays, we’ll have reduced staffing from Wednesday, December 24 through Thursday, January 1.
For steps to follow during an unexpected platform issue, review our incident response guide.
RESOURCE
New On-Demand Learning Library
We’ve launched an on-demand learning library to help you get the most out of Sidekick. Access in-depth walkthroughs for setting up and fine-tuning key Guide use cases and Sidekick configurations—anytime, at your own pace.
RESOURCE
Final Checks Before the Holiday Rush
With Thanksgiving and Black Friday just days away, now is the time to finalize configurations before volume spikes. If you missed our Holiday Preparedness Classroom Session, the on-demand replay covers the key best practices, configuration checks, and Sidekick adjustments that keep service running smoothly.
You can also review the Holiday Preparation Checklist for a quick rundown of the settings, content updates, and operating-hour changes to confirm before traffic surges. Together, these resources will help your team stay confident and prepared through the busiest weeks of the year.
RESOURCE
Harness AI to Transform Your eCommerce Support
Watch Gladly’s on-demand webinar to see how modern ecommerce brands are using AI (with Loop, Simplesat, and Assembled) to streamline support, staffing, returns, and customer feedback. You'll discover how unified data + AI unlock more efficient workflows, more personal CX, and even measurable ROI.
EVENT
Join Gladly at NRF 2026
Visit us in New York City January 11–13 during NRF 2026 to see how Sidekick Sales helps retail teams turn everyday customer conversations into revenue. Learn how leading brands are using AI to increase order value, surface upsell opportunities, and prove ROI in real time..
EVENT
Be Ready for What’s Next in CX
Customer expectations aren’t slowing down, and the brands preparing for 2026 are the ones building their foundations now. At Gladly Connect Live 2026 this May in Atlanta, you’ll hear how leaders are adapting to this rapid shift and setting up the systems and AI capabilities that help them stay ahead. You’ll leave with practical strategies, real benchmarks, and a clear sense of where to focus next.
RESOURCE
Gladly Referral Promotion
Love using Gladly? Now’s your chance to share the experience with others in your professional network. Submit your B2C or e-commerce referral to receive up to $2,000! Visit the Refer-A-Friend program to learn how.
REVIEWS
You're In Good Company
Love using Gladly? Share your experience on G2 Crowd to help others discover how Gladly empowers better customer connections.
REVIEWS
Using Gladly with your Shopify store?
Using Gladly with your Shopify store? We'd love your feedback there too! Leave us a review on the Shopify App Store and help other merchants discover how Gladly creates seamless, revenue-driving conversations.
November 12, 2025
Manager Controls for Agent Availability
Admins and Team Managers are now able to remotely set an Agent’s status to Away or log them out of Gladly.
This enhancement allows for greater control over Agent status, helping prevent situations where an Agent forgets to update their status before stepping away from Gladly or remains logged in after their shift ends.
Better Turn-Taking Detection on Voice
We’ve rolled out the first major upgrade in the next phase of Sidekick Voice, delivering a smoother and more natural conversation flow with:
More accurate turn-taking: Sidekick recognizes when Customers are truly done speaking, eliminating awkward interruptions or long pauses.
Smarter speech handling: Better recognition of filler words like “um” or “uhh” for a more human, conversational experience.
This update marks an exciting step toward a warmer, more natural Voice experience for Customers.
Fewer, More Relevant Suggested Answers in Journeys
We’ve refined the algorithm behind Suggested Answers to show fewer, and more relevant recommendations. Sidekick now filters out items that overlap with content already represented in Public Answers, so managers only see unique, high-value updates.
Expect up to 80% fewer suggestions to review each week, freeing teams to focus on what actually needs attention.
Estimated Wait Time Metrics Available Across Reports
To complement the recently released “Estimated Wait Time” Rule, we’ve added estimated wait time to Contact-level reports and Insight Builder.
With this enhancement, managers can compare the “Estimated Wait Time” at the time that the Customer entered the queue to the actual time that they had to wait to speak to an Agent. Specifically, we have added average Estimated Wai Time to:
Contact Export Report: Includes Estimated Wait Time for each Contact.
Contact Summary Report: Includes average Estimated Wait Time.
Insight Builder: Gain deeper visibility with new metrics—total, average, and median estimated wait time—to help you better analyze Customer wait experiences.
These additions give your team more flexibility and insight into Customer wait trends across your reporting suite.
Sidekick Now Supports Rich Content in Chat
This Sidekick update brings rich, visual content directly into Chat, making product discovery effortless. Shoppers can now browse expert recommendations complete with images and navigate to product pages seamlessly — moving beyond text-only interactions to a more engaging, actionable experience.
Why It Matters:
Boosts engagement with visual storytelling.
Connects inspiration to action, helping drive revenue.
Creates a smoother, more enjoyable shopping experience.
