> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Chat widget overview

> Installation, customization, chat settings, and AI chat configuration.

The chat widget is a conversation interface that sits in the corner of your website, funnel, or landing page. Visitors click it to start a conversation with your business — and every interaction, whether it happens in real time or asynchronously, creates or updates a contact record in your HoopAI account automatically.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Installation" icon="code" href="/chat-widget/installation">
    Add the chat widget to your website or funnel by installing the embed script.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Customization" icon="paintbrush" href="/chat-widget/customization">
    Change the widget's colors, position, button style, and branding to match your site.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Chat settings" icon="gear" href="/chat-widget/chat-settings">
    Configure operating hours, widget type, greeting messages, and consent options.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI chat" icon="robot" href="/chat-widget/ai-chat">
    Enable an AI agent to respond to visitor messages automatically around the clock.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Getting started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose a widget type">
    In **Settings > Chat Widget**, select the widget type that matches your team's availability: Live Chat for real-time support, SMS/Email Chat for async lead capture, All-in-One Chat for multi-channel audiences, or AI Chat for automated 24/7 responses.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure settings">
    Set your operating hours, greeting message, and any required consent options (such as HIPAA consent for regulated industries). Configure how the widget behaves when agents are offline.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Customize the appearance">
    Adjust the widget's color, button style, position, and icon to align with your website's branding. A well-matched widget blends naturally into the page and attracts more clicks.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install on your site">
    Copy the embed script from the Installation tab and paste it into your website's HTML, or use the native integration for HoopAI-hosted funnels and website pages where the widget is available without any code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor conversations">
    All conversations initiated through the widget appear in the **Conversations** inbox. Team members can respond, assign conversations, add notes, and trigger automations from there.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## All-in-one chat widget

The All-in-One Chat widget consolidates every messaging channel into a single widget interface. Instead of separate widgets for Live Chat, SMS, Email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, and Voice AI, visitors see one unified chat bubble and choose their preferred channel from within it.

**Supported channels in the all-in-one widget:**

| Channel                | Description                                                |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Live Chat**          | Real-time conversation with a team member                  |
| **SMS**                | Send and receive text messages                             |
| **Email**              | Email-based conversation thread                            |
| **WhatsApp**           | WhatsApp messaging (requires WhatsApp integration)         |
| **Facebook Messenger** | Messenger conversations (requires Facebook integration)    |
| **Instagram DM**       | Instagram direct messages (requires Instagram integration) |
| **Voice AI**           | AI-powered voice conversation directly in the widget       |

The all-in-one approach reduces confusion for visitors who would otherwise need to choose between multiple widgets, and ensures every conversation lands in your Conversations inbox regardless of channel.

To configure, select **All-in-One Chat** as the widget type in **Settings > Chat Widget** and enable the channels you want to offer.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What widget types are available?">
    The platform offers Live Chat (real-time agent conversations), SMS/Email Chat (async lead capture via a short form), All-in-One Chat (visitor chooses their preferred channel), Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, and Voice AI. Each type is suited to a different team setup and audience preference.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the chat widget create contact records automatically?">
    Yes. When a visitor submits their information through the widget form or initiates a conversation that captures their details, the platform checks for an existing contact with that email or phone number. If a match is found, the record is updated. If not, a new contact is created and the conversation is logged to their activity timeline.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I limit when the live chat widget is visible?">
    Yes. Configure operating hours in the chat settings to control when the Live Chat widget appears. Outside of operating hours, you can hide the widget entirely or switch it to display an offline message or an SMS/Email Chat form instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is AI chat?">
    AI chat connects the widget to an AI agent that responds to visitor messages automatically — without a live team member present. The AI agent can answer common questions, qualify leads, and hand off to a human when needed. It is available 24/7 and requires no staffing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the widget respect cookie consent settings?">
    Yes. If your funnel or website uses a cookie consent banner, the chat widget will not load until the visitor accepts cookies. Visitors who decline cookies will not see the widget, so ensure your consent flow is configured correctly if you rely on the widget for lead capture.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I add a HIPAA consent checkbox to the widget?">
    Yes. A HIPAA consent checkbox can be enabled in the widget's Chat Window settings. This requires visitors to explicitly consent before their health-related information is collected, as required for businesses in regulated industries.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>