--- title: "Report Concepts" slug: "reporting-concepts" description: "Reporting Concepts are a foundational element of Gladly reports. Read more in Gladly Help Docs." updated: 2026-03-08T19:13:28Z published: 2026-03-08T19:13:28Z --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gladly.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Report Concepts ## **Before You Begin** Many concepts are foundational elements of Gladly's reports. To fully grasp and understand the data in your reports, you must first understand Gladly [Key Concepts.](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts) We suggest that you also take time to get familiar with [Metrics in Detail](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts) and [Metric Attribution](https://help.gladly.com/docs/metric-attribution). ## **About Report Concepts** Report Concepts allow you to understand the definitions behind activities or moments directly related to Customer interactions. For example, knowing the definition of “Accepted” in a Voice report context can help you quickly understand that a report shows you the number/percentage of calls offered and accepted by an Agent(s). Please take time to understand these basic concepts. ## **Conversations** A Conversation is a grouping concept for one or many Contacts between the Customer and a company. Read more about the definition of a Conversation in the [Key Concepts](https://help.gladly.com/docs/key-concepts/#h-conversations). Below are some events that are recorded for Conversations. ### Assigned/Reassigned The moment a [Conversation](https://help.gladly.com/docs/key-concepts/#h-conversations) is assigned or reassigned to an Inbox or Agent. Includes when there's a transfer attempt (to another Agent, a different Inbox, external transfer) or a Conversation or Task is reassigned. Conversations can be reassigned during an active Contact or outside one, but the Conversation cannot be closed. - Applies to Tasks. - An "attempt" is only counted as an assigned event if an Agent/Inbox is selected and Gladly tries to connect. - This does not include conference calls in which the Agent leaves the call, but the Customer and third party continue with the call. ### Created The moment when a [Conversation](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#conversations) is created. This can be done in a variety of ways: - When new or unidentified Customers first contact in. - When Customers initiate Inbound Contacts outside the Conversation reopen window. - When Agents manually choose to start a new Conversation instead of reopening a previous one. ### Closed The moment when a Conversation is closed. Conversations can be closed and reopened 0, 1, or many times. Conversations cannot be closed by Customers but can be closed automatically (through Rules) or manually (through Agent action). ### Reopened The moment when a Conversation is reopened. Conversations can be reopened 0 to many times. This happens in two main ways: - When the Conversation is Closed, Customers initiate a Contact within the [Conversation reopen window](https://help.gladly.com/docs/configure-conversation-reopen-window). - When the Conversation is Closed and an Agent chooses to reopen the Conversation. ### Topic Added and Removed The moment when a Topic in a Conversation is added. **Topic Removed**is the moment when a Topic in a Conversation is removed. ## Contact A [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts) is a grouping concept for a communication exchange that takes place on a [Channel](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#channel). For example, this could be a phone call, an email exchange, or a chat session. Below are some events that are recorded for Contacts. ### Initiator Types The Initiator is the entity that starts the Contact (when it is either Initiated or Queued). Initiators are grouped into the following **Initiator Types**: - **Customer –** The Contact is started by the Customer. - **Agent –** The Contact is started by the Agent. - **Internal or External –** The Contact is started on the Customer's Profile by someone other than the Customer. **Internal** refers to initiators who have an email address from your company. **External** refers to initiators who don't have an email address from your company. - **Application –** The Contact is started via the API. - **System –** The Contact is started by the Gladly system. - **Automation –** The Contact is started by Gladly Rules. ### Initiated **Initiated**, or **Started,** is when an Outbound [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/key-concepts/#h-contacts) is started. - **Outbound** Contacts are initiated when the Agent sends the message or email or when they start an outbound phone call. Contacts are started only once. ### Queued **Queued**, or **Started,** is when a [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts) is placed in an Inbox and is ready to be routed. Below are descriptions of when the first **Queued** moment occurs for various Channels: - **Phone Call –** The moment when the Customer makes a selection in the IVR that puts them in an Inbox. - **Chat –** The moment when the Customer sends their first message. If Chat Onboarding is enabled, the Customer enters their name, email address, and then their first message. If Onboarding is not enabled, the Customer enters their first message without entering their name and email. - **SMS, FB, WhatsApp –** The moment the first message arrives in Gladly. - **Email –** The moment when the email first arrives in