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Help Center›Admin Setup (For Admins)›Channels›How to configure the chat widget
Table of contents
  • Overview
  • Key Features
  • Customers vs. visitors
  • How to configure the chat widget
  • Chat settings
  • How to turn off the chat widget
  • How to remove a widget menu option
  • FAQs & Troubleshooting
  • Why doesn't the widget appear on a page?
  • Why don't customers see the offline message?
  • Why wasn't my unread reply sent by email or SMS?
  • Why do formatting options in the chat composer differ from email?
  • What happens when a customer replies to a closed ticket?
  • Do my changes apply to customers who already have the widget open?
  • Can I limit a customer to one open chat at a time?
  • Can I restore previous chat settings?

    • How to configure the chat widget

    Last updated October 8, 2026

    Who can use this feature?
    Admins only.

    Overview

    The Chat settings page controls everything about the Atlas chat widget your customers see on your website or app: whether chat is on, how the launcher looks and where it sits, the widget header and welcome message, colors, the pages where the widget appears, the widget menu, what happens when customers reply to closed tickets, how unread replies are delivered, business hours and offline messages, the contact form for visitors, and the help center articles shown inside the widget.

    A live preview with "Online" and "Offline" tabs updates as you change each setting, so you can check the widget from a customer's point of view before you save. Every chat sent from the widget arrives in your Atlas "Inbox".

    This is a global setup: an Admin configures the chat widget once for the workspace.

    Related articles:
    •  How to install Atlas on your website or app: Install the widget first.
    •  How to enable customer (user) authentication: Verify the identity of customers who chat with you.
    •  How to configure organization settings and business hours: Required before "Apply business hours" can be used.

    Key Features

    • Your brand: Customize the launcher, header, welcome message and colors, with a live preview of the online and offline versions.
    • Page targeting: Show the widget on every page, only on selected pages, or everywhere except some.
    • Widget menu: Let customers choose between chat, help center articles and your own links.
    • Never miss a reply: Unread replies can be sent by email or SMS after a delay (10 minutes by default).
    • Offline mode: Show when your team is back and collect visitors' contact details outside business hours.

    Customers vs. visitors

    • Customer: A logged-in user you identify with the identify call.
    • Visitor: An anonymous person who hasn't been identified. The contact form and the visitors' article list apply only to visitors.

    How to configure the chat widget

    Before you start, install the Atlas widget on your site or app. For instructions, please read: How to install Atlas on your website or app. To use business hours, set them up first.

    1. Go to  "App Configuration > Channels > Chat" .
    • Alternatively, from the Getting Started checklist, find "Setup chat configuration" and click "Setup".
    1. Make sure "Use chat" is turned on. This is the master switch for the chat channel; when it is on, every conversation lands in your Atlas "Inbox".
    2. Use the "Online" and "Offline" tabs in the preview to check each version of the widget as you work. Every change updates the preview instantly.
    3. Configure "Launcher style". For every option in steps 4–13, see "Chat settings" below.
    4. Configure the widget header and welcome message.
    5. Configure the color scheme, icons and colors.
    6. Configure "Widget visibility".
    7. Configure the widget menu.
    8. Set "Users can reply to closed ticket".
    9. Configure "Message delivery": sound notifications and fallback channels. If you don't change the delay, the fallback starts after a reply has been unseen for 10 minutes.
    10. Configure business hours and the offline message, including when your team will be back.
    11. Configure the "Contact form" for visitors.
    12. Add "Help Center Articles" for customers and visitors.
    13. (Optional) Send a test message from the preview using the send button. It goes through just like a customer's message would.
    14. Click "Save". Atlas confirms with "Updated chat settings."
    Important:
    Changes go live on your widget as soon as you click "Save".

    Chat settings

    Select a section to see what each setting does.

