BoldDesk Live Chat provides real‑time engagement across websites, customer portals, and mobile applications. This guide shows how to create a live chat widget, configure its settings and appearance, and install it using Code Snippets, NPM, or mobile SDKs (iOS & Android).

In this article, you will learn how to:

• Create a live chat widget in BoldDesk.
• Configure General, Appearance, Preference, and Business Hours.
• Embed the widget on your website, portal, or app.

Check out this video for more details.

1. Create a Live Chat Widget

1. Go to Admin → Live Chat.

2. Select Add Widget.
   

   
   
   

You’ll configure the widget across these tabs, in order:

• General
• Section
• Appearance
• Preference
• Business Hours
  
  
  
  
  

2. Configure the Widget

A. General

The General tab contains four sub‑sections: Basic, Knowledge Base, Auto‑tag, and AI Agent.

Basic

• Widget Name: A friendly name to identify this widget (useful when you manage several widgets).
• Brand: Select the brand the widget belongs to.
• Chatbot Name / Avatar: Sets the bot’s display name and avatar used in system, workflow, and welcome messages.
  
  
  
  
  

Auto‑tag

Automatically apply selected Tags to every conversation created via this widget.

AI Agent

Use the AI Agent section to enable AI-powered responses in the live chat widget and configure how the AI Agent handles conversations.

This section includes the following settings:

• AI Agent toggle – Enables or disables the AI Agent for the widget.
• Assignment type – Lets you choose how conversations are assigned to the AI Agent:
  • Assign to AI Agent (Direct)
  • Assign to AI Agent (Workflow)
• Choose AI Agent Experience – Lets you select the AI experience used in the widget:
  • AI Agent 2.0
  • Classic AI Agent
• AI Agent – Lets you select the AI Agent to map to the widget.
• Action Buttons for AI Response – Lets you configure the buttons shown below AI responses, such as:
  • Helpful AI Response
  • Transfer to an Agent
• Thinking Indicator Text – Lets you customize the message shown to customers while the AI Agent is preparing a response.

Learn more on How to Enable AI 2.0 Agent in BoldDesk Live Chat.

B. Section

Use the Section tab to control the Live Chat widget layout and customer experience.

This tab lets you manage the following widget sections:

• Home – Displays the landing page content shown before a customer starts a conversation.
• Conversation – Displays the chat experience, including the conversation list and conversation thread.
• Help – Displays Knowledge Base categories and articles inside the widget.

You can also use this tab to:

• Enable or disable supported sections.
• Set the default view displayed when the widget opens.
• Reorder supported sections to control the widget navigation experience.

For detailed configuration steps, learn more on How to Configure the Section Tab in BoldDesk Live Chat Widget.

C. Appearance

The Appearance tab controls branding, launcher UI, and custom code.

Branding & Colors

• Show Logo (upload brand logo)
• Show Online Agents (header)
• Header Title and Header Description
• Theme & Color: Light/Dark theme, Brand color, Action color
• Powered by BoldDesk Branding: Follow the note to remove branding
  
  
  
  
  

Widget Customization (Launcher & Position)

The Widget Customization section focuses on configuring the widget’s position, launcher appearance, button text, and custom launcher image, while the Advanced Customization section enables deeper visual or behavioural adjustments using Custom CSS and Custom JS.

For detailed configuration steps, explore further instructions about How to Customize the Appearance of the BoldDesk Live Chat Widget.

D. Preference

The Preference tab contains User Engagement, Security, Conversation Settings, Chat Input Options, and Notifications. Explore more on How to Configure Preference Tab in the Live Chat Widget.

User Engagement

• Welcome Message (add multiple messages if needed)
• Enable Pre‑Chat Form (add form fields, message, and confirmation)
• Suggestions (quick prompts)
• Sticky Button (display a quick action button in the chat widget)
  
  
  
  
  

Security

• Set Trusted Domains: Restrict where the widget can load.
• Configure Privacy Policy: Show a notice (supports formatting and links).
  
  
  
  
  

Conversation Settings

• Enable Multiple Conversation: Allow users to start and manage multiple chats in parallel without closing previous ones; identity (email or visitor ID) is kept across sessions. Explore more on How to Enable Multiple Conversations in BoldDesk Live Chat.
• Enable Conversation Reopen: Allow users to reopen ended conversations (within the interval).
• Reopen Interval: Set the window (between 5 minutes and 7 days) during which a conversation can be reopened.
• Enable End Chat: Let users end their active chat on demand.
  
  
  
  
  

Chat Input Options

• Enable Emoji Picker: Allow users to insert emojis.

• Enable File Attachments: Allow file uploads in chat.

• Allowed File Types: Restrict permitted extensions (e.g., .png, .pdf). Leave empty to allow all except those blocked for security.

  
  
  

Notifications

The Notifications section includes the Enable Sound Alerts option. In this section, use the Enable Sound Alerts toggle to control notification sounds.

Transcripts

The Transcripts section includes the following options:

• Enable Email Transcripts – Allows users to email themselves the transcript of their chat session.
• Enable Download Transcripts – Allows users to download their chat transcript.

E. Business Hours

The Business Hours tab lets you configure when your team is available and what customers see when your team is away.

The tab includes the following sections:

Business Hours Setup

Use the Business Hours Setup section to define your business availability.

