Overview
Proactive support messages (or proactive support plus) reach customers at the right moment with the right help — reducing inbound tickets while improving satisfaction. This guide covers how to set up and optimize proactive messages in Intercom.
What you'll learn:
Available message types and when to use them
How to create and target proactive messages
Best practices for content and timing
How to measure and improve performance
Message Types
Intercom offers several proactive message formats. Choose based on your goal:
Type | Best For | Visibility |
Banner | Site-wide announcements, known issues, urgent alerts | Persistent strip at top of page |
Post | Feature education, tips, promotional content | Pop-up that can be dismissed |
Chat | Personalized outreach, offers, targeted help | Opens as conversation in Messenger |
Tooltip | Contextual hints on specific UI elements | Appears on hover or page load |
Product Tour | Onboarding, feature walkthroughs | Step-by-step guided experience |
Checklist | Onboarding tasks, setup completion | Persistent task list in Messenger |
Mobile Carousel | In-app mobile engagement | Swipeable cards |
Survey | Feedback collection | Pop-up or in-Messenger form |
Note: Product Tours, Surveys, Mobile Carousels, and Checklists require the Proactive Support Plus add-on. Read the Proactive Support Plus Features & Pricing to learn more.
Creating Your First Proactive Message
Step 1: Navigate to Outbound
Go to Outbound in the main menu. Click New message and select your message type.
Step 2: Design Your Message
For Banners:
Write concise copy (banners expand with more text, but shorter is better)
Choose a style: informational, warning, or success
Add a link or button if action is needed
Decide if it's dismissible or persistent
For Posts:
Add a clear headline
Keep body text scannable — use short paragraphs
Include a CTA button linking to help content, a feature, or a conversation
Add images or GIFs if helpful
For Chats:
Write as you would naturally speak
Personalize with attributes (e.g., "Hi {{first_name}}")
Ask a question to prompt engagement
Keep it short — save details for the conversation
Step 3: Set Your Audience
Target the right people using audience rules:
Common targeting options:
Rule | Example Use |
User role / segment | "Plan equals Premium" |
Behavior | "Last seen less than 7 days ago" |
Page URL | "Current URL contains /pricing" |
Event | "Completed signup less than 3 days ago" |
Custom attribute | "Industry equals Healthcare" |
Tips:
Start narrow, then broaden if needed
Use "AND" conditions to get specific
Preview your audience size before launching
Step 4: Set Timing & Frequency
When to show:
Immediately when rules match
After a delay (e.g., 30 seconds on page)
At a specific time
Frequency:
Once ever
Once per session
Multiple times (use sparingly)
Recommendation: For most proactive messages, "once ever" or "once per session" prevents annoyance.
Step 5: Preview and Launch
Use Preview to see how the message looks
Test on different devices if relevant
Set the message Live when ready
High-Impact Proactive Message Templates
Known Issue Alert (Banner)
When: You're aware of an issue affecting users
Copy:
⚠️ We're experiencing delays with payment processing. Our team is on it — see status updates.
Audience: Users who have made a purchase in the last 30 days
Timing: Immediately, non-dismissible until resolved
New User Welcome (Post)
When: Someone signs up for the first time
Copy:
Welcome to [Product]! 👋
Here are 3 things to do first:
Complete your profile
Connect your first integration
Invite your team
[Get started →]
Audience: Signed up less than 1 day ago
Timing: On second login (give them a moment to explore first)
Feature Tip (Tooltip)
When: Users aren't discovering a valuable feature
Copy:
💡 Pro tip: Click here to export your data to CSV anytime.
Audience: Users who have never exported
Timing: After 5 seconds on the reports page
Stuck User Outreach (Chat)
When: Someone seems stuck in a workflow
Copy:
Hey {{first_name}} — I noticed you've been on the setup page for a while. Anything I can help with?
Audience: On /setup page for more than 3 minutes, hasn't completed setup
Timing: After 3 minutes
Trial Ending Reminder (Post)
When: Free trial is about to expire
Copy:
Your trial ends in 3 days
Don't lose access to [key feature]. Upgrade now and keep your data.
[View plans →]
Audience: Trial users, trial ends in less than 4 days
Timing: On login
Connecting Proactive Messages to Fin
Make your proactive messages smarter by connecting them to Fin:
Let Fin Handle Replies
When users respond to a proactive Post or Chat, Fin can take over:
Create your proactive message
Ensure Fin is enabled for inbound conversations
Fin will automatically handle follow-up questions
Trigger Fin Procedures
For complex workflows, use proactive messages to initiate Fin Procedures:
Example: A Banner alerts users to a billing issue. When they click "Fix this," Fin starts a payment troubleshooting Procedure that can verify identity, check payment method, and initiate a retry — all without human involvement.
Measuring Performance
Key Metrics
Metric | Where to Find | What It Tells You |
Views | Outbound → Message → Stats | How many people saw it |
Clicks | Outbound → Message → Stats | Engagement rate |
Replies | Outbound → Message → Stats | Conversation starters |
Goal completions | Outbound → Message → Stats | Did they take the action? |
Conversation reduction | Inbox → Reports → Topics | Did it prevent tickets? |
Analyzing Impact
Compare inbound volume for related topics before/after launching the message
Check Conversation Topics — are people still asking about the issue?
Review CSAT for conversations that started from proactive messages
Iterating
Low views? Check audience targeting — may be too narrow
Low clicks? Improve copy or CTA — make the value clearer
High dismissals? May be too intrusive — try a different format or timing
No impact on tickets? Content may not be addressing the real question
Best Practices
Do ✅
Be helpful, not salesy — proactive support builds trust
Personalize — use attributes to make messages relevant
Time it right — don't interrupt critical workflows
Test on mobile — ensure messages work across devices
Link to help content — give customers a path to self-serve
Review regularly — pause outdated messages
Don't ❌
Over-message — too many proactive messages train users to ignore them
Use vague CTAs — "Click here" tells them nothing; "See troubleshooting steps" is better
Forget to pause — known issue banners should come down when resolved
Target too broadly — a message for everyone is relevant to no one
Set and forget — content gets stale; review monthly
Troubleshooting
Message not showing?
Check audience rules — does the user match?
Verify the message is set to Live
Check frequency settings — may have already been shown
Look for conflicting messages (only one banner shows at a time)
Showing to wrong users?
Review targeting rules
Check for conflicting "AND" / "OR" logic
Preview audience before relaunching
Banner priority issues?
Banners show in order of when they were set live
Non-dismissible banners block subsequent banners
Pause older banners to let new ones through
Learn More
For a deeper dive into proactive support strategy, read our blog post:
Need Help?
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +41 79 741 86 13
Want us to set up your proactive support system? Ask about our Support Automation Blueprint.