Add a live chat widget to any funnel or website page that captures visitor contact information and continues the conversation via SMS — all managed in Conversations.
The 2-way SMS chat widget appears as a chat bubble on your web pages. When a visitor clicks it and enters their information, they start a text message conversation with your business. Their message arrives in your Conversations inbox, and your reply goes directly to their phone as an SMS — no app required on their end.
The 2-Way SMS Chat Widget lesson in the HoopAI Academy Funnels and Websites section
Traditional live chat requires someone to be available at that exact moment. Most website visitors are browsing outside business hours — and they leave without contacting you because no one is there to respond. The SMS chat widget changes this completely. The visitor sends a message when it is convenient for them, and you or your automation replies when you are available. The conversation continues via text — the channel most people actually read.
Text messages have a 98% open rate and are read within 3 minutes by 9 out of 10 people — making SMS chat one of the highest-performing lead capture tools available.
Go to Sites > Chat Widget (or Settings > Chat Widget). Configure:
Widget headline: The title shown on the chat bubble — for example, “Chat with us!”
Welcome message: The text displayed when the visitor opens the chat
Input fields: Which contact fields to collect — name, phone, email
Widget color: Match your brand colors
Widget position: Bottom left or bottom right of the page
Configuring the chat widget headline, welcome message, and branding settings
2
Add the widget to an internal funnel or website page
Open the funnel or website page in the builder. In the elements panel, find the Chat Widget element and drag it onto the page. The widget appears as the floating chat bubble on your published page.
3
Embed on external websites
To add the chat widget to a website outside the platform — WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc. — copy the widget embed code from the Chat Widget settings and paste it into the <head> or <body> of your external site.
Getting the embed code to add the chat widget to an external website
4
Set up automated responses
Create a workflow triggered by Customer Replied with the channel set to SMS. Add an immediate reply so visitors get an instant response — even outside business hours. For example:
“Hi {{contact.first_name}}! Thanks for reaching out. We will be in touch within 1 business day. In the meantime, you can book a call here: [link]”
Always include your booking link in the automated chat widget response. A visitor who is engaged enough to open your chat widget is your warmest possible lead — give them the easiest possible path to booking a call.
5
Monitor and respond in Conversations
All chat widget messages are routed to your Conversations inbox. When a visitor sends a message, you receive a notification and can reply directly from the inbox. Your reply is delivered to the visitor as an SMS.
Chat widget messages appearing in the Conversations inbox alongside SMS and email
Traditional live chat requires both parties to be online at the same time. SMS chat does not — the visitor sends their message and continues their day, while you reply when available. This removes friction from the lead capture process and produces higher contact rates than email follow-up.
Works on any website
The chat widget embed code works on any website platform — WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Webflow, or any custom HTML site. You do not need to use the platform’s website builder to benefit from the widget.
Contacts are automatically created
When a visitor submits their information via the chat widget, a contact record is automatically created in the platform. The conversation is logged, and any configured workflow automation fires immediately.
Automating responses with workflows
Pair the chat widget with a Customer Replied workflow trigger to send an instant automated reply. You can also route leads to team members, add tags, or enroll contacts in nurture sequences based on the chat widget submission.
