Engage with your customers on your Shopify store using eDesk’s Live Chat. Setting it up is easy, quick, and customizable to suit your business - no need for developers or updating your Shopify settings!

This help file will guide you through setting up Live Chat for your Shopify store.

Before you start

 

  • Learn all about how eDesk’s Live Chat works here.

  • eDesk Live Chat is available as an Add-On. To find more information, click here.

  • You’ll need to have access to Smart Tools → Widgets in your Settings. If you don’t have access, request it from an Admin user within your business.

  • To set up Live Chat, you’ll need an Admin login to eDesk. If you don’t have an Admin login, you can request one from an Admin user within your business.

  • You’ll need to have already connected your eDesk to the Shopify store that will offer the Live Chat. For more information on channels, click here.

01 Setting up eDesk Live Chat

To add eDesk's Live Chat to your Shopify store, you must first create and customize a Live Chat Widget in eDesk by completing the following steps:

  1. Give your support agents permission for Live Chat. This article describes what to do.

  2. Create a new chat Widget and then select your desired Shopify store when creating the widget. The chat Widget provides the buttons, chat box, and a contact form that will be on your store. You can customize it to match the branding on your website. You should also read sections 03 and 04 of this help file, which explains about adding a link to your cookie policy when you're customizing your Live Chat Widget. 

    For instructions on creating and customizing an eDesk Live Chat Widget, see our guide on How to set up eDesk's Live Chat, which explains everything that you need to do. Once you've completed the steps to create your Live Chat Widget, you'll have copied the Widget code snippet onto your clipboard. Later on, we'll need you to paste this code snippet into the code for your Shopify store.

  3. Next, we'll guide you on how to add the Live Chat Widget to your website or web store. This step is a bit different from the rest of the website or web store installations. More on this in section 02 below.


02 Implementing Live Chat on Shopify

Once you have created your Live Chat Widget and customized it using the instructions above, you're ready to install it on your store! 

1. In a new browser tab, log in to your Shopify store.
2. In the Themes section, select Actions (three dots) > Edit code. 
Actions > Edit code in the Themes section of your Shopify store.
3. In the Layout panel, select theme.liquid and find the closing body tag () in the right-hand panel.
Edit Code page showing the appropriate <body> tag.
4. In section 01, step 2 of this help file, we directed you to instructions for setting up a Live Chat Widget and copying the Widget code to your clipboard. Now you need to paste in this eDesk Live Chat Widget code snippet immediately above the closing body tag. 
5. Select the Save button.
6. Return to your eDesk page and go to Settings > Smart Tools > Widgets > Chat Box > Installation. 
7. Ensure the Widget Enabled slider in the top right of the page above is enabled. Also please read section 03 of this help file to learn about website cookie policy that will affect whether a customer can talk to you via Live Chat on your Shopify store.

Note: At least one agent must be online for the Live Chat option to appear on your website. Otherwise, a website contact form will appear instead.

Keep in mind that if you want to edit your widget, you can always deactivate it by selecting the Widget Enabled slider to disable it. Then, once you are happy with your changes you can re-enable the slider.

03 Website Cookie Policy consent box

It's important that you’re aware of the Shopify Privacy API updates - where users must give consent to any 3rd party who is using cookies. 

This means that when a customer navigates to your Shopify store and wants to initiate a Chat with you using our Live Chat widget, they will see a checkbox below the name and email field that asks them if they “consent to the website cookie policy”. 

Once the customer ticks the box, eDesk sends this consent to the Shopify API and the customer can begin the Chat as normal. If they do not tick the box, the Chat will not start.

04 Adding a link to your cookie policy 

To enable your customer to review your cookie policy before they make their decision, you can add a link to your cookie policy when customizing your widget. 

  • Go to the Customization tab in your selected Widget settings.
  • Scroll down to Add a link to your cookie policy.
  • Paste the URL to your cookie policy in the required field.
  • Save by scrolling down and clicking on Save Changes.
     

When you’ve saved your changes, your cookie policy will be hyperlinked in the consent text above.

If you have any questions or are experiencing some issues setting Live Chat up, please review the troubleshooting guide below or feel free to reach out to us at support@edesk.com.
 

Further Readings 


If you want to find out more about Troubleshooting your Live Chat Widget, click here. 

If you would be interested in learning more about Proactive chat, click here.