SLAs
SLAs (Service Level Agreement) give your team a clear framework for response times, along with the visibility and alerts needed to meet them consistently.
Note: SLAs in Plain are only applied when a thread requires action from your internal support team. If a customer message doesn't need a response – for example, a confirmation or thank-you – no SLA will be active.
SLAs are configured at the Tier → level, in Settings → Tiers & SLAs. Within each tier, you can set different targets per priority, so higher-impact customers and more urgent issues get faster response times. For example, an Enterprise customer with an Urgent thread can have a tighter SLA than a Free customer with a Low priority thread.
SLA types
First response time: Tracks how long it takes your team to send the first reply to a new thread.
Next response time: Tracks how long it takes to reply after a customer responds.
SLA statuses
Each SLA moves through a series of statuses as time progresses and your team responds. You'll see these in the thread view and when setting up workflow triggers.
Status | What it means |
|---|---|
Pending | The SLA timer is counting down. The deadline hasn't passed and no alert threshold has been crossed. |
Imminent breach | A pre-breach alert window is active. The deadline hasn't passed yet, but you're approaching it. This only appears if you've configured an alert threshold on the SLA. |
Breaching | The deadline has passed and the SLA condition still isn't met — for example, no first reply has been sent within the first response time window. |
Achieved | The SLA condition was met in time — for example, a first reply was sent before the deadline. |
Breached | The SLA was not met — it passed through Breaching — but the underlying condition has since been resolved, for example a reply was eventually sent. |
Cancelled | The SLA no longer applies — for example, a thread was marked as Done without a reply being sent. |
SLAs and snoozed threads
What happens to the SLA timer when you snooze a thread depends on which snooze status you use.
Snooze status | SLA timer behaviour |
|---|---|
Waiting for customer | The timer is cancelled. You've replied and are waiting on the customer, so no SLA applies. |
Paused for later | The timer keeps running. You've paused the thread, but the customer is still waiting on a response. |
Business hours
By default, SLA timers run 24/7. You can configure them to count only during business hours instead.
To set your working schedule, go to Settings → Business hours.