How do I, as a store owner, control to whom Inbox chat notifications are sent? I know how individual staff can turn off notifications for themselves in the Inbox Settings > Notifications area if they are already receiving them, but I don’t know how I (or another store administrator) can select which staff members receive them and which do not.
I am also not seeing all staff listed when I go through the conversation assignment process, but the missing staff are not yet verified, so that might be the reason.
However, I can’t find any such permission setting. Where is it, and does it even exist?
Finally, using Chrome on Windows, I am not receiving push notifications though I have notifications enabled at the Windows level for Chrome, I have the inbox.shopify.com site enabled for pop-ups and notifications within Chrome, and the Inbox Settings > Notifications area reports “Desktop push notifications are enabled on the browser you’re currently using.” When I initially enabled pop-ups from the site in Chrome and I sent a test notification, the Chrome address bar showed that the page was trying to open a pop-up, so I clicked on that and allowed pop-ups, but when I subsequently send test notifications, nothing happens and I no longer see that message in the address bar. Any ideas on what might be happening and how to get notifications working in Chrome on Windows?
You are not overlooking a store-owner recipient list. Shopify’s current Inbox documentation says each staff member manages their own notification preferences; an administrator can’t change those settings for them. For an unassigned conversation, all staff who have Inbox access are notified. After a conversation is assigned, only the assigned staff member receives notifications.
For the missing staff member, first have them accept/verify the user invitation and then check that their role includes the permissions needed for Inbox. Shopify’s current permissions page describes Inbox access through the relevant store role permissions rather than a separate toggle visibly named “online store chat”. The Customers permission is required to respond to customers/manage saved replies, while Manage and install apps and channels is only needed to manage the connected app/channel itself.
For Chrome, pop-up permission is not the key setting. I would test in this order:
Open inbox.shopify.com in the exact Chrome profile you use for the store.
In Chrome site settings for inbox.shopify.com, set Notifications to Allow (you can reset it to Ask, reload, and allow again if needed).
In Inbox > Settings > Notifications, confirm that this desktop device is listed, the relevant push triggers are checked, save, then send a test.
In Windows Settings > System > Notifications, confirm Chrome is allowed and Do Not Disturb/Focus Assist isn’t suppressing it.
If that Chrome profile is logged into multiple Shopify stores, test from the most recently selected store; Shopify notes desktop notifications can follow the most recent store login.
If you share whether the missing staff member has accepted the invitation and which role permissions they currently have, plus whether the test appears in Windows Notification Center, those two details should narrow down whether this is access or local notification delivery.
Yeah, that part of the docs is actually the real answer. There is no store-owner list that picks who gets Inbox alerts. Each staffer turns their own desktop, mobile, and email notifications on or off in Inbox Settings > Notifications. You cannot change those for someone else. Unassigned chats notify everyone with Inbox access. Assigned chats notify only that person.
There is no staff permission literally named “online store chat”. The Inbox setup table lists Products, Customers, Discounts, Draft orders, and Manage and install apps and channels. Customers is the one that lets someone manage chat availability and reply.
For Chrome on Windows: desktop push only fires while Chrome is open and you are logged in. Open inbox.shopify.com at least once after login. You can close the Inbox tab and still get push. If you quit Chrome or log out, you have to open Inbox again. Safari and Edge need the Inbox tab left open.
Assign a chat to one person and only that person is notified for it.
To stop someone getting alerts, assign chats away from them, or have them turn their own notifications off. You cannot turn another person’s notifications off for them.
That wording in the help doc is outdated. There is no toggle literally named “online store chat” today.
A staff member gets into Inbox through their access to the Shopify Inbox channel, plus the Customers permission so they can view customer details and reply.
Give them that access. Once they have accepted their invite, they show up as assignable.
Staff only appear once they have accepted the invitation and are active.
Also confirm the person actually has Inbox access
Chrome on Windows not showing push
Pop-ups vs notifications: two separate Chrome permissions
Fix it in this order:-
On inbox.shopify.com, click the icon at the left of the address bar, open Site settings, and set Notifications to Allow. If it shows Block, change it and reload.
In Inbox, Settings, Notifications: if you see “Desktop push notifications are blocked on the browser you’re currently using,” click Turn on notifications and accept Chrome’s prompt.
