This article explains access permissions, known limitations, and common troubleshooting steps for the Smart Support Canned Replies add-on.
Permissions
Access is controlled by WordPress capabilities.
| Capability | Allows |
|---|---|
smart_support_manage_canned_replies |
Create, edit, delete, activate, and deactivate canned replies |
smart_support_use_canned_replies |
Open the canned replies modal and insert replies into tickets |
Typical access:
| User type | Typical access |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Manage and use canned replies |
| Smart Support supervisor | Manage and use canned replies |
| Smart Support agent | Use canned replies |
On activation, the add-on adds the relevant capabilities to supported roles.
No Canned Replies button appears on tickets
Check the following:
- The main Smart Support plugin is active.
- The Canned Replies license is active under Smart Support → Licenses.
- The user has permission to use canned replies.
- The ticket screen is the Smart Support admin ticket view.
- The page loaded the reply editor correctly.
The modal is empty
If the Canned Responses modal opens but no replies appear, check that:
- At least one canned reply exists
- The reply is marked Active
- The user has permission to use canned replies
- The ticket page has been refreshed after changes
- Browser console errors are not blocking the modal
A reply does not insert into the editor
Check that the ticket reply editor is available on the page.
The canned reply insert script expects the ticket reply editor, commonly associated with reply_message, to be present. If the editor is missing or a script error occurs, insertion may fail.
The reply was sent publicly
This is expected behavior.
Canned replies are designed for public customer replies. Use Internal Note for private staff-only messages.
I cannot manage canned replies
To create or edit canned replies, the user needs one of the required management permissions, such as: smart_support_manage_canned_replies
Lock content does not prevent editing
The Lock content setting is saved on the canned reply and is intended to indicate that agents should not edit the inserted wording.
However, depending on the current implementation, the ticket editor may not be disabled after insertion. Treat locked content as a policy flag unless your site confirms technical enforcement.
Fine-grained per-reply permissions are not available in the UI
The add-on stores some per-reply, per-role permission data internally, but the current add/edit screen does not include a full per-reply permissions interface.
Use role capabilities and the Lock content option for practical access control.
No customer portal support
Canned replies are integrated into the admin ticket reply workflow.
They are not currently shown on the customer-facing support portal reply form.
No automatic placeholders
Canned replies do not automatically replace variables such as customer name, ticket number, or agent name.
Agents should manually personalize the inserted content before sending.
Troubleshooting checklist
| Issue | What to check |
|---|---|
| No Canned Replies button | License, permissions, admin ticket view |
| Modal is empty | At least one active reply exists |
| Cannot create replies | User has manage canned replies permission |
| Insert does nothing | Reply editor is present; no browser script errors |
| Reply sent publicly | Expected behavior for canned replies |
| Locked reply can still be edited | Treat lock as a policy flag unless enforcement is confirmed |
| Filters do not help | Check categories and tags are entered consistently |