Notification sound in BoldDesk Live Chat helps both agents and customers stay updated on new messages in real time. It ensures that conversations are not missed, improving response times and overall support efficiency.
This article explains how notification sound works across the Agent Portal and Customer Portal (Live Chat widget), including triggers, configuration, and troubleshooting within BoldDesk.

Use Cases

Enable and use notification sound in BoldDesk when you want to:

• Ensure agents respond quickly to incoming chats
• Alert customers about new agent replies
• Reduce missed or delayed conversations
• Improve real-time communication efficiency
• Support teams handling multiple concurrent chats

1. Live Chat Notification Sound in Agent Portal

In the Agent Portal, notification sounds alert agents when new Live Chat messages are received or remain unread. This helps maintain responsiveness during active support sessions.

Key terms:

• Notification sound, chat alert sound, new message alert, Live Chat agent notification, unread message alert

Conditions That Trigger Notification Sounds

Notification sounds are triggered based on specific system behaviours. Each condition below can be understood independently.

Chat Module Must Be Open

• Notification sounds play only when the chat module is open inside the agent portal interface.
• If the chat module is closed, no sound is triggered for new messages.
• Agents relying heavily on sound alerts should keep the chat module visible to avoid missed notifications. Explore How Agents Can Manage Notifications in Live Chat.

Unread New Messages (5‑Second Rule)

• A notification sound is triggered when a new incoming chat message remains unread for 5 seconds.
• This ensures that messages requiring attention do not go unnoticed, even if the agent is momentarily occupied.

Example:
A customer sends a new message. If no agent views it within 5 seconds, the portal plays a notification sound.

When Working in Other Browser Tabs

• Notification sounds play even if the agent is active in a different browser tab.
• This allows agents to multitask without missing new chat messages or time‑sensitive customer responses.

Use case:
An agent preparing a support response in another tab will still hear the alert for an incoming chat message.

Agent Best Practices

To ensure reliable notification alerts:

• Keep Chat module open in Agent Portal
• Do not mute the BoldDesk chat interface
• Verify system audio settings
• Use in combination with in-app notifications for better visibility

Live Chat Notification Sound in Customer Portal (Widget)

In the Live Chat widget, notification sound alerts customers when an agent sends a reply. This ensures customers do not miss updates when the widget is not actively being viewed.

Default Behavior

• Notification sound is enabled by default
• Triggered when an agent replies to a chat
• Plays when the message is not opened immediately
• No sound if the widget is already open and actively viewed

Enable Notification Sound (Admin Settings)

Navigation Path

Admin → Chat → Live Chat → Edit → Preferences → Notifications.

Step‑by‑Step Instructions

1. Sign in to the BoldDesk Admin Portal.

2. Go to Admin Settings.

3. Select Chat.

4. Choose Live Chat.

5. Click the More options (⋮) icon for the required chat widget and select Edit.

6. Open the Preferences tab.

7. Locate Notification Sound and enable the option.

8. Click Update to save the changes.

   
   
   

Once saved, notification sound is active for customers using the selected chat widget.

Customer‑Side Control in the Chat Widget

Customers can manage notification sound directly from the chat widget:

1. Open the Live Chat widget.

2. Select the More options (⋮) menu.

3. Toggle Notification Sound on or off.

   
   
   

This allows customers to control sound behaviour based on their preferences.

Possible Reasons Notification Sound Is Not Heard

If notification sound is enabled but not audible, one or more of the following may apply:

Customer Preference
The customer may have manually disabled notification sound from the chat widget menu.

Browser or Device Restrictions

• Browser privacy or autoplay settings may restrict sound playback.
• The site may be muted at the browser or device level.

Inactive or Background Tab
Some browsers limit or block sound playback when the tab is inactive or minimised.

System Audio Settings

• Device volume may be muted or set too low.
• The incorrect audio output device may be selected.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I enable notification sound for specific Live Chat widgets only?
   Yes. Notification sound is configured at the individual widget level under
   Admin → Chat → Live Chat → Edit → Preferences → Notifications.

2. Can notification sound be configured for tickets in BoldDesk?
   No. Notification sound is available only for Live Chat conversations. Ticket updates do not support sound alerts; however, they support email notifications.

3. Is there a setting to change the 5‑second delay for agent notifications?
   No. The 5‑second unread message trigger is a built-in BoldDesk behaviour and cannot be customised.

4. Can admins force notification sound to stay enabled for customers?
   No. Customers can always toggle notification sound ON or OFF within the Live Chat widget.

5. Is notification sound configurable in Automation or SLA policies?
   No. Notification sound is not part of Automation or SLA settings. It is managed only through Live Chat widget preferences.

Related Articles

1. How Agents Can Manage Notifications in Live Chat
2. How to Enable Browser Notifications on Windows and Mac
3. How to Configure Notification Settings in BoldDesk