The Customer Typing Preview feature allows agents to view a real-time preview of the message a customer is composing before the customer sends it. This helps agents understand the customer’s request earlier, prepare an appropriate response, and respond more efficiently. Administrators can enable or disable this feature separately for each Live Chat widget from the widget’s conversation settings.

Use cases

Customer Typing Preview enables agents to view customer input in real time before a message is sent, helping them prepare responses faster and deliver more efficient support.

• Faster responses: Agents can begin preparing answers and retrieving relevant information while customers are typing.
• Efficient handling of complex issues: Agents can research technical or detailed inquiries and involve the appropriate team when necessary.
• Reduced resolution time: Early preparation can minimise unnecessary back-and-forth communication and help resolve issues faster.
• Improved customer experience: Timely and well-prepared responses contribute to smoother and more satisfactory interactions.
• Better management of multiple conversations: Agents can assess incoming queries and manage high chat volumes more effectively.

Prerequisites

Before configuring this feature, ensure that:

• A Live Chat widget has already been created.
• You have permission to manage Live Chat widget settings.

If you have not configured a live chat widget, explore How to Set Up a Live Chat Widget in BoldDesk.

Enable Customer Typing Preview

Follow these steps to enable Customer Typing Preview for a Live Chat widget:

1. Go to Admin.

2. Navigate to Chat > Live Chat.

3. Select the required Live Chat widget and open it for editing.

4. Select the Preference tab.

5. In the left panel, select Conversation Settings.

6. Turn on the Enable Customer Typing Preview toggle.

7. Click Update to save the changes.
   

   
   
   

Once enabled, agents can see the customer’s currently composed text as a live preview in the applicable conversation.

How Customer Typing Preview works

The behaviour depends on whether the setting is enabled or disabled.

The preview is updated as the customer types, edits, or deletes text. If the customer removes all the text from the message input field, the preview is cleared from the agent’s conversation view. The following GIF shows how an agent can view the customer’s message as it is being typed in the Live Chat widget.

When the typing preview is removed

The customer’s typing preview is automatically removed when any of the following occurs:

• The customer sends the message.
• The customer clears all text from the message box.
• The customer leaves the current conversation.
• The customer message input is hidden.
• The agent switches to another conversation.
• The conversation is closed.
• The conversation is blocked.
• The conversation is marked as spam.
• The conversation is cleared.

Removing the preview in these situations ensures that agents do not continue seeing outdated or incomplete text after the active typing session has ended.

Customer Typing Preview across multiple browser tabs

A customer may open the same Live Chat widget in multiple browser tabs and type a different message in each tab. In this scenario, agents can see the active typing previews separately.
Each preview:

• Is displayed separately in the agent conversation.
• Is associated with the relevant customer typing session.
• Appears with the customer’s avatar.
• Is updated when newer typing content is received from the same browser tab.

For example, if a customer starts composing one question in the first browser tab and another question in a second tab, the agent can see both active previews at the same time.

Disable Customer Typing Preview

To prevent agents from viewing customer-typed content before it is sent:

1. Go to Admin > Chat > Live Chat.

2. Edit the required Live Chat widget.

3. Select Preference > Conversation Settings.

4. Turn off Enable Customer Typing Preview.

5. Click Update.
   

   
   
   

After the feature is disabled, agents will continue to see the standard typing indicator, but the content being typed will not be displayed.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can agents see the customer’s message before it is sent?
   Yes. When Enable Customer Typing Preview is turned on, agents can see a live preview of the content the customer is currently composing.

2. What happens when Customer Typing Preview is disabled?
   Agents see only the standard typing indicator. The actual message content is displayed only after the customer sends it.

3. Does the preview update when a customer edits the message?
   Yes. The preview is updated while the customer types, deletes, or changes the content in the message input field.

4. What happens if the customer deletes everything they typed?
   The live preview is removed from the agent’s conversation view.

5. Is the preview removed after the customer sends the message?
   Yes. The temporary typing preview is removed when the customer sends the message, and the sent message appears in the conversation normally.

6. Can an agent see multiple typing previews from the same customer?
   Yes. If the customer is typing from multiple browser tabs, the active previews can be displayed separately to the agent.

Related Article

1. How to Set Up a Live Chat Widget in BoldDesk
2. How to Configure Preference Tab in the Live Chat Widget
3. Typing Indicator Option Overview