How to Configure Preference Tab in the Live Chat Widget

The Preference tab centralizes everything that shapes your Live Chat experience end‑to‑end: User Engagement, Security, Conversation Settings, Chat Input Options, Notifications and Transcripts. Use it to define the start view (welcome messages, pre‑chat forms, suggestions, sticky button), control where the widget can load and what it discloses, decide how conversations open/close or reopen, allow emojis and file uploads with permitted types, and configure sound alerts or email transcripts.

Use Cases

Customize the customer chat experience.
Improve customer engagement with welcome messages and quick actions.
Secure live chat and protect customer data.
Allow file sharing for faster support.
Keep customers updated with chat notifications.
Let customers email or download chat transcripts.
Manage conversations more effectively.

Accessing Preference Tab

To configure the Preference of a Live Chat widget, do the following:

Go to Admin → Chat → Live Chat.
Edit an existing widget (or click Add Widget to create one).
Open Preference.

1. User Engagement

The User Engagement section allows you to enhance the live chat experience by configuring Welcome Messages displayed when users open the chat widget, enabling a Pre-Chat Form to collect visitor details before a conversation starts, setting up Suggestions to provide quick actions or FAQ guidance, and adding Sticky Buttons for always-visible shortcuts to important tasks and actions. Explore How to Configure User Engagement in the Live Chat Widget.

User_Engagement_Category_within_the_Preference_Tab_in_Live_Chat_Settings.png

2. Security

Control where the widget can load and what privacy notice users see.

Below are the security setting options discussed.

Security Setting	Description
Set Trusted Domains	Define the authorized domains where your widget is allowed to run, ensuring secure and controlled access. Explore more on How to Add Trusted Domains to Your Live Chat Widget.
Configure Privacy Policy	Inform users how their data is handled during chat and provide access to your privacy policy for transparency and compliance. By default, users will see this message above the messaging text box. Toggle: Turn Configure Privacy Policy ON/OFF. Add policy text using bold (B), italic (I), underline (U), and link formatting.

3. Conversation Settings

Define how users start additional chats, reopen ended ones, and end active conversations.

Conversation_Settings_Category_within_the_Preference_Tab_in_Live_Chat_Settings_2.png

Available conversation setting options are discussed below.

Conversation Settings	Description
Enable Multiple Conversation	Toggle to allow users to start and manage multiple chats at the same time without closing previous conversations. The screenshot above shows the toggle ON. On the right-hand panel, a New Conversation button is visible under Conversations, indicating users can initiate another thread. Explore more on How to Enable Multiple Conversations in BoldDesk Live Chat.
Enable Conversation Reopen	Toggle to let users reopen ended conversations. When enabled, a Reopen Interval control appears. Reopen Interval - Allows users to set how long a closed conversation remains eligible for reopening. Separate numeric inputs are provided as follows {Days — “Enter a value between 0 and 7” , Hours — “Enter a value between 0 and 23” and Minutes — “Enter a value between 0 and 59”}
Enable End Chat	Toggle on to let users end their active chat on demand.

4. Chat Input Options

Control what users can insert and upload while chatting.

Chat_Input_Options_Category_within_the_Preference_Tab_in_Live_Chat_Settings.png

The table below discusses chat input options in detail.

Chat Input Options	Description
Enable Emoji Picker	Toggle: Turn ON/OFF to allow users to access the emoji picker and insert emojis while chatting.
Enable File Attachments	Toggle: Turn ON/OFF to enable file uploads in chat. Use Allowed File Types field to specify the permitted file types for upload. If left empty, all types are allowed except a few that are blocked by default for security reasons. Include a dot before each extension and separate file types with a comma. Example: `.png, .pdf`.

To allow customers to add screenshots/images in Live Chat, enable file attachments in the chat settings. Navigate to Admin → Live Chat → Preferences → Conversation Settings → Chat Input Options, turn on Enable File Attachments, and include image formats such as .png, .jpg, .jpeg under allowed file types.

5. Notifications

Notification settings let you control sound alerts and email transcripts. Explore more on How to Configure Notification Settings for BoldDesk Live Chat

Notifications_Category_within_the_Preference_Tab_in_Live_Chat_Settings.png

Enable Sound Alerts

Toggle: Turn ON/OFF to play a sound for new incoming messages.

6. Transcripts

The Transcripts section includes two independent toggles that control whether users can email or download a copy of their chat transcript.

Transcripts	Description
Enable Email Transcripts	Toggle: Turn ON/OFF to allow users to email themselves the transcript of their chat session. Learn more on Export and Email Live Chat Transcripts in BoldDesk.
Enable Download Transcripts	Toggle: Turn ON/OFF to let users download their chat transcript. Explore How to Download a Chat Transcript from the Live Chat Widget.

Permission

To configure the Preference Tab in the Live Chat Widget, an agent must have the Manage Settings permission in the Admin Module assigned to their role. Explore Managing Roles and Permissions in BoldDesk for more insights.

Troubleshooting

Customers cannot upload files
- Confirm Enable File Attachments is ON.
- If Allowed File Types is populated, confirm the uploaded file extension matches the allowed list format (example: .png, .pdf).
- If Allowed File Types is blank, file types are generally allowed except for a set blocked by default (blocked list is not specified in source content).
Customers cannot reopen a closed conversation
- Confirm Enable Conversation Reopen is ON.
- Confirm the attempt to reopen occurs within the configured Reopen Interval (Days/Hours/Minutes).
Privacy notice is not visible in the widget
- Confirm Configure Privacy Policy is ON.
- Confirm the customer is looking above the messaging text box, where the privacy notice is displayed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I configure Live Chat start view, security restrictions, and chat inputs?
Go to Admin → Chat → Live Chat → (Edit widget) → Preference. The Preference tab includes User Engagement, Security, Conversation Settings, Chat Input Options, Notifications, and Transcripts.
What can be configured under User Engagement in the Preference tab?
User Engagement controls Welcome Messages, Pre-Chat Form, Suggestions, and Sticky Buttons. Details are documented in: How to Configure User Engagement in the Live Chat Widget.
Where is the privacy notice displayed, and what formatting is supported?
When Configure Privacy Policy is enabled, the privacy notice appears above the messaging text box. The editor supports bold, italic, underline, and links.
How do I restrict where the Live Chat widget can load?
Use Security → Set Trusted Domains to define authorized domains where the widget is allowed to run. More details: How to Add Trusted Domains to Your Live Chat Widget.
How do conversation reopen settings work?
Turn on Enable Conversation Reopen, then set Reopen Interval using Days (0–7), Hours (0–23), and Minutes (0–59). Reopening is allowed only inside that window.
How do I allow customers to upload screenshots or images?
Turn on Chat Input Options → Enable File Attachments and set Allowed File Types to include .png, .jpg, .jpeg.
Can I enable email transcripts and disable download transcripts (or the reverse)?
Yes. Enable Email Transcripts and Enable Download Transcripts are independent toggles.
What permission is required to configure the Preference tab?
The role must include Manage Settings in the Admin Module: Managing Roles and Permissions in BoldDesk.

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