- If you currently use live chat, see Creating a messaging Web Widget when using live chat and Web Widget (Classic).
- If you don't use live chat and your account was created after November 2, 2021, see Creating a messaging Web Widget.
This article includes the following topics:
You can also activate messaging on an Android or iOS app.
Activating messaging in your account
After you confirm that you meet the requirements for using messaging, you can activate it in your account.
To activate messaging on your account
- In Admin Center, click
Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
- Click Manage settings.
- On the Manage settings page, click Turn on messaging for your account.
If you see an onboarding page, you need to click Get started before you can activate messaging.
- Click Save settings.
After messaging is activated, it appears in your Channels list with Web Widget listed as an active channel.
Turning on messaging for a Web Widget
If you’re turning on messaging for a Web Widget without having previously used Web Widget (Classic), you’ll need to create a widget. Because messaging is activated per-brand, you’ll need to perform these steps for each brand that will offer messaging to your customers.
To activate messaging Web Widget
- In Admin Center, click
Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
- Click Add Channel, then select Web Widget.
- On the Add Web Widget page, configure the following sections, and click Next when each is completed:
- Set up the basics: Enter a channel name, then use the dropdown to select a brand. Only brands without an existing Web Widget or Web Widget (Classic) appear in the list.
- Style the appearance: Enter a hexadecimal number or use the picker to select the Primary color, which is used in the Web Widget launcher and header. Upload an optional logo, and enter the title that will appear in the header.
- Install on your site: Choose where to install the Web Widget. See The Installation tab for more information on adding the Web Widget to your website or help center.
- Click Finish.
The Edit Web Widget page opens, where you can configure the Web Widget or leave it as-is for now. You can also customize the appearance of the Web Widget.
101 comments
Pius John
I changed the settings on the authentication tab from the admin settings.
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Dominic Watson
I don't understand how Zendesk can release a chat widget without the ability to hide/show it and say 1 year ago that it's coming in weeks, then tell us 6 months ago that it's coming in 2 months and still not have it. It's such basic functionality that it could be coded and delivered in 15 minutes from your end.
I've been forced to integrate Zendesk for clients for years and I've wanted to rip my face off each time I have to look at it. (I know it's not your directly your fault as you're just answering questions on this thread)
Other workarounds are setting the zindex to 0, if anyone is after one, but who knows what other edge cases come with the new "modern version"
2
System Admin
Hi, does anyone else have the problem where the chat bubble(the one that pops before the user engages with the chat) appears with a tiny triangle in the wrong direction totally...
image:
2
Miranda Burford
Hi System Admin,
Thanks for your report! This is a known issue to us and it's within our backlog to address. Unfortunately, I can't provide a concrete timeline but it will be rectified as soon as possible.
Thanks again,
- Miranda.
-2
System Admin
Hi Miranda Burford,
Thanks for the replay,
Really disappointed with the answer .. a tiny CSS change will fix it,
the funny thing is that when I change the chat position to the opposite the bubble changes too, so the only thing needs to be done is to replace design in both directions...
0
Miranda Burford
Hi System Admin,
I understand your frustration. Whilst it seems like a really small thing, there is more involved than just a tiny CSS change (browser testing, etc). We'll do our best to try and prioritise this as quickly as possible.
Thanks again!
- Miranda.
0
Amie
Miranda Burford Any word on the ability to hide/show the widget? I don't see it on the Productboard page under either "Under Consideration" or "In Progress". Is this no longer planned? We cannot use Messaging till this is available, so if its no longer in the roadmap, we'll need to opt for a competitor.
2
Michael Smith
For us, too, we need the ability to hide/show the widget in Javascript as we were able to with the previous version of the SDK. We want to launch it from a sidebar where we already have various support and learning resources - so we need to suppress the default launcher entirely, as it just gets in the way and looks clunky.
0
Shayan Moussawi
Amie Michael Smith
We are also looking for that functionality. I managed to get the Web Widget to show/hide by setting its z-Index value, is there anything that would speak against using this method?
0
Sawako Kubo
Does anyone know how to change the chat widget icon and the widget window size? The icon and some parts of our product GUI overlap, so we would like to change the size.
