How Website Chat Works
Website chat puts a chat window on your website that answers visitors from your knowledge base. When the knowledge base doesn't cover a question, it says so instead of guessing, and offers to take the visitor's email or phone number so your team can follow up.
Replies go out on their own. There is no approval step: the AI answers straight away, using only the knowledge you allow it to read. Your team can read every conversation and take over at any time.
What a visitor conversation looks like
- The visitor clicks the chat button in the corner of your page, or the greeting bubble if you turned one on.
- They type a question. A typing indicator shows while the AI prepares the answer. If they send several messages in a row, the AI waits a few seconds and answers them together.
- The AI answers from the knowledge bases or sections you picked in 'Settings'.
- If the knowledge base has no answer, the widget sends your 'When it cannot answer' message and shows a card titled 'Where can we reach you?' with an email field and a phone field.
- The unanswered question is added to 'Insights', and contact details the visitor leaves become a lead.
- A teammate can open the conversation, take over, and reply in the same chat window.
What the visitor sees
| Situation | What the visitor sees |
|---|---|
| The knowledge base covers the question | The AI's answer |
| The knowledge base doesn't cover it | Your 'When it cannot answer' message, then the contact card |
| The message contains one of your escalation keywords | Your 'When it cannot answer' message, then the contact card |
| The message touches a blocked topic | 'I cannot help with that here, but a colleague can.' |
| A teammate took over | 'A colleague has joined and will reply here.' |
| The daily reply cap or your AI usage limit is reached, or the widget is paused | 'We are not taking messages right now.' |
| The visitor sends too many messages too fast | 'That is a lot of messages at once. Please wait a moment.' |
| A message could not be sent | 'Not sent.' with a 'Try again' button |
Where to find it
In the sidebar, open 'Communications', then 'Website chat'. The page has these tabs:
| Tab | What it's for |
|---|---|
| 'Conversations' | Every visitor chat, with take over, hand back and reply |
| 'Insights' | Questions the knowledge base could not answer, and a form to add the answer |
| 'Settings' | What the agent may say, how the widget looks, the chat button and the proactive greeting. Only for people who can manage website chat |
| 'Install' | The line of code to paste on your site, and the list of websites allowed to load it |
| 'Leads' | Visitors who left an email or phone number. See Leads, Working with Leads |
Until the widget has been seen on a site, the page opens on 'Install'.
Which plans include it
Website chat is included on the Business and Enterprise plans, and during the free trial. It isn't part of the Starter or Professional plans. If your company moves to a plan without website chat, the 'Website chat' page disappears and the widget stops appearing on your site shortly after. Nothing is deleted, and everything comes back when you move to a plan that includes it.
Who can use it
The page shows only for people whose role includes the 'Website Chat' permission. The Company Admin role has it. To give it to another role:
- Open Settings and go to the 'Team' tab.
- Edit the role you want to change.
- Under 'Permissions', tick 'Website Chat'.
- Click 'Save Changes'.
'Website Chat' covers everything on the page: reading conversations and leads, replying to visitors, changing settings and allowed websites, and adding answers from Insights to the knowledge base.