In this section, the Set Business Hours field lets you choose whether the widget should follow a 24/7 schedule or a custom business-hours schedule.

Away Configuration

Use the Away Configuration section to configure what customers see when your team is unavailable.

This section includes the following fields:

• Banner Description – Sets the away status label shown in the widget, such as Offline.
• Away Message – Defines the message displayed to customers when your team is away.
• Form Support – Lets you choose the form option available to customers while offline.

Learn more in How to Customize the Away Configuration for the Live Chat Widget.

3. Add Widget to the Live Chat Page & Copy Installation Codes

Upon completion of the configuration, click Add to initiate the creation of the widget. A Code Snippets dialog box will be displayed containing:

• Embeddable Code (script)

• Iframe Code

  

• Copy the code at that moment or later from the Installation tab.

Click Cancel to close the dialog. This saves your Live Chat Widget.

4. Installation of the Widget

The Installation tab provides multiple ways to embed BoldDesk Live Chat in websites, portals, and mobile apps. Learn more on How to Install BoldDesk Live Chat.

Configuring and Setting Up the AI Chatbot in BoldDesk

Understanding the AI Chatbot in BoldDesk

In BoldDesk, a chatbot is an AI-powered tool designed to simulate human-like conversations and assist users through the live chat widget. It helps automate customer interactions, answer common questions, and streamline support processes. Learn more on Get Started with BoldDesk AI 2.0 Chatbots.

Embed Live Chat on Portals & Websites

Use this section to embed BoldDesk Live Chat in your external website or the BoldDesk Customer Portal.

Embedding Live Chat to Your External Website

Copy the generated iframe code and paste it into the desired location within your website’s HTML. This embeds the live chat widget directly into your site’s DOM, with no need for additional scripts or wrappers.

You can customise the width, height, and style attributes to match your website’s design and layout.

If you’d rather launch the live chat widget in a new browser tab or window instead of embedding it, use the direct URL provided in the Embed the iframe section.

Embedding Live Chat in the BoldDesk Customer Portal

You have the option to embed the live chat into your customer portal; learn more on How to Add BoldDesk Live Chat Widget to the Customer Portal.

Disabling “Agent Joined the Conversation” Message in Live Chat

In BoldDesk live chat, messages like “Agent has joined the conversation to assist you” are built-in system notifications designed to inform visitors when an agent joins the chat. These messages cannot be disabled by default.

However, you can control notification visibility using custom CSS. With the available customisation support, you can hide specific notifications such as assignee or status updates. Add the following CSS under Advanced Customization of your widget. Explore Enhancing the Live Chat Widget with Custom CSS and JavaScript.

/* assignee notification */
.assignee-notification {
    display: none; /* hides the assignee notification */
}

/* status notification */
.status-notification {
    background: green !important;
}

Permission for Adding a Live Chat Widget

To add a new live chat widget, ensure that the Manage Settings permission is enabled.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I create multiple live chat widgets in BoldDesk?
   Yes. BoldDesk allows you to create and manage multiple live chat widgets under a single brand, enabling tailored support experiences for different customer segments.

2. How do I embed the live chat widget on my website?
   You can embed the widget using either:

   • Embeddable Code: A script snippet added to your website’s HTML.
   • Iframe Code: An HTML frame that displays the widget within your site.

Both options are available under Admin > Chat > Live Chat > Installation > Code Snippets.

3. What is the maximum file upload size in live chat?
   Visitors can upload files up to 10MB during a live chat session.

4. Can I customise the appearance of the chat widget?
   Yes. You can adjust the theme (light/dark), logo, launcher button style, colours, and position under the Widget Customization section.

5. Why don’t I see the Live Chat Installation tab during the creation process of a Live Chat widget?
   The Installation tab only appears after the widget is created. Once you click Add and close the dialog (Cancel), open the widget again and you’ll find Installation (Code Snippets, NPM Package, iOS SDK, Android SDK).

6. Do BoldDesk’s chat widgets comply with GDPR requirements?
   Yes. BoldDesk states full GDPR compliance for its platform, which includes the chat widget.

7. Do BoldDesk chat widgets use cookies?
   Yes. BoldDesk uses cookies across its platform as described in its Cookie Policy. The BoldDesk chat widget itself relies on browser storage mechanisms such as local storage to maintain session behaviour and widget state, rather than explicitly documented chat‑specific cookies.

8. Are videos sent through BoldDesk delivered in their original format?
   No. When you send a video in BoldDesk through Live Chat or ticketing interface, the system automatically converts it to a supported format to ensure consistent playback. Only image and GIF files are delivered in their original format; all other media types, including videos, may be processed before delivery.

9. Can customers attach images or screenshots in Bold Desk chat?
   Yes. Customers can attach images or screenshots in a Bold Desk live chat by pasting them directly into the chat text box.

Related Articles

1. How to Embed the BoldDesk Live Chat Widget in the Customer Portal
2. How to Embed BoldDesk Web Widgets in Multiple Languages Using Language Codes
3. How to Activate, Deactivate or Delete a Live Chat Widget
4. How to Configure User Engagement in the Live Chat Widget
5. Enhancing the Live Chat Widget with Custom CSS and JavaScript
6. How to Customize the Away Configuration for the Live Chat Widget
7. How to Customize the Live Chat Widget to Reflect Your Brand