---
description: To help users better understand the platform, here are the definitions of commonly used terms.
title: Glossary of Terms
image: https://assets1-proxy.respond.io/api/v1/image/assets%2F11f7a662b80a4675973850b067c01fa5%2F3f43c48b21b24f4e8b02b100c0c8fab0
---

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3. Glossary of Terms

# Glossary of Terms

![Avatar](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/4IHLTWbmWN0uXBc5x4jthC/59252fcdb357304ce07be76043047b7a/Susan_Swier_Avatar.svg)

Susan Swier

· 04 Apr 2025

2 min read

To help users better understand the platform, here are the definitions of commonly used terms. 

### Assignee

A User to whom the Contact was assigned.

### Assignment

The action in which a Contact is assigned to any Users in the Workspace.

* [Assignment and Closing a Conversation](https://respond.io/help/messages/assignment-and-closing-a-conversation)

### Broadcast

A feature to transmit specified content to a group of Contacts through a specified Channel.

* [Broadcasts](https://respond.io/help/broadcasts/broadcasts-overview)

### Channel

The messaging medium connected to the platform to receive and send messages to Contacts. For example, Facebook Messenger can be connected to respond.io as a messaging channel to engage with Contacts.

* [Messaging Channels](https://respond.io/help/channels)

### Closing Notes

Closing notes are conversation summaries that are provided by Users when closing a conversation. The closing notes can be used for reporting and analytical purposes.

* [Closing Notes](https://respond.io/help/workspace-settings/closing-notes)

### Contact

Contacts are people who have interacted with the messaging channels connected to the platform. Their contact profile is created when they send their first message on any connected messaging channel.

* [Contacts](https://respond.io/help/contacts/contacts-overview)

### Contact Field

An attribute type that collects facts about Contacts that are relevant to your business. You can add custom Contact fields in addition to the default ones. An example of a custom Contact field can be the plan the Contact is subscribed to.

* [Contact Fields](https://respond.io/help/workspace-settings/contact-fields)

### Contact Search

Use filters to search and sort Contacts in the different inboxes. Filter by open, closed and snoozed conversations.

* [Contact Search](https://respond.io/help/messages/messages-overview#contact%5Fsearch%5Fsort%5Ffilter)

### Conversation

The interaction between a Contact and the messaging channel is referred to as a conversation. A Contact can have many conversations with a Workspace and each conversation will have its own metrics and context.

### Custom Inbox

A collection of Contacts and their conversations based on a set of criteria. Custom Inboxes can be used in the Contacts and Inbox module to filter Contacts according to the selected criteria.

* [Custom Inbox](https://respond.io/help/messages/custom-inbox)

### Integration

An active connection that can be configured with a third-party product to help you to achieve more with respond.io. A common use case is using DialogFlow as a bot to respond to messages.

* [Integrations](https://respond.io/help/workspace-settings/integrations)

### Messages

A written communication sent to or by your Contact via any of the messaging channels. A Contact may send multiple messages at a time and they can be in various forms, such as text or multimedia.

* [Messages](https://respond.io/help/messages/messages-overview)

### Organization

A collection of Users from the same group or company who share a subscription. In an organization, a User's role can be an Admin, Billing Admin or Member. However, a User can belong to multiple organizations when necessary.

* [Organization Settings](https://respond.io/help/organization-settings/organization-overview)

### Snippet

A message template to send standardized replies and canned responses to your Contacts. Snippets can be shared with other Users across the Workspace.

* [Snippets](https://respond.io/help/workspace-settings/snippets)

### Tag

A manual attribute to group Contacts on the platform. Tags can be added to Contacts via automation or manual tagging. In addition to that, they can be used to filter Contacts and create Contact segments.

### Team

A group of Users who share a common goal in the workforce.

* [Teams](https://respond.io/help/workspace-settings/teams)

### User

A person who is given access to a Workspace on the platform.

* [Users](https://respond.io/help/workspace-settings/users)

### Workflows

Workflows is a visual Workflow builder used to automate processes. Workflows can incorporate elements like Contact data to build automation such as automated messaging, auto-assignment and more.

* [Workflows](https://respond.io/help/workflows/workflows-overview)

### Workspace

A Workspace is an independent sub-account within the Organization. Each Workspace has its own database, Users, Channels and settings, among others.

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## 

Related articles 👩‍💻

* [Responding to MessagesHere are some quick tips on how to respond to Contacts in a more efficient and productive manner. ](/help/quick-start/responding-to-messages)
* [Automated Welcome and Away MessagesSet up automated welcome and away messages to respond to Contacts immediately using Workflow Templates. ](/help/quick-start/automated-welcome-and-away-messages)
* [Getting Contacts to Message YouEncourage Contacts to message your business via QR codes and chat links. ](/help/quick-start/getting-contacts-to-message-you)
* [Inviting Your TeammatesInvite teammates as Users to the platform to collaborate with them. ](/help/quick-start/inviting-users)
* [Connecting ChannelsLearn how to connect a messaging Channel to start chatting with your Contacts through the platform. ](/help/quick-start/connecting-channels)

Can't find what you're looking for? 🔎

[Contact Support](/contact-us)

2025-12-05T03:58:48.590Z

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