Using Website Chat in Conversations
Understanding Website Chat in Conversations
Website Chat is a feature that lets you talk with visitors on your website directly from your CRM's Conversations inbox. When someone uses the chat widget on your site, their messages appear instantly alongside your SMS, email, and other conversations, allowing your team to manage all communications in one place.
Important Note: Website Chat is a different feature from Live Chat. The platform uses distinct labels to clearly separate these two tools.
How to Set Up the Chat Widget
To start receiving website chats, you first need to create and install a chat widget.
- Go to Sites and select Chat Widget.
- Click the + New button to create a new widget.
- When prompted to select a chat type, choose Live chat. This option configures the Website Chat channel that sends messages into your Conversations inbox.
- Customize your widget's settings, such as the welcome message, agent branding, and what happens when a chat times out due to inactivity.
- Save your widget and copy the provided installation script.
- Paste this script into the footer or body section of your website. If your site is built on WordPress, you can use a dedicated plugin to simplify this process.
Once installed, the chat widget will be active on your site, and visitors can start sending you messages.
Managing Website Chat Conversations
When a website visitor sends a message, it will appear in real-time within your Conversations inbox. You can identify these chats by their unique channel icon.
Responding and Assigning Chats
Open any chat thread to reply immediately. You can assign these conversations to team members manually, or set up automatic assignment using workflows or ownership rules.
Filtering for Website Chats
To view only conversations that came from your website chat, use the filter option inside the Conversations inbox. Under the Last Message Channel filter, select Live Chat and apply the filter. This will show you all active Website Chat threads.
Ending a Chat
When a conversation is finished, you can use the End Chat option. Chats can also close automatically based on the inactivity settings you configured in your widget.
Common Questions
Why does the setup screen say "Live chat"?
The widget creation screen uses the label "Live chat," but this setting specifically creates the Website Chat channel that integrates with your Conversations inbox.
What if no one is available to answer a chat?
If an agent does not respond within a set period, the widget can be configured to show a fallback message. This typically prompts the visitor to leave their contact information so you can follow up with them later.
Can I route chats to specific people?
Yes. Conversations can be assigned manually to any team member. For automatic routing, you can use workflows or assignment rules.