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Overview

Widget behavior settings control how your chat widget responds to user actions, when it appears, and how it guides visitors through conversations. These settings are crucial for creating an engaging and non-intrusive experience.

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Trigger Settings

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When to Show the Widget

Configure display triggers:
  • Page Load
  • User Actions
  • Page-Specific
Show immediately when page loads:
  • Instant: No delay (aggressive)
  • Delayed: After 3-60 seconds
  • Smart Delay: Based on engagement
5-10 second delay is recommended for best engagement

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Auto-Greeting Behavior

Control when to show the initial greeting:
New visitor settings:
  • Show greeting bubble immediately
  • Wait for page engagement
  • After viewing X pages
  • Based on referral source
Repeat visitor behavior:
  • Remember previous conversations
  • Different greeting message
  • Suppress if recently engaged
  • Show only on specific triggers
Time-based greetings:
  • Different during business hours
  • After-hours messaging
  • Weekend variations
  • Holiday schedules

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Interaction Patterns

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Click Behavior

What happens when users click the widget:
1

First Click

  • Opens chat window
  • Shows greeting if not shown
  • Focuses input field
  • Starts session tracking
2

Minimize/Maximize

  • Smooth animations
  • Remember state
  • Keyboard shortcuts (ESC to close)
  • Mobile swipe support
3

Notification Badge

  • Show for new messages
  • Number or dot indicator
  • Clear on open
  • Sound alert option

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Input Field Behavior

Configure the message input:

Placeholder Text

  • “Type your message…”
  • “Ask us anything!”
  • “How can we help?”
  • Custom placeholders

Input Features

  • Auto-resize on multi-line
  • Character limit (optional)
  • Emoji picker
  • File upload (coming soon)

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Typing Indicators

Show when AI is “thinking”:
  • Three Dots: Classic animation
  • Pulsing Bubble: Modern style
  • Custom Message: “Sarah is typing…”
  • Processing Time: Show estimated wait

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Conversation Flow

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Message Handling

How messages are processed:
  • Instant Send
  • Delivery Status
  • Response Timing
Messages send on Enter key:
  • Shift+Enter for new line
  • Send button always visible
  • Mobile-optimized
  • Confirmation animation

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Quick Replies

Suggested response buttons:
Pre-set quick reply options:
  • “View inventory”
  • “Schedule test drive”
  • “Check financing”
  • “Contact sales”
  • “Business hours”
Context-aware suggestions:
  • Based on page content
  • Previous questions
  • Time of day
  • User behavior
Create your own:
{
  "text": "Current Specials",
  "action": "show_specials",
  "icon": "tag"
}

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Session Management

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Conversation Persistence

How long to maintain chat context:
1

Same Page Session

Keep conversation while on page
2

Cross-Page Navigation

Maintain chat across site
3

Return Visits

Remember for X days
4

Clear Options

User can clear history

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Idle Behavior

Handle inactive conversations:

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Notification Settings

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Sound Notifications

Audio feedback options:

Message Sounds

  • Incoming message chime
  • Sent message whoosh
  • Error alert sound
  • Connection established

Volume Control

  • User mute toggle
  • Auto-mute on mobile
  • Respect system settings
  • Custom sound uploads

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Visual Notifications

Non-audio alerts:
  • Badge Counter: Unread message count
  • Bounce Animation: Attention grabber
  • Color Change: Urgent indicators
  • Desktop Notifications: Browser alerts
Respect user preferences and browser permissions for notifications

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Smart Behaviors

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Proactive Engagement

Intelligently initiate conversations:
  • Page Analysis
  • Behavior Patterns
  • Contextual Timing
Trigger based on content:
  • Inventory page: “See something you like?”
  • Service page: “Need maintenance?”
  • About page: “Learn about our history”
  • Finance page: “Questions about financing?”

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Fallback Behaviors

Handle edge cases gracefully:
When internet is poor:
  • Queue messages locally
  • Show connection status
  • Retry automatically
  • Offline mode message
If AI service is down:
  • Collect contact info
  • Show business hours
  • Offer callback option
  • Display phone number
For unexpected errors:
  • Friendly error messages
  • Automatic recovery
  • Fallback contact options
  • Error reporting

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Mobile-Specific Behaviors

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Touch Interactions

Optimize for fingers:
  • Swipe to Close: Natural gesture
  • Pull to Refresh: Update conversation
  • Tap Outside: Close widget
  • Long Press: Copy message text

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Keyboard Handling

Smart keyboard management:
1

Auto-Adjust

Shift content above keyboard
2

Scroll Lock

Prevent unwanted scrolling
3

Focus Management

Smart input field focus
4

Dismiss Options

Tap to hide keyboard

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Performance Optimization

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Loading Strategies

Optimize widget performance:

Lazy Loading

  • Load widget on demand
  • Defer until interaction
  • Progressive enhancement
  • Minimal initial payload

Preloading

  • Anticipate user needs
  • Cache common responses
  • Prefetch on hover
  • Background initialization

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Resource Management

Efficient operation:
  • Memory Usage: Clean up old messages
  • Network Requests: Batch API calls
  • Animation Performance: GPU acceleration
  • Battery Impact: Reduce on mobile

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A/B Testing Behaviors

Test different approaches:

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Analytics and Tracking

Monitor behavior effectiveness:

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Best Practices

  • Don’t be too aggressive
  • Allow easy dismissal
  • Remember preferences
  • Respect privacy choices
  • Minimize initial load
  • Optimize animations
  • Cache intelligently
  • Monitor metrics
  • A/B test behaviors
  • Monitor analytics
  • Gather feedback
  • Iterate regularly

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Next Steps

Mobile Experience

Optimize for mobile users

Troubleshooting

Solve common issues