0
Greg Katechis
Hi Sawako! You won't be to change the icon or the size of the window. If you'd like to prevent overlap, you will need to use the zIndex API.
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Miranda Burford
Hi Sawako Kubo,
Out of interest, what would you like to change the launcher icon to? Eg: Your business logo, another icon, etc. This is something that we are considering in the future so it would be helpful to know some additional information.
Thanks,
- Miranda.
0
Miranda Burford
Hi Michael Smith & Amie Barder,
Yes, supporting custom launchers is still on our roadmap (a little delayed so apologies). This will work a little differently to what we have available within Web Widget (Classic) today but it's on our roadmap for Q3 2022. We will be introducing a new Admin setting to hide the launcher and then you'll be able to use our existing open & close APIs to decide when to show and hide the launcher.
Stay tuned! More to come on that soon.
- Miranda.
0
Sawako Kubo
Thank you Greg Katechis
I'll share the API documentation with our tech team.
Miranda Burford
We are okay with the default icon design, but if it's possible to change the icon, we'd like to change it to our chatbot mascot. Also, we'd like to change the bot icon which shows up in the widget window.
0
Miranda Burford
Sawako Kubo, that's helpful to know. Thanks!
If you're using messaging without Flow Builder, then it's possible to use your business logo (via the Web Widget header image) to replace the bot avatar. If you're using Flow Builder, unfortunately, it isn't possible to change the bot avatar at the moment but this is something that is being considered for the future.
- Miranda.
0
Sawako Kubo
Miranda Burford
Thank you for your reply. We are using Flow Builder...
We are looking forward to hearing further updates!
0
Miranda Burford
Hi Michael Smith & Amie Barder,
Just in case you missed the announcement, we now support custom launchers within the messaging Web Widget. Up until now, we offered square & circle launcher shapes within the Admin Center. Customers can also choose the ‘Custom launcher’ option. From there, they can decide where the Web Widget is triggered from on their website (whether that be from an image or navigational item) and implement our simple APIs to open (& close) the widget (plus show any unread message notifications), as needed.
- Miranda.
-1
Hai Nguyen Duc
How to move the icon position: right and bottom in this case?
0
Eric Nelson
This can be changed from the style tab of the settings. You'll see a section called "position" where you can change it to the bottom right.
1
Hai Nguyen Duc
hi Eric Nelson,
I can see that setting. I can set it to bottom right. Now is it possible to move up a little bit? Do we have an api or some way to do that?
0
Miranda Burford
Hi Hai Nguyen Duc,
Unfortunately, we don't have an offset API available within messaging (to match what we have within Web Widget (Classic)). This is something that we are considering in the future though so you will have full control over where the launcher & widget are positioned on the page.
Thanks for your suggestion!
- Miranda.
1
堀将記
hi.
Can you translate the red frame?
I found that I can translate the message with auto-translation and `zE('messenger:set', 'locale', "your language")`, but the red frame part remains in the default language.
0
立松貴央 TakaoTatematsu
Hi
Is there a way to activate the widget only on specific articles?
I can't find the hide command in custom launchers.
0
Dane
You can use the Suppress API added in your Help Center and specify the articles that will not be included.
You can add this script to the script.js section in your Theme code in Guide.
The link on exempted_pages where taken from my own account. Feel free to modify it based on the link on your Help Center.
0
立松貴央 TakaoTatematsu
Dane
Thanks for the reply.
Is the suppress API available for messenger?
It seemed to be available only in Web Widget (Classic).
0
Dane
You are correct, this is only for Messaging.
0
Choo Kay Yong
Hi
Is there anyway to change 'name' under 'Customer Details' to 'how may i address you?'
0
Joshua G
Please build the ability to customize the bot's avatar.
0
Fiona
I wasn't able to find the answer but, if we're currently using the web widget with live chat/zendesk enterprise and we want to switch to messaging, will the widget automatically switch over or do we need to take down the web widget and put up a new one?
Thanks
0
Miranda Burford
Hi Fiona,
The Web Widget code snippet is exactly the same and doesn't need to change. You simply need to switch on the toggles within Admin Center and change any Web Widget settings for messaging that you wish.
Thanks!
0