Loop Subscriptions App Now Available on the App Platform
A new Loop subscriptions app is now available on the App Platform. A new Loop subscriptions app is now available on the App Platform. By connecting Loop to Gladly, key subscription details are automatically retrieved and made available to both Agents and Sidekick. This provides Agents the context they need to deliver more personalized, efficient service, and equips Sidekick with the information required to resolve Conversations without Agent involvement.
Why it matters:
Enables both Agents and Sidekick to access subscription details directly.
Speeds up resolution of subscription-related inquiries.
Improves overall response times and customer experience.
New Conversation Workflow Field for Agent Assignment
We’ve added a new field on the Conversation Workflow page that lets you specify the Agent to assign when Sidekick resolves a Conversation without handing off.
This is necessary for CSAT integrations that require an agent ID, ensuring accurate reporting and measurement even when Sidekick handles the Conversation independently.
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[Coming Soon] Automatic Topic Assignment for Questions & Recommendations Guide
Soon, Sidekick will automatically apply your key contact reasons as Topics for Conversations where more specific Topics haven't been applied within a Guide (see below for more details). This enhancement will help ensure greater consistency between automated and Hero-led Conversations, once you teach Sidekick your priority Topics and what they mean.
As a reminder, you can now manually apply existing Topics directly within a Guide. This allows teams to gain visibility into Customer contact reasons and trigger automation workflows—like routing to an Inbox—for Conversations handled by Sidekick.
Learn more about best practices and key use cases for applying Topics within a Guide.
[Action Required] Update IVR Holiday Schedule
It’s time to update your Gladly IVR and confirm the Schedule node (typically named “Holiday Check”) displays the correct year to ensure your IVR handles calls correctly during your holiday hours. Watch this quick overview video to learn how.
A Better Answer Guide Experience is on the Way
Sidekick’s getting smarter. Over the next few weeks, your current Answers Guide will evolve into the new Questions and Recommendations Guide–same foundation, just more impactful and precise.
You’ll soon be able to point Sidekick to trusted websites so it can pull up-to-date information about your products, company policies, store hours, locations, and other key details, all straight from your brand’s own sources.
No setup needed, no downtime—just a smoother experience built for better answers.
Note: Your previous Answers Guide will remain available under the ‘Inactive’ tab within Sidekick Guides for reference.
Sidekick Assists by Classification Topic Report Moved to Sunsetting
The Sidekick Assist by Classification Topic report has been moved to the Sunsetting category. While it will remain available until December 8, 2025, it’s being phased out in favor of newer Sidekick out-of-the-box reports and dashboards that better reflect current definitions and metrics.
To prepare, we recommend using reports listed below as replacements for the insights your team may currently rely on from this report.
Conversation Export — now enhanced with six new Sidekick fields for deeper insight
No Release Update Week of November 24
Please be advised that there will be no release update or email during the week of November 24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Gladly Support Holiday Hours
Please note Gladly Support’s holiday schedule. SLAs for P1 and P2s remain the same For Thanksgiving, we’ll have reduced staffing on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28. For the Christmas and New Year holidays, we’ll have reduced staffing from Wednesday, December 24 through Thursday, January 1.
RESOURCE
Get Holiday-Ready with Gladly
Peak season is right around the corner—make sure your Gladly instance is ready to shine!
If you missed last week’s Holiday Preparedness Classroom Session, you can tune in on-demand to explore best practices, configuration tips, and Sidekick adjustments that help your team deliver seamless service during high demand.
You’ll learn how to review Inbox settings and Rules, get tips on what type of Content to review, and much more. Plus, get expert recommendations to keep your team confident and prepared all season long.
RESOURCE
Holiday Preparation Checklist
Get ready for peak season with Gladly’s holiday readiness checklist, designed to help you deliver exceptional support and a seamless customer experience during your busiest time of year.
This guide walks through key steps to optimize workflows, adjust operating hours, automate greetings, manage phone closures, and scale resources to meet higher demand. It also includes important considerations to ensure both Sidekick and the App Platform are fully prepared to handle increased activity.
By following Gladly’s recommended adjustments, your team can maintain smooth operations, manage high volumes effectively, and continue providing fast, reliable, and personalized service throughout the holiday season.
EVENT
Join us May 4–6 in Atlanta, GA, for Gladly Connect Live 2026!
Hear from CX innovators who are leading the next era of service - brands like StockX, Tecovas, Kuhl, and Framebridge - as they share how they’re blending technology and empathy to create customer experiences built for the future.
RESOURCE
Gladly Referral Promotion
Love using Gladly? Now’s your chance to share the experience with others in your professional network. Submit your B2C or e-commerce referral to receive up to $2,000! Visit the Refer-A-Friend program to learn how.
REVIEWS
You're In Good Company
Love using Gladly? Share your experience on G2 Crowd to help others discover how Gladly empowers better customer connections.
REVIEWS
Using Gladly with your Shopify store?
Using Gladly with your Shopify store? We'd love your feedback there too! Leave us a review on the Shopify App Store and help other merchants discover how Gladly creates seamless, revenue-driving conversations.
