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Live Chat

Live Chat

Effective communication with customers is key to growing your business. Learn how to connect with customers using Ulka Chat's Live Chat feature.

Overview

Live Chat enables real-time, bidirectional communication between your team and customers through the Ulka Chat widget embedded on your website. Customers can start conversations instantly, receive immediate responses, and get help without leaving your website.

Getting Started

Installing the Chat Widget

Before customers can use Live Chat, you need to install the chat widget on your website.

  1. Get your plugin key from Settings > Organization Settings > Plugin Key
  2. Add the JavaScript SDK to your website (see SDK Reference)
  3. Initialize the chat widget with your plugin key

See Getting Started for Developers for detailed installation instructions.

Customizing the Widget

Customize the chat widget's appearance to match your brand.

  1. Go to Settings > Organization Settings > Chat Widget
  2. Configure:
    • Position: Bottom-right or bottom-left corner
    • Color Scheme: Primary color matching your brand
    • Welcome Message: First message shown to customers
    • Placeholder Text: Text shown in message input
  3. Click Save to apply changes

Managing Conversations

Opening Conversations

When a customer starts a chat, a new conversation appears in your inbox.

  1. View new conversations in the Inbox tab

  2. Conversations are sorted by:

    • Newest: Most recent conversations first
    • Unassigned: Conversations waiting for assignment
    • Assigned to Me: Your assigned conversations
    • All: All conversations

  3. Click a conversation to open it

Assigning Conversations

Assign conversations to team members based on expertise, workload, or availability.

  1. Open a conversation
  2. Click Assign at the top of the conversation
  3. Select a team member from the dropdown
  4. The conversation is now assigned to that team member

You can also:

  • Auto-assign: Let workflows automatically assign conversations
  • Reassign: Change assignment if needed
  • Unassign: Remove assignment to make it available for others

Responding to Messages

Reply to customer messages in real-time.

  1. Open a conversation
  2. Type your response in the message input at the bottom
  3. Press Enter or click Send to send your message

Tips for Effective Responses:

  • Respond promptly to show customers you're attentive
  • Use a friendly, professional tone
  • Address the customer by name when possible
  • Ask clarifying questions if needed
  • Provide clear, actionable solutions

Rich Media Support

Send and receive various media types in conversations.

Supported Media Types:

  • Text Messages: Standard text messages
  • Images: JPG, PNG, GIF (up to 10MB)
  • Files: PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, ZIP (up to 50MB)
  • Links: Automatically previewed
  • Emojis: Full emoji support

To Send Media:

  1. Click the Attachment icon in the message input
  2. Select the file from your computer
  3. Add a message (optional)
  4. Click Send

To Receive Media:

  • Images are displayed inline in the conversation
  • Files are shown as downloadable links
  • Click to download files sent by customers

Internal Notes

Add internal notes visible only to your team (not to customers).

  1. Open a conversation
  2. Click Add Note or the Note icon
  3. Type your internal note
  4. Click Save

Use internal notes for:

  • Recording important information about the customer
  • Sharing context with team members
  • Tracking resolution steps
  • Documenting internal decisions

Conversation Tags

Organize conversations with tags for easy categorization and filtering.

  1. Open a conversation
  2. Click Tags at the top of the conversation
  3. Select existing tags or create new ones
  4. Tags are saved automatically

Common Tag Use Cases:

  • By Type: Support, Sales, Billing, Technical
  • By Priority: Urgent, High, Medium, Low
  • By Status: Resolved, Pending, Escalated
  • By Product: Product A, Product B, Feature Request

Marking Conversations as Resolved

Mark conversations as resolved when issues are addressed.

  1. Open a conversation
  2. Click Resolve at the top of the conversation
  3. Confirm the action

Resolved conversations are archived but can be reopened if needed.

Reopening Conversations

If a customer replies after a conversation is resolved, it automatically reopens. You can also manually reopen:

  1. Find the resolved conversation in Archived or search
  2. Click Reopen
  3. The conversation returns to your inbox

Conversation Features

Typing Indicators

See when customers are typing and let them know when you're typing.

  • Typing indicators appear automatically when someone is typing
  • Shows "Customer is typing..." in the conversation header
  • Your typing indicator is shown to the customer when you type

Read Receipts

Know when your messages are read by customers.

  • A checkmark (✓) indicates message delivered
  • A double checkmark (✓✓) indicates message read
  • Read receipts appear next to sent messages

Message Status

Track message delivery status.

  • Sending: Message is being sent
  • Sent: Message delivered to server
  • Delivered: Message delivered to customer
  • Read: Message read by customer
  • Failed: Message delivery failed (retry available)

Search Conversations

Find conversations quickly using search.

  1. Click the Search icon in the sidebar
  2. Enter search terms:
    • Customer name or email
    • Message content
    • Tag names
    • Conversation ID
  3. Results are displayed instantly

Search Tips:

  • Use quotes for exact phrases: "refund request"
  • Filter by date range, tags, or assignment
  • Save frequently used searches

Conversation Filters

Filter conversations to find what you need.

  1. Click Filters in the conversation list
  2. Select filter criteria:
    • Status: Open, Resolved, Archived
    • Assignment: Assigned to me, Unassigned, Assigned to others
    • Tags: Filter by specific tags
    • Date Range: Filter by date
    • Priority: Urgent, High, Medium, Low
  3. Click Apply Filters

Conversation Views

Switch between different conversation views.

  • List View: Compact list of conversations (default)
  • Card View: Card-based layout with more details
  • Timeline View: Timeline of all conversations

Change view using the view selector in the top-right of the conversation list.

Best Practices

Response Time

  • Target Response Time: Aim to respond within 1-2 minutes
  • First Response: Acknowledge customer messages immediately
  • Offline Hours: Set clear expectations when chat is offline

Communication Style

  • Be Personal: Use the customer's name
  • Be Clear: Use simple, clear language
  • Be Helpful: Focus on solving the customer's problem
  • Be Professional: Maintain a professional yet friendly tone

Handling Multiple Conversations

  • Prioritize: Focus on urgent conversations first
  • Use Templates: Create message templates for common responses
  • Take Breaks: Don't hesitate to take breaks when needed
  • Ask for Help: Escalate complex issues to specialists

Customer Satisfaction

  • Follow Up: Follow up after resolving issues
  • Ask for Feedback: Request feedback on the conversation
  • Track Metrics: Monitor response times and resolution rates
  • Improve Continuously: Use insights to improve your service

Advanced Features

AI-Powered Responses

Enable AI Chat to automatically respond to common questions. See AI Capabilities for details.

Workflow Automation

Automate conversation routing and responses using workflows. See Workflow for details.

Social Media Integration

Manage conversations from social media platforms in the same interface. See Integrations for details.

Troubleshooting

Customer Can't See Chat Widget

  • Verify the SDK is properly installed
  • Check browser console for JavaScript errors
  • Verify plugin key is correct
  • Ensure API URL is accessible

Messages Not Sending

  • Check internet connection
  • Verify WebSocket connection is active
  • Check browser console for errors
  • Try refreshing the page

Conversations Not Appearing

  • Check conversation filters
  • Verify you have permission to view conversations
  • Check if conversation is archived
  • Refresh the page

Widget Not Loading

  • Verify Socket.io is loaded before Ulka Chat SDK
  • Check if ad blockers are interfering
  • Verify CDN URLs are accessible
  • Check browser compatibility

Support

Need help with Live Chat? Visit our Help Center (opens in a new tab) or contact support@ulka.chat.

For technical integration help, see SDK Reference or Getting Started for Developers.

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