Gladly. - **Voicemail –** The moment when a Voicemail message recording is completed and saved to Gladly. Contacts are started only once. ### Offered The moment when a [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts) is offered to an available Agent. Depending on the configuration of Voice and/or Messaging Channels, the Agent will be able to Accept or Decline the offered Contact. In other configurations and for Mail channels, the Agent will be automatically assigned the Contact. Contacts can be offered more than once, for example, when an Agent declines the offer and the Contact is offered to a different Agent. Outbound Contacts are not initially offered (they are instead directly assigned to the Agent who initiated them), though they can be when the Contact is reassigned. ### Accepted When an Agent accepts a [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts) offered to them or is auto-accepted upon offering. ### Declined The moment when an Agent declines an offered Contact. In the case of some Voice and Messaging configurations, when Agents are routed a Contact, they are given the option to accept or decline the Contact. They can also ignore the Contact, which may be considered Missed. ### Missed The moment when an Agent does not accept or decline an offered Contact in the allotted time. In some Voice and Messaging configurations, when Agents are routed a Contact, they have a window to accept or decline the Contact. If they do neither, that is considered “missed.” - For Voice, the window is 60 seconds. - For Chat, the window is 30 seconds. - For SMS, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, the window is 60 seconds. ### Due When a [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts) is targeted to be **fulfilled** to meet the company’s Service Level Agreement (SLA). The due date is set when the Contact is initially **queued** and is determined by the Channel and Inbox SLA settings. Once set, it is not updated. Outbound Contacts do not have a due date (or an SLA). ### Fulfilled The moment when an Inbound[Contact’s](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts) SLA is considered fulfilled. This is generally the first response to the Customer’s action, but it can happen in various other ways. Below are the various ways a **Contact** can be fulfilled. **Contact is fulfilled by a response:** - **Voice –** The moment the Agent accepts the phone call and is connected. - **Messaging –** The moment when the Agent sends their first reply message. - **Email, Voicemail –**The moment when the Agent initiates an outbound Contact on any Channel. - **Note –** Emails sent from the Customer Profile that do not include the Customer as a recipient *do not* fulfill the Contact’s SLA. - If an Agent fulfills the SLA on a Contact or initiates an outbound Contact, any unfulfilled Contacts in that Conversation will also be fulfilled. - In a multichannel Conversation where the last Contact is a phone call, all Contacts previous to the phone call are fulfilled. **Contact is fulfilled by cancelation:** - When an Agent or an automation Rule marks the latest Inbound Message as “No Reply Needed” or closes the Conversation instead of replying, the Contact is considered "canceled." **When are Contacts not fulfilled?** - Auto-reply messages do not fulfill the Contact’s SLA. - Phone calls that are abandoned, forwarded, or where the Customer leaves a voicemail before being connected with an Agent are not considered fulfilled. - Chat, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp messages that automatically end before an Agent can reply are not considered fulfilled. - This window is 24 hours for Chat because most Customers do not leave their chat session open for more than 24 hours. - The WhatsApp window is 24 hours because this service does not permit companies to send outbound messages unless the Customer has contacted them within the past 24 hours. - Outbound Contacts do not have an SLA and will not have a fulfilled event. ### Ended The moment when communication on a [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts) is deemed to have ended. There are multiple ways a Contact can end: - Customer or Agent hangs up the phone. - Agent clicks “end chat.” - Agent marks the latest Inbound Message as “No Reply Needed” or Closes the Conversation. - Customer is unresponsive (for Messaging and Mail Channels) after the Agent has replied for a configurable amount of time. - Agent does not respond before the Contact times out (on Chat, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp). - Customer abandons the phone call by hanging up before connecting with an Agent. - Customer's phone call is forwarded outside Gladly's Voice system. - Customer leaves a voicemail.