Answer live chats in real time
How chat tickets arrive in the inbox, how typing shows on both sides, what the visitor sees when you reply or close the chat, and how to hand over to AI.
Last updated 3 min read
A chat ticket works like any other ticket in the inbox, with one difference: both sides see each other in real time. Your reply appears in the shopper's chat window the moment you send it, and each side can see the other typing.
Before you start
- Who can do this: agents, admins and owners. Viewers can read chats but not reply.
- Plan: all plans.
- What you need: the chat widget installed on your site. See Install live chat on any website.
Step by step
- Open the Inbox. New chats appear at the top, marked with a chat icon.
- Open the chat. The visitor's messages are in the timeline. If they are typing, you see a line saying so.
- Write your reply in the reply box. The visitor sees that you are typing.
- Press Send. The reply appears in their chat window at once.
- Keep the conversation going, or close the ticket when the question is answered.
What happens next
- While open: the visitor's chat window shows your replies live, with your name as it appears on your profile.
- When you close the ticket: the chat window says This conversation is closed and shows How was your experience? with a 1 to 5 rating and Add a comment (optional).
- Assignment: your first reply assigns the chat to you if nobody had it yet.
- Rules and AI: rules for new tickets and customer replies run on chats. If the AI agent is on for chat, it drafts or answers according to its mode. See Turn on the AI agent.
Files in chat
Visitors attach photos and documents with Attach a file in the chat window, up to 25 MB each. Their files show under their message in the ticket. To send a file back, press the paperclip (Attach files (up to 25 MB each)) in the reply box; the visitor can open it from the chat window for 7 days.
Chat replies by email. Replies to chat tickets show in the visitor's chat window only. Emailing the reply to a visitor who has left the page is not built yet.
Tips
- Answer chats quickly or not at all. If nobody can reply for a while, an honest away message is better. See Set chat away hours.
- Use macros for common answers. They work in chat replies the same way as in email. See Use macros in the reply box.
- Add an internal note when you hand a chat to a colleague. Notes are never shown to the visitor.
- Close finished chats so the visitor gets the rating prompt.
Troubleshooting
"File is too large (max 25 MB)"
The visitor picked a file over 25 MB. Ask them for a smaller photo or a link.
"Something went wrong. Please try again."
The visitor's upload or message did not go through, often because the connection dropped. They can try again from the chat window.
"Viewers can look but not change tickets. Ask an admin for agent access."
Viewers cannot reply. Ask an admin to make you an agent.
"Already rated. Thank you!"
The visitor already rated this conversation. Each conversation can be rated once.
"This conversation is closed"
This is what the visitor sees after you close the chat. If they write again, start a new conversation from the chat window.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when a new chat comes in?
New chats appear at the top of your inbox straight away, marked with a chat icon instead of an envelope, and the list refreshes live while you have the inbox open. Rules for new tickets run on chats too, so a chat can be tagged, prioritised or assigned the moment it arrives.
Can the customer see when I am typing?
Yes. While you type a reply in a chat ticket, the visitor's chat window shows that you are typing, updated every few seconds. You also see when the visitor is typing, with a line under the conversation saying their name, or The visitor, is typing.
Can customers send files or photos in chat?
Yes. Visitors press Attach a file in the chat window and pick a photo or document up to 25 MB. It uploads with a progress bar and arrives in the ticket as a chip under their message. You can send files back the same way with the paperclip in the reply box.
What does the customer see when I close a chat?
The chat window says This conversation is closed and asks How was your experience? with a rating from 1 to 5 and an optional comment. Each conversation can be rated once. The rating shows up in your satisfaction report next to email survey answers.
Is a chat reply sent to the customer by email as well?
No. Chat replies go to the visitor's chat window only, and email replies go out by email. A visitor who has closed the tab may miss a later reply, so for longer cases ask for their email and continue on an email ticket if needed.
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Related articles
- Reply to a customer or add an internal noteUse the reply box to answer by email or chat, switch to an internal note your team only sees, format text, and send with Send or Send and close.
- Check that chat is live on your siteConfirm the chat widget is working using the Install tab's last-seen list, a test chat from a private window and a quick checklist of common fixes.
- Set chat away hours and the offline messageShow an away message in the chat widget outside your business hours. Set the hours under Business hours and write the message on the Behaviour tab.
- Turn on the AI agentSwitch on the Hushdesk AI agent in Copilot mode so it drafts a reply for every new customer message, then move to Autopilot for safe topics later.
- Set up satisfaction surveys (CSAT)PreviewAsk customers to rate your support after a ticket closes. Set the delay, channels, question and thank-you text, preview it and try the customer page.
Still stuck?
Chat with the Hushdesk team. A person answers on every plan.