How to create a chat widget for your website
In Sites › Chat Widget, click New, choose the chat type (Live Chat, SMS/Email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or All-in-One), customize the look, chat window and messages, and save. Visitor messages arrive in Conversations.
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Before you start
- To reply by SMS, your account needs an active phone number in Settings › Phone Numbers.
- For WhatsApp chat, you need an approved, connected WhatsApp number.
- For Facebook or Instagram chat, the page or account must be connected in Settings › Integrations.
- Live chat works best when someone on your team is available to answer right away.
Where to find it
Sites › Chat Widget › New
Step by step
Create the widget
- In the left menu, open Sites and click Chat Widget.
- Click New.
- Choose the chat type:
- Live Chat: real-time conversation with the visitor.
- SMS/Email: collects the visitor's details so you can reply later by SMS or email. Great for teams that aren't staffed around the clock.
- WhatsApp: the visitor talks to you on WhatsApp.
- Facebook or Instagram: the visitor starts a conversation with your page or account.
- All-in-One: combines several connected channels in one widget; you choose which ones appear.
- Customize the widget on the tabs that appear (options vary by chat type).
Style tab
- Choose the icon, theme and your brand colors.
- Write a prompt message for first-time visitors and another for returning visitors.
- Add your team's photos (avatars).
- Under Widget Placement, choose Sticky (stays in a corner of the page) or Embedded / Inline (shows inside the page content).
- Leave the size on Auto or choose Custom and set the width and height (200 px minimum).
Chat Window tab
- Set the title, intro message and contact form fields.
- Under Additional options › Compliance notice & consent, set up the legal notice and the consent checkbox. You can make the checkbox required or pre-checked.
- To make your site load faster, turn on Load on user interaction: the widget loads after the visitor scrolls, clicks or taps (or after about 8 seconds).
Messaging tab
- Write the acknowledgement message visitors get after they send.
- Set your support details and greeting.
- Choose the widget's language.
- Click Save. Next, install the widget on your website.
Tips
- For live chat you can also set a message for when nobody answers in time, asking the visitor for their details so you can follow up later.
- When a live chat conversation is done, use End Chat in Conversations.
- You can create several widgets in the same account, for example one per website.
Common problems
- There's no WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram option → That channel isn't connected to your account yet. Connect it first, then create the widget again.
- Visitors can't send a message → The consent checkbox is required and the visitor didn't tick it. The widget shows a prompt asking them to tick the box.
- I want a different message on each page → The widget message is the same on every page where it's installed. Create separate widgets and install each on the right page.
- The widget takes a while to appear → Load on user interaction is turned on. Turn it off if you want the widget to load immediately.
- I reply by SMS and the visitor doesn't get it → Make sure your account has an active SMS-capable phone number in Settings › Phone Numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing the chat type affect existing conversations?
No. Existing conversations stay in Conversations.
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