Live Chat Getting Started Guide

Getting Started with Social Intents: Live Chat and AI Chatbot Setup?

Social Intents lets you add live chat and AI chatbots to your website and answer customer questions from Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, Zoom, or the Social Intents web inbox.

You can have AI answer first, let your team handle conversations, or combine both. Visitors stay in the chat widget on your website while your team responds from the tools they already use.

This guide walks you through setup, training your chatbot, connecting your team, installing the widget, and testing your first conversation.

Before You Begin

To complete your setup, you’ll need:

• Access to add a chat widget to your website, or someone who can install it for you.
• Website pages or business documents if you plan to use an AI chatbot.
• Permission to connect your collaboration tool if your team will answer from Teams, Slack, Google Chat, or Zoom.

You can start with the web inbox and connect a collaboration tool later.

For platform-specific instructions, use these guides:

• Microsoft Teams Integration Guide
• Slack Integration Guide
• Google Chat Integration Guide
• Zoom Integration Guide

Step 1: Choose Who Answers your Chats

During onboarding, choose how you want AI and your team to handle incoming conversations.

Choose the approach that matches your current support coverage. You can change your settings after onboarding.

If you’re starting with human-only live chat, skip AI training and continue to widget customization.

You can switch between these options at any time, or combine them by using the AI chatbot as your first responder and routing complex chats to your team.

Step 2: Train your AI on your Business Data

If you enabled AI, enter your website URL to find pages you can use as training sources.

Review the pages added during setup. Start with content that answers the questions visitors are most likely to ask:

• Product and service information.
• Frequently asked questions.
• Setup and troubleshooting guides.
• Pricing and plan explanations.
• Support, shipping, return, or cancellation policies.

You can also add files, external pages, and spreadsheets as data sources.

Choose accurate, current content. Remove outdated pages or conflicting policies so your chatbot has a consistent source of information.

For spreadsheets, use descriptive column headings so the information is easier to interpret.

Training gives your chatbot information to answer from. Before going live, test it with real customer questions to check whether the answers are accurate and useful.

Step 3: Customize your Chat Widget

Set your welcome message and choose the initial appearance of your widget.

Keep the welcome message short and specific. Tell visitors what they can ask and who is responding.

For an AI-first chat, you might use:

Hi! I’m the AI assistant for our team. Ask me about our products or services. If you need a person, ask to speak with an agent.

For human-only live chat:

Hi! What can we help you with today?

Only mention a human handoff option after you have configured and tested it.

You can continue customizing your logo, colors, text, and buttons after onboarding.

Step 4: Select your Team Collaboration Tool

Choose where your team will answer website chats:

• Microsoft Teams.
• Slack.
• Google Chat.
• Zoom.
• The Social Intents web inbox.

Follow the connection steps for your chosen integration and select the destination for incoming chat requests where prompted.

Use a channel or space that your support team actively monitors. Make sure the people responsible for answering chats have access to it.

If you’re not ready to connect an integration, continue with the web inbox and return to this step later.

Step 5: Copy your Code Snippet to Deploy

Copy the code snippet provided during setup. You can also find it later in your dashboard under Chat Widgets.

For a standard website installation, add the snippet before the closing </body> tag on the pages where you want chat available. If someone else manages your website, send them the snippet to install.

If you use the Social Intents WordPress plugin, enter your widget’s key in the plugin settings instead of installing the same widget a second time through a separate code snippet.

You can configure and test your chat before adding it to your live website.

Step 6: Configure Notifications

Set up notifications so the people responsible for live chat know when a visitor needs help.

Depending on your setup, notification options include:

• Browser notifications: Receive desktop alerts after allowing notifications in your browser.
• Collaboration-tool notifications: Receive incoming chat requests in your connected Teams, Slack, or Google Chat channel.
• Email notifications: Receive chat notifications with a link to join the conversation.
• Mobile notifications: Use your connected collaboration tool’s mobile app or a supported notification integration.

Check both Social Intents and your device’s notification settings. A muted channel, browser permission, or device setting can prevent an alert from getting your attention.

Send a test chat and confirm that the intended person receives the notification.

Step 7: Set Business Hours and Offline Behavior

Decide when your human team is available and what visitors should experience outside those hours.

Social Intents supports scheduled availability and agent-status controls. Depending on your configuration, visitors can receive AI assistance, leave an offline message, or have the widget hidden when live chat is unavailable.

Set up:

• Your regular support hours.
• Holiday or other scheduled closures.
• The message visitors see when your team is offline.
• How visitors can leave contact details for follow-up.

