How to add live chat to a website

Adding live chat to a website is mostly a matter of pasting one line of code in the right place. This guide covers the steps that apply to any website, and what to check afterwards.

Step 1: create your account

Sign up at Orbis Chat and add your website. There is no card to enter, and pricing is free per website. See how free pricing works.

Step 2: verify your email

We email you a link, from noreply@orbischat.co.uk. The widget does not work until you click it. This helps to keep the service free of fake accounts.

Step 3: copy your snippet

Open your website in the Websites area and copy your snippet. It looks like this, with your own website key in place of the example:

<script async src="https://orbischat.co.uk/widget.js" data-key="YOUR_WEBSITE_KEY"></script>

Step 4: paste it before the closing body tag

The snippet belongs on every page where you want chat, just before the closing </body> tag. Most website builders and content management systems have a place for adding code to all pages. There are no one-click installers, but the same line works everywhere you can add a script.

Step 5: test it

1. Open your website in a private browser window, so you see it as a new visitor would.
2. Look for the chat button, and open it.
3. Send a test message.
4. Check that it arrives in your inbox, and reply.

If the button does not appear

• Check that your email is verified.
• Check that the whole line was pasted, with your own website key.
• If your site uses a caching plugin or service, clear the cache.
• Check that you are looking at the page you changed, and that the change has been published.

What to set up next

Set your colours and greeting, add your team, and write a few shortcuts. Then think about your business hours, so that people know when to expect a reply. Read how to write good shortcuts.

Frequently asked questions