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Table of Contents

Website Chat Widget Overview

Joshua Lim Updated by Joshua Lim

The Website Chat Widget allows website visitors to Contact you via live chat or through other Messaging Channels you have connected.

Website Chat Widget Image
You may opt to add Growth Widget to your website. Growth Widget allows you to embed a single channel or multichannel widget on your website so visitors can connect with you via their preferred messaging apps. Learn more here.

Connecting Website Chat Widget

Step 1: In your Workspace, go to Settings > Channel

Step 2: Add Channel > Website Chat > Click Next

Step 3: Specify Website

Fill in the website(s) where the Widget will be added. Refer to the following on how websites can be whitelisted.

  • If the user adds https://app.respond.io then only https://app.respond.io will be whitelisted. Any other subdomain or root should not work.
  • If the user adds https://*.respond.io, then all subdomains including the root domain will be whitelisted.
  • If the user adds https://respond.io , then only the root domain will be whitelisted.

Step 4: Select a Theme Colour for the chat widget using the interactive colour picker

Choose a color that matches your brand color and website.

Step 5: Select a display icon for the widget to show on the website. If you prefer to upload a customized icon, you can upload a square icon with a recommended size of 256px x 256px.

Widgets can be further customized once connected.

Step 6: Once done, click Next to follow through the next steps.

Step 7. Install the Script

You can add the generated script to your preferred website. Alternatively, you can send the installation instructions to someone else via email.

Finding the Website Chat Widget Code after Connecting the Channel

If you have the Channel already connected on the respond.io platform and you need to retrieve the generated code snippet, navigate to Settings > Channels > your Website Chat Channel > click Configure > expand the Website Chat Code toggle > copy the code.

Installing the Chat Widget

You may require a webmaster or technical admin to assist in installing the chat widget on the website. Please seek assistance if necessary.

Depending on what system you use to create and manage your website, we have created a step-by-step guide to walk you through installing a Chat Widget onto your website.

For other platforms or services, navigate to the HTML source of the page. Paste the script before the </body> tag.

<body>
...
...
...
<Paste Script Here>
</body>

If you require assistance, you can choose to forward the script along with installation instructions to your website administrator. Select the respective checkbox and enter the email address of someone who can help you install the chat plugin.

The respond.io Website Chat Widget will appear on your site once the script has been successfully installed.

Customizing the Chat Widget

Step 1: In your Workspace, go to Settings > Channel

Step 2: Locate the Website Chat Channel > click Customize

Customize the Website Widget to match the website's appearance so the widget will look seamless. On the right side of the page, there is a preview of the website chat widget. Any customization made to the widget will reflect on the widget to help you get a better idea of what you are customizing.

Display & Appearance

You may customize the following to change the display appearance of the widget on the website.

Field

Description

Theme Color

The chosen colour will be used as the primary colour of your widget.

Text Color

The chosen colour will be used as the primary text colour of your widget.

Website Chat Icon

The selected icon is used inside the widget bubble together with the Theme Color. You can upload a custom icon if necessary.

Popup Message

The Popup Message is shown to website visitors once per day 5 seconds after the page load. If not defined, no popup message will appear to the website visitors.

Validation for Website Chat Icon:

  • Maximum file size: 1MB
  • Maximum file dimension: 256 x 256 px
  • Shape: Square

Position

Field

Description

Align To

Users can choose to specify a position whether to display the widget on the left or right of the platform.

Vertical Spacing

Users can specify the amount of vertical spacing between the website chat widget and the bottom of the screen.

Horizontal Spacing

Users can specify the amount of horizontal spacing between the website chat widget and the side of the screen.

Widget Size

Users can choose the size of the widget from Small, Standard or Large.

Display Options

Users can choose to display this widget on the desktop, mobile devices or both.

Header Elements

Field

Description

Title

The Title will show at the top of your chat widget.

Tagline

The Tagline will be displayed under the title.

Website Chat Logo

Drop your logo image here so it will show at the top of the Website Chat. The format can either be in PNG, SVG or JPG and the file size is not more than 4.0 MB.

Channel Icons

This option will enable Contacts to contact you through their preferred Channel providing the options are given. You can add up to six Channels and it will be shown at the top of the Website Chat Widget.

Channel Icons Color

The Channel Icons can be displayed in white or colored form on your chat widget. Select White or Colored to go with the Theme Color of your chat widget.

Validation for Website Chat Logo:

  • Maximum file size: 4MB
  • Maximum file dimension: 1024 x 1024 px
  • Shape: Square
Channel Icons

If the Website Chat Widget has never been configured before, connected Channels with adequate information will be listed by default as Widget Channel links.

Customize the Chat Widget Channel Icons

You may add the widget Channel links and specify the necessary information for the selected Channel.

Here is the list of Input Field required for each of the Channel Links supported.