[](https://help.gladly.com/docs/key-reporting-events#timed-out) ### Answered For outbound Contacts, this is the moment when a Voice Contact connects to a Customer or reaches their voicemail. ### Hold Started and Ended **Hold Started**is the moment when a phone call is placed on hold, and **Hold Ended** is when the Customer is taken off hold. This can happen multiple times throughout a phone call, and each hold segment has a type associated with it, depending on the reason the hold was started. The types include: - Manual (Agent chooses to put the call on hold). - Warm transfer (Agent starts finding another Agent to transfer the call to). - Cold transfer (Agent places the Customer in a queue to be answered by the next available Agent). - Conference (The Agent is conferencing with a third-call participant). ### Joined The moment when an Agent who is not assigned joins the [Contact](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#contacts). - This does not apply to Voice Contacts. - For Messaging and Mail Contacts, the Agent joins by sending their first message on an ongoing Contact. This can be either an unassigned Conversation or when the Conversation is assigned to another Agent. In the former situation, the Agent will also be assigned to the Conversation due to joining, while in the latter situation, the current assignee will not change. ## **Tasks** A [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks) is a work item to help a Customer and is separate from the Conversation. Read more about the definition of a Task in the Key Concepts. Below are some events that are recorded for Tasks. ### Created The moment when a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks) is created. Depending on the Task routing window, not all Tasks are immediately routed upon creation. ### Closed The moment when a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks) is closed. Tasks can be reopened and closed more than once. ### Reopened The moment when a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks) is reopened after having been closed. Tasks can be reopened and closed more than once. ### Assignee Updated The moment when a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks)'s assignee is updated after the Task was **created**. This could be the assigned Inbox, the assigned Agent, or both. ### Comment Added The moment when a Comment is added to a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks). ### Content Updated The moment when a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks)'s content (its description) is updated. Any content change—from fixing a typo to rewriting the purpose of the Task — is considered. ### Due Date Updated The moment when a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks)'s due date is updated. ### Follower Added and Removed The moment a user starts [following](https://help.gladly.com/docs/collaborate-and-comment-on-a-task#follow-a-task) a [Task](https://help.gladly.com/docs/glossary-and-key-concepts#tasks), whether explicitly or automatically. **Follower Removed** is the moment when a user [unfollows](https://help.gladly.com/docs/collaborate-and-comment-on-a-task#unfollow-a-task) a Task. ## Gladly AI (formerly Sidekick) [Gladly AI](/product-docs/docs/what-is-gladly-ai) is a feature that helps Customers help themselves through personalized self-service and AI-assisted communication. > [!WARNING] > “Sidekick” in Gladly AI reports > > Please note that some Gladly AI reports may use “Sidekick”, the former name for Gladly AI, in certain data fields and report names. ### Addressable Conversations Conversations where Gladly AI could be activated. ### Channel-Enabled Conversations Addressable Conversations in the Channels where [Gladly AI](/product-docs/docs/what-is-gladly-ai) is enabled. ### Classified Conversations Conversations that Gladly AI was able to classify and apply a topic to and the Conversation was not skipped by a "before trigger." ### Unassisted Conversations Conversations that were classified but were not assisted because no relevant Thread exists. This will be used to help identify areas of opportunity for brands. ### Assisted Conversations The total number of Conversations in which Gladly AI acted to support the Customer. It includes Resolutions, Auto-Closed Conversations, and Handoffs (” Hero-Assisted Handoffs” + “Insufficient Message Handoffs”). Assisted Conversations are the unit of measurement for Gladly AI billing. The calculation excludes Conversations where Gladly AI engaged with the Customer but did not reply with at least one AI-generated message. ### Hero Assisted Handoff (Agent Assisted Handoff) Assisted Conversations that were deliberately handed off to an Agent in the Thread configuration. ### Unexpected Handoff Assisted Conversations that Gladly AI *suddenly*handed off to an Agent. Unexpected Handoffs occur infrequently and are not counted as billable Gladly AI Assisted Conversations. ### Insufficient Message Handoff Conversations in which Gladly AI began assisting the end Customer but then handed off to an Agent to Resolve the inquiry because the Conversation lacked sufficient information for Gladly AI to complete the steps specified in the Thread. Note that this Conversation outcome only applies to Legacy Threads. ### Resolution Assisted Conversations where Gladly AI completed the steps specified in the Thread without handing off to an Agent. This includes Conversations where Gladly AI started to assist the end Customer and then auto-closed the Conversation after the end Customer stopped responding. Gladly AI will wait for two hours after the end Customer’s last reply before auto-closing a Conversation that the end Customer has abandoned. ### Waiting Conversations Conversations where Gladly AI is waiting for a response from the Customer. A Thread has started, but Gladly AI’s interaction is not complete. ### Long-Waiting Conversations Conversations that have been waiting longer than 24 hours since the start of the first Thread and have not been auto-closed ### No Response Auto-Closed Conversations These are Conversations where Gladly AI started to assist the Customer and then auto-closed the Conversation after the Customer stopped responding. Gladly AI will wait for two hours after the Customer’s last reply before auto-closing a Conversation that the Customer has abandoned.