For an offline message form, you could use:

Our live team is currently offline. Please leave your email and a short description of what you need help with. We’ll follow up during business hours.

If your AI chatbot answers after hours, make the distinction clear: AI assistance is available, but a human response may need to wait until your team returns.

See the live chat availability guide for detailed settings.

Step 8: Set Up Your Live Chat Agents

Select your profile icon in the bottom-left corner of the dashboard, then open Team to add team members.

Review each person’s profile and access settings, including:

• Internal name.
• Display name shown to visitors.
• Job title.
• Availability status.
• Assigned chat widgets.
• Account role.

Give each person the access they need for their responsibilities. Confirm that the agents answering customer questions can access the appropriate widgets and connected channels.

Use recognizable display names so visitors know when they’re speaking with a person.

Step 9: Configure AI-to-Human Handoff

If you use an AI chatbot, give visitors a clear way to reach your team.

In your chatbot settings, configure the supported escalation options for your setup. For example, you can use human escalation phrases and a matching Talk to an Agent quick reply.

Tell visitors what is happening when they request help:

Thanks. We’ve notified our team that you’d like to speak with an agent.

An escalation requests human assistance. It does not mean an agent has already joined, so avoid promising an immediate response unless your team can provide one.

Test that the request reaches the correct inbox or collaboration channel. Then have an agent reply and confirm that the conversation continues in the website widget.

For a detailed walkthrough, see how to set up AI chatbot human handoff.

Step 10: Test Your First Complete Conversation

Before relying on the widget for customer support, test it as both a visitor and an agent.

1. Open your website. Confirm that the widget appears where expected.
2. Send a question. If AI is enabled, ask something covered by your training content.
3. Check the answer. Confirm that it is accurate and relevant.
4. Request a person. Test your handoff button or configured escalation phrase.
5. Check the notification. Confirm that it reaches the intended team.
6. Reply as an agent. Verify that the response appears in the visitor’s chat.
7. Check the takeover. Confirm that the AI behaves as intended after the agent joins.
8. Test an unanswered request. Check what the visitor sees when nobody responds.
9. Test outside business hours. Confirm that the correct AI or offline experience appears.
10. Repeat on mobile. Check that the widget is easy to open, read, and use.

Troubleshooting Common Setup Problems

When requesting help with a setup issue, include your website URL, the affected widget, what you expected to happen, and what happened instead. Screenshots of a test conversation can help explain the problem.

Best Practices for Live Chat and AI Support

Set Clear Expectations

Tell visitors whether they are speaking with AI or a person. Publish realistic support hours and explain what happens when your live team is unavailable.

Aim to Acknowledge Chats Within One Minute

Use 60 seconds as an initial response target during staffed hours. If you need time to investigate, acknowledge the question and explain what you’re checking.

Keep Human Help Easy to Find

Make the handoff option clear and test it regularly. Visitors should not have to repeat the same unsuccessful question to reach your team.

Read the Conversation Before Taking Over

Review what the visitor and chatbot have already discussed. Start your response by acknowledging the issue rather than asking the visitor to explain everything again.

Prepare Shortcuts for Common Questions

Create saved replies for frequent questions, useful links, and troubleshooting steps. Personalize each response before sending it.

Keep Your AI Training Content Current

Update source pages and files when your products, pricing, or policies change. Retest related questions after updating the chatbot’s training.

Review Missed and Offline Chats Daily

Assign someone to review missed and offline conversations in History. Follow up when contact details are available, within the timeframe you promised.

Improve Based on Real Conversations

Look for repeated questions, incorrect answers, and unnecessary escalations. Use those findings to improve your help articles, chatbot instructions, and team responses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Social Intents without an AI chatbot?

Yes. You can use human-only live chat and have your team answer through the web inbox or a connected collaboration tool.

Do I need Microsoft Teams or Slack?

No. You can start with the Social Intents web inbox. Connecting a collaboration tool is optional.

What happens when my team is offline?

The visitor experience depends on your configuration. You can provide AI assistance, collect an offline message, or hide the widget. Set your availability and test the offline experience before going live.

Can visitors switch from AI to a human?

Yes, with human handoff configured. The request is sent to your team, and an available agent can take over the conversation.

Can I change my setup later?

Yes. You can return to your dashboard to adjust your widget, training content, integrations, team access, and chat-handling settings.

Once your test conversation works from start to finish, your team is ready to begin answering website visitors.