Install live chat with the WordPress plugin
Download the Hushdesk Live Chat plugin from Settings, upload it to WordPress and press Connect to Hushdesk. Logged-in users arrive verified.
Last updated 4 min read
The Hushdesk Live Chat plugin puts the chat widget on your WordPress site without editing theme files. You upload it like any other plugin and press Connect to Hushdesk; the chat appears on your pages and logged-in users arrive verified.
Before you start
- Who can do this: a Hushdesk owner or admin, and a WordPress administrator (the plugin needs the
manage_optionscapability). - Plan: all Hushdesk plans.
- What you need: a self-hosted WordPress site (WordPress 6.5+, PHP 8.1+) where you can install plugins. WooCommerce 8+ is optional.
- Time: about 5 minutes.
Step by step
- In Hushdesk, open Settings > Chat widget, the Install tab, then WordPress.
- Press Download the Hushdesk plugin (.zip).
- In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin > Upload Plugin, choose the zip and press Install Now, then Activate.
- Open Settings > Hushdesk (or WooCommerce > Hushdesk) and press Connect to Hushdesk.
- Hushdesk opens and asks Connect a WordPress site?. Check the address is yours and press Connect with your site's name.
- You return to WordPress, which says Connected to Hushdesk. Open your site in a new tab: the chat button appears.
Connect by hand
If Connect to Hushdesk cannot reach Hushdesk (a staging site behind a login, or a firewall), copy the Install code and the Site secret from Settings > Chat widget > Install > WordPress in Hushdesk. In WordPress, open Connect by hand, paste them into Install code or snippet and Site secret, and press Save connection. The site secret is shown only to owners and admins; keep it private.
What happens next
The plugin adds the Hushdesk loader to the footer of your public pages with defer. It never loads in wp-admin. In Hushdesk, the WordPress tab shows Connected to with your site, and under 3. Check it’s live your site appears with a "last seen" time within a minute.
Style and behaviour changes you save in Hushdesk reach your site by themselves. You do not need to touch the plugin again.
The plugin's settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Where the chat shows | Show the chat on every page, or untick it and list paths under Hide on these pages (one per line, * at the end for everything below) |
| Launcher position | As set in Hushdesk, Bottom right or Bottom left |
| Logged-in users | Tell Hushdesk who they are (name, e-mail), signed with the site secret, so their past chats follow them |
| WooCommerce | Share the cart, and the order number on the thank-you page, with the chat |
WooCommerce orders in tickets. The cart and the thank-you page's order number are saved with each chat today. Showing them on the ticket, WooCommerce orders beside tickets and order actions (refund, cancel, change address) come with the WooCommerce adapter.
Tips
- Use the plugin on sites where you would rather not edit theme files or where a theme update would overwrite them.
- Hide the chat on pages such as the checkout if you want a distraction-free payment step.
- To stop the chat, press Disconnect in the plugin or on the WordPress tab in Hushdesk.
Troubleshooting
"This chat is not available on this site."
Your WordPress address is not allowed. Fill in Website domain under Settings > Store, or add the address under Other sites allowed to show the widget.
"Your site could not reach Hushdesk to confirm the connection (…). Use “Connect by hand” below instead."
Your server blocked the call to Hushdesk. Use Connect by hand with the install code and site secret.
"That connect link has expired or was already used. Click Connect to Hushdesk again."
The confirmation took too long or was used already. Start again from Connect to Hushdesk.
"Hushdesk confirmed a different site address. Check Settings → General → Site Address, then connect again."
WordPress's Site Address does not match the site you confirmed. Fix it in Settings > General, then connect again.
"That is not a Hushdesk install code or snippet. Copy it again from Hushdesk → Settings → Chat widget → Install → WordPress."
The pasted text is incomplete. Copy the install code again with its copy button.
"No site secret saved, so logged-in users arrive unverified."
You connected by hand without the site secret. Paste it under Site secret and save.
The chat does not appear after activating
Check that the plugin says Connected to Hushdesk and that the current page is not hidden. If you use a caching plugin, clear its cache so pages include the new footer script.
The upload says the plugin is already installed
Deactivate and delete the older copy under Plugins, then upload the new zip.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Hushdesk plugin for WordPress?
Yes. The Hushdesk Live Chat plugin adds the chat widget to your WordPress site from a settings page, so you do not edit theme files. It also signs in your logged-in WordPress users, so their past chats follow them, and works with WooCommerce.
Where do I download the Hushdesk WordPress plugin?
In Hushdesk, open Settings, Chat widget, the Install tab and choose WordPress. Press Download the Hushdesk plugin (.zip) and upload that file in your WordPress admin under Plugins, Add New Plugin, Upload Plugin. It needs WordPress 6.5 or later and PHP 8.1 or later.
Does the WordPress plugin load in my WordPress admin?
No. The plugin only adds the chat to the public pages of your site and never loads it inside wp-admin. It adds the loader in the footer with defer, so it does not slow down the first view of your pages.
Does the Hushdesk plugin work with WooCommerce?
Yes. The chat works on WooCommerce stores, and the plugin can share the shopper's cart and the order number on the thank-you page with each chat. Showing WooCommerce orders on the ticket and order actions such as refunds are still to come with the WooCommerce adapter.
What happens when I delete the Hushdesk plugin?
The chat disappears from your site and the plugin removes its saved settings from your WordPress database. Your tickets and history in Hushdesk stay where they are, so you can reinstall later or switch to the snippet method without losing anything.
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Related articles
- Add chat to WordPress with a snippetAdd Hushdesk live chat to WordPress without the Hushdesk plugin. Paste the snippet into a footer scripts plugin or a child theme footer file.
- Install live chat on any websiteCopy one line of code from Settings, Chat widget, Install and paste it before the closing body tag. Works on Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and custom sites.
- 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.
- Identify logged-in shoppers in chatTell the chat widget who a logged-in shopper is with Helpdesk.identify, so chats land on the right customer. Learn what verified identity adds.
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