    LauncherHeaderColorsVisibilityWidget menuDeliveryOfflineContact formArticles
    SettingWhat it does
    "Show text label"Shows a short text next to the launcher button, for example "Chat with us".
    "Position"The corner of the screen where the launcher sits, for example "Bottom Right".
    OffsetDistance from the edge of the screen, from 0 to 120 pixels. Turn on "Sync" to keep both values matched.
    "Shape" and "Size"Sliders to round the corners and resize the launcher.
    Launcher iconReplace the default icon with your own image (about 200 x 200 px).
    SettingWhat it does
    "Header title"The greeting at the top of the widget, for example "Need help?" (up to 35 characters).
    "Header subtitle"A line under the title, for example "Response time within minutes".
    "Bot avatar"The image shown on automated replies (about 200 x 200 px).
    Header iconThe image beside the title.
    "Welcome message"The first line customers read when they start a conversation.
    SettingWhat it does
    "Color scheme"Whether the widget uses the light or dark settings.
    Launcher and header iconsSet separately for light and dark mode (about 200 x 200 px).
    "Background style""Single color" or "Gradient" for the header, launcher button and message bubbles, for light and dark mode.
    Background color or gradientYour brand color or gradient. Enter a hex code or use the color picker.
    "Font color""Light" or "Dark" text. Pick the one that reads clearly on your background.
    SettingWhat it does
    "Always show"Shows the widget on every page.
    "Show on select pages"Shows the widget only on the pages you list, such as pricing or checkout.
    "Hide on select pages"Shows the widget everywhere except the pages you list, such as login screens.
    "Addresses"Enter a full or relative URL. Use * as a wildcard, for example https://app.atlas.so/*. Click "Add another one" to add more.
    Important:
    If your site is a single-page application (SPA), call Atlas.call('update') every time the route changes so the visibility rules apply.
    SettingWhat it does
    "Use widget menu"Shows a menu before chat or help opens, so customers choose where to go. Add a short subheader.
    Menu optionsItems such as "Chat with us" or "Help Center". Drag the handles to reorder; use the edit or trash icon to change or delete one.
    "Add Menu Option"Add an item with an emoji "Icon" and a "Name". Choose "Link" to open a URL, or "Callback" to run your own code.
    Important:
    Callbacks need developer setup. Register them when you start Atlas, for example window.Atlas.call("start", { callbacks: { hello: () => alert('hello!') } }).
    SettingWhat it does
    "Users can reply to closed ticket"On: a reply reopens the closed ticket. Off: the customer is asked to start a new ticket.
    "Sound notifications"Plays a sound for customers when your team replies.
    "Use fallback channels"Delivers unread replies another way. Set the "Fallback delay" (10 minutes by default) and tick the channels in "Fallback priority", in order.
    Important:
    Atlas tries the fallback channels in order and stops at the first one that gets through.
    SettingWhat it does
    "Apply business hours"Tells customers when they're chatting outside working hours. Requires business hours.
    "Offline message"What customers see when your team is away.
    "Show return time to customers"Shows roughly when your team will be back.
    SettingWhat it does
    "Show form to visitors""Never", "Always" (before the chat starts) or "Outside business hours".
    "Send message to visitors"The text above the form.
    "Select data to collect"Tick "Name", "Email Address" or "Phone Number". Ask only for what you'll use.
    SettingWhat it does
    "Help Center Articles for Customers"Articles shown to signed-in customers. Click "Insert Article(s)" to add them.
    Articles for visitorsA separate list for visitors, since they usually have different questions.

    How to turn off the chat widget

    1. Go to  "App Configuration > Channels > Chat" .
    2. Turn off "Use chat".
    3. Click "Save".

    How to remove a widget menu option

    1. Go to  "App Configuration > Channels > Chat" .
    2. Under the widget menu options, click the trash icon on the option.
    3. Click "Save".

    FAQs & Troubleshooting

    Why doesn't the widget appear on a page?

    Common causes:

    • "Use chat" is turned off.
    • "Widget visibility" is set to "Show on select pages" and the page is not listed, or set to "Hide on select pages" and the page is listed.
    • The install snippet is not on that page.
    • The changes were not saved.

    Why don't customers see the offline message?

    "Apply business hours" must be on, and business hours must be set up. The offline message is shown outside those hours. Use the "Offline" preview tab to check it.

    Why wasn't my unread reply sent by email or SMS?

    Check that "Use fallback channels" is on, the channel is ticked in the fallback priority list, and the fallback delay has passed (10 minutes unseen by default). Atlas stops after the first channel that gets through.

    Why do formatting options in the chat composer differ from email?

    The chat composer may offer different formatting options than other channels. This is expected.

    What happens when a customer replies to a closed ticket?

    If "Users can reply to closed ticket" is on, the ticket reopens. If it is off, the customer is told the ticket is closed and is prompted to create a new ticket.

    Do my changes apply to customers who already have the widget open?

    Settings go live on your widget when you click "Save". Changes are not applied until you save.

    Can I limit a customer to one open chat at a time?

    There is no setting for this on the Chat settings page shown in the demos. The closest option is "Users can reply to closed ticket", which controls whether replies reopen a closed ticket or start a new one. Contact  support@atlas.so  if you need this behavior.

    Can I restore previous chat settings?

    No previous versions are shown on the Chat settings page. Once you save, the new settings replace the old ones.

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