Getting started · Lesson 3 of 8
Set up live chat on your website
Website chat is the quickest channel to connect, because Meta isn't involved. It also works on the free plan. In this lesson you install it and set it up for your kind of business.
15 min
What you'll learn
- Install the chat with code or a plugin
- Check that it's really on your site
- Decide what visitors see first
- Arrange what happens outside opening hours
Step by step
- 1
Put the chat on your website
Go to Channels › Website Chat › Installation and check that Active is on under Widget Status. Copy the Installation Code and paste it just before the closing body tag of your site, which works on any type of website. On WordPress you can skip the code: install the Bugalou Live Chat plugin, paste the Widget key and tick the chat widget. Then save with Save Changes.
- 2
Check it on your own site
Open your website in a private window and see whether the chat button appears, on a phone and on a computer. Send a test message and see whether it arrives in the inbox. Really do this yourself: Test Installation only checks whether the settings for a domain are right, not whether the code is on your site.
- 3
Give the chat your own look
Under Appearance, choose a style (Classic, Color, Soft, Minimal or Dark), your colour, a font and a logo. Also choose the button position so it doesn't cover anything, like a shopping cart or a cookie bar. Put your own text on the home screen and in the greeting, for example How can we help you?
- 4
Decide what visitors see first
Under Behavior, switch on Quick reply buttons: up to 4 buttons, so customers don't have to type. The built-in buttons are about orders and returns, so if you don't run a web shop, replace them with Own question, such as What are your opening hours? or I'd like to make an appointment. Under Tabs and start screen, use Open with to choose whether the chat opens on Home or straight on Chat. Under Prefer WhatsApp? you add buttons to your other channels.
- 5
Choose where the chat appears
Page Rules let you show the chat on certain pages, or hide it, for example on /checkout. Device Settings let you choose mobile and desktop separately. Expected reply time shows how fast you usually respond. Only pick a time you actually meet, because visitors count on it.
- 6
Arrange what happens outside opening hours
Under Autoresponder, fill in your Opening Hours and the messages for Online, Offline and Outside Hours. That way someone asking a question in the evening knows when to expect an answer. If you need details to reply later, switch on the Pre-chat Form, and ask only for what you really need, usually a name and email address.
Common mistakes
Forgetting to update Allowed Domains
Add domains to this list and the chat only works there. If your site moves, or you use an extra domain, the chat disappears there without warning. Leave the list empty if you don't need a restriction, or add *.example.com to include subdomains.
Test Installation shows an error with an empty list
The test rejects every domain while Allowed Domains is empty, even though the chat then works on any domain. Don't be alarmed, and check it on your own site as in step 2.
Promising chat when nobody's watching
A chat promising Within a few minutes that nobody answers annoys people more than no chat at all. Set your opening hours honestly and make sure someone gets the notifications.
Missing the free plan's conversation limit
The free plan includes 50 conversations a month. After that the chat hides itself until the next month. If you regularly reach the limit, choose a paid plan before visitors miss the chat.
Tips
- Not sure where to start? Begin with the chat on your contact page and your busiest pages, then expand.
- If you have the AI agent, choose under When the AI agent can't help what happens: a handover, or a ticket outside opening hours.
- On Pro you can add languages under Appearance with Also offer these languages, plus Proactive Messages, FAQ and Forms.
You're done when
- The chat button is on your site, on mobile and desktop
- A test message arrives in the inbox
- Quick reply buttons fit your business
- Opening hours and outside-hours messages are right
Frequently asked questions
Does the chat slow down my website?
The widget loads asynchronously, so it doesn't wait for the rest of your page or hold it up.
Does website chat work on the free plan?
Yes, for 1 user and up to 50 conversations a month, without AI. FAQ, proactive messages, forms and extra languages are part of Pro.
Can I remove Powered by Bugalou?
No, that text is always shown at the bottom of the widget.
How do I install the chat on WordPress?
In WordPress, install the Bugalou Live Chat plugin and open Bugalou in the WordPress menu. New to Bugalou? Create a free account there and enter the code from the email: the chat goes live right away. Already have an account? Copy your Widget key under Channels › Website Chat › Installation, paste it on that page, tick the chat widget and save.