Proactive Messages

Proactive messages help you start conversations with visitors before they reach out. This can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates.

What Are Proactive Messages?

Instead of waiting for visitors to click the chat bubble, proactive messages:

• Greet visitors automatically based on behavior
• Offer help at key decision points
• Reduce bounce rates by engaging hesitant visitors
• Increase conversions on high-value pages

Setting Up Proactive Messages

In the Theme Editor

Trigger Types

Time on Page

Opens the widget after a visitor has been on the page for a set duration.

Best for:

• Product pages (15-30 seconds)
• Pricing pages (10-20 seconds)
• High-intent pages (5-10 seconds)

Configuration:

• Set delay in seconds
• Widget opens with greeting message

Exit Intent

Detects when a visitor is about to leave the page and opens the chat.

Best for:

• Reducing cart abandonment
• Capturing leads before bounce
• Offering last-minute help

How it works:

• Tracks mouse movement to page top
• Detects rapid scroll up
• Mobile: tracks back button intent

Click Selector

Opens the widget when a visitor clicks a specific element.

Best for:

• Custom "Chat with us" buttons
• Help links in navigation
• Support triggers in content

Configuration:

• Enter CSS selector (e.g., .chat-trigger, #help-button)
• Widget opens when element is clicked

Manual Only

Widget only opens when visitor clicks the chat bubble.

Best for:

• Non-intrusive experience
• Internal tools and apps
• When proactive chat isn't appropriate

Greeting Messages

Standard Greeting

Shown when visitor opens the chat manually:

"How can I help you today?"

Proactive Greeting

Shown when the widget opens automatically. Consider context-specific messages:

For pricing pages:

"Have questions about our plans? I can help!"

For product pages:

"Looking for more details about this product?"

For checkout:

"Need help completing your order?"

Offline Greeting

Shown when no human agents are available:

"We're away right now, but our AI can still answer most questions!"

Best Practices

Timing Matters

Don't Be Annoying

• Limit frequency — Don't trigger on every page
• Respect dismissals — If visitor closes, don't immediately reopen
• Be helpful, not pushy — Offer value, don't demand attention

Personalize When Possible

Use different messages for different contexts:

• Return visitors vs. new visitors
• Different product categories
• Different traffic sources

Measuring Effectiveness

Track these metrics to optimize proactive messages:

Engagement Rate

Percentage of proactive messages that result in a conversation:

• Good: 10-20%
• Excellent: 20-30%
• Review if below 5%

Conversion Impact

Compare conversion rates:

• Pages with proactive chat vs. without
• Different trigger timings
• Different message variations

Dismissal Rate

If visitors frequently close without engaging:

• Trigger may be too early
• Message may not be relevant
• Consider different approach

Advanced: A/B Testing

Test different approaches:

1. Timing variations — 15s vs. 30s delays
2. Message variations — Different greetings
3. Trigger types — Time vs. exit intent

Track which combination:

• Gets highest engagement
• Leads to most conversions
• Has lowest dismissal rate

Troubleshooting

Message not triggering

• Verify trigger type is set correctly
• Check delay timing settings
• Ensure page isn't excluded from targeting

Message triggering too often

• Check that session storage is working
• Increase delay timing
• Consider switching to exit intent

Message not engaging visitors

• Review message relevance
• Test different timing
• Consider context-specific messages

Next Steps

• Configure availability hours
• Customize widget appearance