Skip to main content
When visitors open your website chat, most want one of a few things: to book something, to find an answer, or to ask a common question. One-tap buttons under the greeting get them there faster. A proactive message can also pop up next to the chat button on a page, after a visitor has been there a while. This guide adds two buttons to Northwind’s chat, “Book a coffee tasting” and “How fast do you ship?”, and a welcome for the wholesale page.

​
Open the chat’s messages

Click Helpdesk in the left rail, then Setup at the top, then Chat widget. Click the Messages tab.

​
Add a button

1

Click Add a button

Under Home-screen buttons, click Add a button. You can have up to six.
2

Write it and choose what it does

Type the Button text, then pick what happens under When tapped:
  • Send a message sends a question for them, such as “I would like a quote.”
  • Open a help article opens one of your help articles.
  • Book a meeting lets them pick a time right in the chat. Under Meeting type, choose which kind of meeting.
  • Talk to a person passes them to your team.
Home-screen buttons: Book a coffee tasting, When tapped Book a meeting, Meeting type Wholesale tasting call (30 min), with the note Booking in the chat is off, so visitors won't see this button; and How fast do you ship?, When tapped Open a help article, Help article How fast do you ship?; both outlined

Two buttons

3

Check the preview and save

The Preview on the right shows the buttons under the greeting as you add them. Click Save at the top right to put them on your site.
The chat preview: Hi there, How can we help?, Send us a message, Talk live, and the buttons Book a coffee tasting and How fast do you ship?, outlined, above Search for help

The buttons in the chat

Book a meeting buttons only show once booking in the chat is on. If you see “Booking in the chat is off”, open the Assistant tab, switch on Book appointments, and set up your booking page.

​
Greet visitors on a page

Under Proactive messages, click Add a message. Write the Message, choose how many seconds a visitor should be on the page first under After (seconds), and under Only on pages containing type part of the page’s address, such as /wholesale. Leave it empty for every page. How often sets whether a visitor sees it once, once per visit or on every page. Switch on Show proactive messages, then click Save.
Proactive messages: Show proactive messages switched on, outlined; and a message, outlined: Looking for wholesale beans for your café? Ask us here., After 10 seconds, Only on pages containing /wholesale, How often Once per visitor, and Only for visitors who have been here before

A welcome on the wholesale page

​
Good to know

  • Change your mind? Discard changes at the top right puts everything back to the last save.
  • Starter kits on the Templates tab come with a few buttons ready to edit.
  • Setting up the chat itself: see Add a Chat to Your Website.