How do I add live chat to my website?

Live chat allows website visitors to communicate with your business directly from a webpage. To add it, you normally need to choose a chat service, connect it to your website, and configure how messages are handled.

1. Choose a live chat service

Select a live chat platform that provides a website chat widget. Consider:

Whether it supports your website platform
Number of agents or users required
Mobile support
Available features
Pricing and usage limits
Data protection requirements

2. Create and configure your chat account

Set up your account with the chat provider and configure the information visitors will see.

Depending on the service, you may be able to set:

Business name
Chat appearance
Welcome message
Availability or operating hours
Agent notifications
Offline messages

Only show the chat as available when someone can reasonably respond.

3. Add the chat widget to your website

Most live chat services provide a JavaScript snippet or an integration for common website platforms.

If you are using a website builder, follow its instructions for adding third-party scripts or integrations. On a custom website, add the provider’s code to the appropriate part of your site’s HTML as instructed by the provider.

Do not modify the supplied code unless you understand what the changes do.

4. Decide where the widget should appear

The chat button is commonly placed in a fixed corner of the webpage so visitors can access it while browsing.

Make sure it does not cover important content, buttons, forms or navigation, particularly on mobile screens.

5. Test the chat

Test the complete experience before publishing or making it available to customers. Check that:

The chat widget loads correctly.
Visitors can start a conversation.
Agents receive messages.
Notifications work as expected.
Offline messages are handled correctly.
The widget works on mobile and desktop.
It does not interfere with other website features.

Last Updated 2nd February 2026.

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We publish our Knowledge Base to help individuals and businesses resolve common issues across websites, advertising platforms, Salesforce and other digital systems.

We regularly review and update our guides, but the platforms, software and services covered can change without notice. As a result, screenshots, settings, features or recommended processes may differ from those available when an article was last reviewed.

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