Channel Links

Input Field Required

WhatsApp

WhatsApp Phone Number

Facebook Messenger

Facebook Page ID

Telegram

Telegram Bot Name

Twitter

Twitter ID

LINE

LINE ID

Viber

Viber Public Account Name

SMS

SMS Phone Number

Email

Email Address

Phone Call

Phone Number

Custom Link

URL Address and Icon

Custom QR

QR Image and Icon

Validation for Channel Icon:

  • Maximum file size: 1MB
  • Maximum file dimension: 256 x 256 px
  • Shape: Square

Pre-Chat Form

Enabling this option will add a pre-chat form to your Website Chat. If enabled, your website visitors will be presented with a form to fill out before they start the chat.

With this option enabled, you can include additional custom fields when necessary. In addition to that, you can also customize the label for the default fields on how they appear to your Contacts.

The field labels can be customized to a different language to match the website's language.
Pre Chat Form Sample

Additional Settings

Field

Description

Input Bar Text

This text will function as a placeholder in the typing area.

Text Font

The font that will be used to display the font in the website chat widget.

Restrict Incoming Attachments

When this option is checked, the website visitor does not have an option to attach an attachment in the website chat widget.

Keep website chat hidden

When using this option the widget will be completely hidden. Until the Anchor Reference has been clicked or when the chat is opened via the programmatic API.

#webchat_widget

Using the above anchor you can create a button on your page, to open the widget once clicked.

Hide Respond.io Branding

Using this option you can remove the respond.io Branding from your Widget.

Channel Configuration

Step 1: In your Workspace, go to Settings > Channel

Step 2: Locate the Website Chat Channel > click Configure

Step 3: Make the necessary configuration.

You can configure the following:

  • Channel Name - Name used internally to identify the account.
  • Website Domains - The website on which the widget is to be installed.
Important: If you do not add your website to this list, your widget will not load. You can enter multiple URLs if you plan on installing the plugin on multiple websites.

Step 4: Click Done to update the Channel configuration.

Identifying Logged-in Users

The logged-in users of your website can be identified by adding a simple JavaScript code to your website code. Once the identifier passed is matched with an existing Contact, the current conversation will be resumed.

Note: The term “user” is used in the context of your website. In the respond.io platform, we continue to refer them as “Contacts”.
<script> 
    window.__respond_settings = {  
	    identifier: 'customer@example.com',
	    firstName: 'Jane',
	    lastName: 'Doe',
	    phone: '60123456789',
	    email: 'customer@example.com',
	    profilePic: '<https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/07/08/14/pic.jpg>',
	    countryCode: 'MY',
	    language: 'en',
			// Custom Fields
	    custom_fields: {
		    // slugs of custom fields
	      number: 123,
	      description: 'some text',
	    },
  };
</script>


<script id="respondio__widget" src="https://cdn-staging.respond.io/webchat/widget/widget.js?cId=ac37d6ced587cab720c5b05a1bc209c331c66c19b1e7e6069e5807491fb2a7dc"></script>

Guide on how to use the code

  • Edit the code (given below) to send respond.io the identifier of the currently logged-in user. This can be the email address or Contact ID or based on any other Contact field. Please note that an identifier is a required field.
  • Paste the code right in the head tag of every page where you want the website chat to appear.
    • The script for identifying logged-in users must be placed above the website chat code that can be found in the website chat configuration dialog.
  • You can also send respond.io Contacts Fields associated with your Contacts so we will store the Contact field during the Contact creation process. The field name (or slug) can be found in the Contact Fields module.
  • Please note that if you are using this feature, the pre-chat form will be ignored which means Contacts do not need to fill up their information before initiating a conversation.

The example above is passing an email address as identifier and during Contact creation process, all the Contact fields passed will be stored.

Programmatic Control (API for Users)

The Website Chat Widget can be opened and closed via your Website JavaScript code. This allows you to create a custom "Chat with us" button on your Website, and trigger the Website Chat Widget to open when a visitor clicks on the button.

Actions

  1. Open chat
    1. Description: Opens the chat widget.
    2. Syntax: $respond.do("chat:open")
  2. Close chat
    1. Description: Closes the chat widget.
    2. Syntax: $respond.do("chat:close")

Event Listeners

  1. Chatbox was opened
    1. Description: Handles the chat widget opened event (triggers your callback function).
    2. Syntax:$respond.on("chat:opened", callback)
  2. Chatbox was closed
    1. Description: Handles the chat widget closed event (triggers your callback function).
    2. Syntax:$respond.on("chat:closed", callback)

State Check Methods

  1. Is chat open?
    1. Description: Returns true if the chat widget is opened, else false.
    2. Syntax: $respond.is("chat:open")
  2. Is chat closed?
    1. Description: Returns true if the chat widget is closed, else false.
    2. Syntax: $respond.is("chat:closed")

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Messages failed to be sent to Contact

There could be a few reasons why the messages failed:

  • Contact has left the website.
  • Contact's inactivity may exceed the timeout period.
  • Contact's client may have internet connection issues.

Widget Not Appearing on Website

  1. Make sure the code is installed correctly. Refer to the instructions here on how to install the website chat widget.
  2. Be sure to whitelist the website where the widget is to be installed. Refer to Step 3 from this section on how to whitelist your domain.

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