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Every team works differently. Some want a chat to keep showing as pending until the responsible person handles it; others prefer the “unread” mark to clear as soon as someone —or the AI agent— replies. Now each company defines its own policy for when a chat counts as seen.
These options are only visible to company administrators, and they are a per-company setting: if you manage several companies, each one has its own. Every option saves itself when you select it (there is no “Save” button).

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Where to configure it

1

Open Settings

In the left menu, at the very bottom, click Settings (the gear ⚙️).
Open Settings from the side menu
2

Go to Team → Assignment tab

Inside Settings, open the Team section and, at the top, choose the Assignment tab. Below you’ll find two new blocks.
Assignment tab in the Team section

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The two decisions

They are two independent options: when a chat is marked seen on reply and when it’s marked seen on open.
Blocks for marking a chat as seen on reply and on open

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Mark chat as seen on reply

Defines which outgoing replies clear the “unread” mark:
Options: Agent and human, Human only, AI Agent only, Never
  • Agent and human (default): any reply —from the AI agent or a person— marks the chat as seen.
  • Human only: only when a team member replies. If the bot answers, the chat stays pending. Ideal when you want to review everything the AI agent replies: even if the bot already answered, the chat stays pending so someone reads and checks what it said.
  • AI Agent only: only the bot’s automatic replies mark it as seen.
  • Never: no reply marks it; the chat only clears on open or with the manual button.

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Mark chat as seen on open

Defines who marks the chat just by opening it:
Options: Everyone, Assignee only, Nobody
  • Everyone (default): any user who opens the chat marks it as seen.
  • Assignee only: only the user the chat is assigned to marks it. If someone else opens it, it stays unread.
  • Nobody: opening never marks it; it only clears with a reply or the manual button.
Special case: with Assignee only, if the chat has no one assigned, opening it doesn’t mark it (there’s no assignee to do it). That chat only clears when an outgoing reply is sent (if the on-reply option allows it) or when someone marks it manually.

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How it looks in the inbox

The indicator that changes is the chat’s “unread” mark: the blue dot in the list and the “Unread” filter. Depending on your policy, that dot clears sooner or later.
Unread indicator (blue dot) and Unread filter in the inbox
This has nothing to do with WhatsApp’s delivered/read ticks. It only affects the chat’s “unread” indicator inside your inbox.

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The manual button is always there

Whatever the policy, inside every chat you have the “Mark as unread” button (and mark as read) to do it by hand whenever you want.
Mark as unread button inside the chat

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Use cases

Team with conversation owners

Assignee only + Human only. The chat stays pending until its owner opens or replies; another person peeking at it doesn’t clear it.

Supervise the AI agent

Human only on reply. Even if the bot answers, the chat stays pending, so no one leaves the AI’s reply unreviewed.

Inbox that clears itself (the default)

Everyone + Agent and human. As soon as someone or the bot touches the chat, the “unread” mark disappears.

Full manual control

Nobody + Never. The “unread” mark only clears with the manual button.

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Frequently asked questions

No. It only affects the chat’s “unread” indicator inside your inbox. WhatsApp’s ticks are a separate thing and aren’t touched.
Choose Human only in “Mark chat as seen on reply”. That way, even if the bot already answered, the chat stays pending and no one leaves the AI’s reply unread. It only clears when a team member replies (or with the manual button).
No, it’s on purpose. If no one is assigned, there’s no “assignee” to mark it on open. That chat clears when an outgoing reply is sent (if the on-reply option allows it) or when someone marks it manually.
No. Each option saves itself as soon as you select it.
No. It’s a per-company setting. If you manage several, each has its own policy.
Only company administrators see these options.
Only with the manual “mark as read” button inside the chat.