The Chats API is broken up into two pieces - a Calls API and a Conversations API. In order to access a chat, the account provided during authentication must either manage the queue on which the chat occurred or be an operator who participated in the chat.
The Calls API covers chat operations that are commonly encountered during the course of a chat with a guest. With the Calls API, you can e-mail a chat transcript, send a file to a guest, transfer a guest to another operator or queue, and view a chat transcript. In the case of e-mailing or viewing a chat transcript, these requests are useful even after the chat has ended. Whereas sending a file or transfering no longer make sense once a chat has ended.
The Conversations API covers chat operations performed after a chat has ended. With the Conversations API, you can view or download chat metadata, view of download chat transcripts, and count chats over a specified period of time and for a number of chats. You can also delete chats and/or chat transcripts.