Setting up Zendesk Chat in the Web Widget

This article assumes that you are using the Integrated Chat experience.

You can add Zendesk Chat functions to the Web Widget (a separate web application embedded on a web page) so that visitors to your website can chat with agents, and send and receive files that might help with their problem. Agents can also send proactive messages to visitors, to see if they want or need any help.

                  

This article is intended for administrators. It explains how to enable Chat in the Web Widget, and how to configure the Chat features that appear in the Web Widget.

This article includes these topics:

• The Integrated Chat experience
• Configurable Chat features in the Web Widget
• Enabling Chat in the Web Widget from Zendesk Support
• Configuring Chat features in the Web Widget from Zendesk Chat

Related articles:

• Preparing for the new Web Widget experience
• Feature differences: Standalone Chat and Chat in the Web Widget

If you have a Support with Chat account and are looking for a list of documentation resources about the Web Widget, see Web Widget resources.

If have a Chat standalone account and are looking for a list of documentation resources about the Chat widget, see Chat widget resources.

The Integrated Chat experience

The Integrated Chat experience is a new Web Widget experience that adds many Chat functions to the Web Widget that used to be available only with the legacy Chat (Zopim) widget. The new experience is automatically enabled for some, but not all accounts.

The table in this section describes what types of customers automatically get the new experience, which ones can opt-in, and which don't get to use the new experience.

If you're a Chat standalone customer and have questions about how your account differs from other Chat accounts (there are several different versions right now), see About Zendesk Chat account types.

Account type	Can use the new experience?
New Support with Chat accounts	If you're a new Zendesk customer who recently purchased Support and Chat, you automatically get the new Integrated Chat experience. All you need to do is turn on the Chat option in Widget settings in Support. For more information about this option, see Configuring components in the Web Widget.
Existing Support with Chat accounts	If you're an existing Zendesk customer with both Support and Chat accounts, you'll have the option to start using the Integrated Chat experience, but you need to opt-in. If you want to use the new experience, make sure you turn on both the Chat and Integrated Chat (Limited Availability) options in Widget settings in Support. For more information about these options, see Configuring components in the Web Widget.
New Chat standalone accounts	If you're a new Zendesk customer with only a Chat account, you automatically get the Integrated Chat experience. The Chat widget looks and behaves like the Web Widget. You don't have a Support account, so you configure all of your Chat widget settings from the Chat dashboard as described in Customizing the Chat widget.
Existing Chat standalone accounts	If you're an existing Zendesk customer with only a Chat account, you continue to use the legacy Chat (Zopim) widget experience. Nothing changes for you. You aren't automatically opted into the new experience. You don't have a Support account, so you configure all of your Chat widget settings from the Chat dashboard as described in Customizing the Chat widget.

Configurable Chat features in the Web Widget

This section lists the Chat features that you can configure and use in the Web Widget, and the articles in the Chat section of the Help Center that you need to refer to.

Keep in mind that this list doesn’t cover general Web Widget features such as theme color, position, and button text. For information about non-chat Web Widget features that are configured from Support, see Configuring components in the Web Widget.

Note: If you're a Chat standalone customer, keep in mind that the information in Configuring components in the Web Widget doesn't apply to you because you don't have a Support account.

For information about how the Integrated Chat experience works from an end user's perspective, see the section about end user experience in Using Web Widget to embed customer service in your website.

Note: The information about the Chat end user experience in Using the Web Widget to embed customer service in your website applies to all customers who have the Integrated Chat experience. This includes some Chat standalone customers, even though they don't have a Support account.

Feature	Related information
Allow visitors to rate chats	Measuring visitor satisfaction with chat rating
Allow visitors and agents to send and receive attachments	Managing file sending options
Allow visitors to request transcripts	Automatically send chat transcripts with email piping
Customize the avatar, name, and byline of the chat Concierge section	Customizing the Chat widget concierge
Allow visitors to update their profile (includes social login information)	Editing Visitor Profile settings
Require user authentication	Enabling authenticated visitors in the integrated Web Widget
Send visitors proactive messages	Using Zendesk Chat Targeting key visitors with proactive chat
Configure Chat in the Web Widget for multiple brands	Multibrand Setup (Part 2): Zopim-Zendesk Integration
Choose a mobile web experience	Customizing the Chat widget for mobile devices
Analyze Chat specific events using Google Analytics	Using Google Analytics with Zendesk Chat
Customize the Chat badge	Customizing the appearance of the widget

Enabling Chat in the Web Widget from Zendesk Support

If you have a Support account, the most basic thing you need to do in order to use Chat in the Web Widget is to turn on the Chat toggle in Support. This toggle is what makes your Chat options appear in the Web Widget. If don't do this, your customers may see the Web Widget on your website, but they won't be able to use it to chat with you.

To enable Chat in the Web Widget from Zendesk Support

Skip this procedure if you don’t have a Support account.

1. From your Support account, click the Admin icon () in the sidebar and then navigate to Channels > Widget.

   If you are setting up the Web Widget for the first time, a wizard guides you through the process. Follow the on-screen prompts. After you complete the wizard, you can view and change your options, if you want, by proceeding to the next step.

   If this isn't your first time setting up the Web Widget, skip this step. The wizard doesn't appear for you.

2. From the Customization tab, turn the Chat toggle on.
3. Turn the Integrated Chat Experience toggle on, if it appears in your account.
   Note: This toggle will go away once the Integrated Chat Experience becomes available to all customers.
4. Configure your other Web Widget components, if needed (see Configurable Web Widget components).
5. When you're done configuring components, click Save.

You are now ready to configure Chat features in the Web Widget and add the Web Widget to your website or Help Center, if you haven't already.

If you make any changes to your Web Widget configuration, allow 10 minutes for them to propagate and appear in the Web Widget.

Configuring Chat features in the Web Widget from Zendesk Chat

You can configure many Chat options for use with the Web Widget (for example, user authentication and proactive chats). These things are configured from the Chat dashboard (meaning the Zendesk Chat product interface).

To configure Chat features in the Web Widget from Zendesk Chat

You need to complete this procedure, even if you don't have a Support account.

1. From your Chat account, click the Admin icon () in the sidebar and then navigate to Settings > Widget.
2. Configure your settings on each of these tabs.

   For more information about the options on these tabs, see Configurable Chat features in the Web Widget.

   • Appearance
   • Forms
   • Settings
   • Widget security
3. Remember to click Save changes (each time you switch tabs).

You are now ready to enable Chat in the Web Widget (if needed) and add the Web Widget to your website or Help Center, if you haven't already.

If you make any changes to your Web Widget configuration, allow 10 minutes for them to propagate and appear in the Web Widget.