What is a chat widget?

Short answer

A chat widget is the small chat window on a website, usually opened from a bubble in the bottom corner, where visitors type questions and get answers from a chatbot, an AI agent or a person.

Also called: website chat widget, live chat widget, chat bubble.

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How a chat widget gets onto your site

  • A short code snippet pasted into your site's HTML.
  • A plugin for your website builder, such as WordPress.
  • An app embed in a shop platform like Shopify.
  • A tag in Google Tag Manager, so nobody has to touch the site's code.

What makes a chat widget useful

The widget is only the window. What matters is who answers inside it. A live chat widget with nobody online at night turns into a contact form. A widget with an AI agent behind it answers straight away, from your own content, and brings in a person when needed.

It also has to work well on a phone, because that is where most visitors open it.

The SimplyBoost chat widget

  • Install it with one snippet, the WordPress plugin, the Shopify app embed or Google Tag Manager.
  • One agent can run on any number of websites.
  • Inside the widget, visitors get answers from your knowledge, can book a meeting in your Google Calendar and can leave their contact details.
  • When a person is needed, the visitor sees that someone is joining, with your typical response time.
  • The widget is on every plan, Starter included, and the same agent also answers on WhatsApp and Instagram.

Questions people ask

Do I need a developer to add a chat widget?

Usually not. With SimplyBoost you paste one snippet, or use the WordPress plugin, the Shopify app embed or Google Tag Manager.

What is the difference between a chat widget and live chat?

Live chat means people answer in real time. A chat widget is the window itself, and the one answering in it can be a person, a scripted bot or an AI agent. Many sites now combine them: AI first, a person when needed.

Can I use the same chat widget on several websites?

Yes. In SimplyBoost one agent can run on any number of websites, and every account can have up to 3 active agents.

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