November 5, 2025
Enhanced Custom Role Permissions for Finer-Tuned Access
We’ve made Custom Roles even more flexible. The old “Manage Conversations” permission has been split into four separate options, so you can now control exactly what each role can see or do in Gladly.
The new permissions are:
Listen to Voice Recordings
Read Conversations
Manage Conversations
Send Messages and Take Calls
This change makes it easier to match permissions to how teams actually work, like giving QA teams read-only access or allowing managers to review calls without making edits.
With Custom Role’s updates, you can fine-tune access across your team, keeping Gladly secure, organized, and easy to manage.
New Shopify RFM and Predicted Spend Insights in Customer Profiles
You can now include Shopify RFM Groups and Predicted Spend Tiers directly in the Customer Profile—helping your team recognize loyal, at-risk, or high-value customers instantly.
These insights make it easy to personalize routing, prioritize VIPs, and tailor experiences that drive long-term loyalty.
RFM Groups include segments like Champions, Loyal, At Risk, and Dormant, while Predicted Spend Tier indicates expected future value (High, Medium, Low). Both fields are now available as custom attributes for routing and reporting.
Contact Gladly Support for assistance adding these custom attributes to the Customer Profile.
[Coming Soon] Manager Controls for Agent Availability
Soon, Admins and Team Managers will be able to remotely set an Agent’s status to Away or log them out of Gladly.
This enhancement allows for greater control over Agent status, helping prevent situations where an Agent forgets to update their status before stepping away from Gladly or remains logged in after their shift ends.
A Better Answer Guide Experience is on the Way
Sidekick’s getting smarter. Over the next few weeks, your current Answers Guide will evolve into the new Questions and Recommendations Guide–same foundation, just more impactful and precise.
You’ll soon be able to point Sidekick to trusted websites so it can pull up-to-date information about your products, company policies, store hours, locations, and other key details, all straight from your brand’s own sources.
No setup needed, no downtime—just a smoother experience built for better answers.
Note: Your previous Answers Guide will remain available under the ‘Inactive’ tab within Sidekick Guides for reference.
Sidekick Assists by Classification Topic Report Moved to Sunsetting
The Sidekick Assist by Classification Topic report has been moved to the Sunsetting category. While it will remain available until December 8, 2025, it’s being phased out in favor of newer Sidekick out-of-the-box reports and dashboards that better reflect current definitions and metrics.
To prepare, we recommend using reports listed below as replacements for the insights your team may currently rely on from this report.
Conversation Export — now enhanced with six new Sidekick fields for deeper insight
Closed Tasks Stay Closed When Updated via API
Fixed – Updating a Task via the API will no longer reopen closed Tasks. Once closed, it stays that way.
RESOURCE
Maximize Performance with Sidekick Reporting Tools
Gain deeper visibility into Sidekick’s performance with a walkthrough of the Sidekick Dashboard, Journeys, and other key reports in our on-demand Classroom Session. Learn how to track metrics like resolutions and assists, interpret data trends, and apply recommended workflows to keep Sidekick performing at its best.
RESOURCE
Holiday Preparation Checklist
Get ready for peak season with Gladly’s holiday readiness checklist, designed to help you deliver exceptional support and a seamless customer experience during your busiest time of year.
This guide walks through key steps to optimize workflows, adjust operating hours, automate greetings, manage phone closures, and scale resources to meet higher demand. It also includes important considerations to ensure both Sidekick and the App Platform are fully prepared to handle increased activity.
By following Gladly’s recommended adjustments, your team can maintain smooth operations, manage high volumes effectively, and continue providing fast, reliable, and personalized service throughout the holiday season.
EVENT
Join us May 4–6 in Atlanta, GA, for Gladly Connect Live 2026!
Hear from CX innovators who are leading the next era of service - brands like StockX, Tecovas, Kuhl, and Framebridge - as they share how they’re blending technology and empathy to create customer experiences built for the future.
RESOURCE
Gladly Referral Promotion
Love using Gladly? Now’s your chance to share the experience with others in your professional network. Submit your B2C or e-commerce referral to receive up to $2,000! Visit the Refer-A-Friend program to learn how.
REVIEWS
You're In Good Company
Love using Gladly? Share your experience on G2 Crowd to help others discover how Gladly empowers better customer connections.
REVIEWS
Using Gladly with your Shopify store?
Using Gladly with your Shopify store? We'd love your feedback there too! Leave us a review on the Shopify App Store and help other merchants discover how Gladly creates seamless, revenue-driving conversations.
.svg?sv=2022-11-02&spr=https&st=2025-12-02T10%3A46%3A40Z&se=2025-12-02T11%3A11%3A40Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=cnvdmeGFubP%2FY1%2Ft388OXBUJwf2dqdu4nNe9o0aBiYU%3D)
on the top-left corner, then click Contact Gladly Support. Gladly Support's primary operating hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM Pacific Time, but you can submit a request anytime.