Configuring Chatbot Live Chat Settings

Chatbots are an automated communication service that allow users to search for answers about your content, and they provide a series of answers and means of collecting data. Chatbots can quickly and effectively navigate site visitors to the solutions for their problems. You can enable Live Chat settings to be able to directly communicate with users who reach specific parts of your chatbot workflows and fulfill the logic requirements for communicating through Live Chat. This article will detail how to configure and use Live Chat.  Article Contents Enabling Live Chat Adding Chat Users  Setting Chat Availability Removing Chat Users Disabling Live Chat Using Live Chat Actions in Workflows Configuring Slack Permissions Communicating via Slack Regarding Preview Mode			Available with:
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Enabling Live Chat

In order to use Live Chat features, you will first need to enable Live Chat in your instance. To enable Live Chat settings, do the following:			Click to enlarge.
1.	In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click Chatbots.
2.	Click Enable Live Chat.
3.	Click Connect to Slack.		Note: You may not need to enter credentials if you are currently logged in to Slack's web-based client.
4.	Enter your workspace's Slack URL.
5.	Click Continue.
6.	Sign in to Slack, if prompted.		Note: Clicking Setup will open the main user configuration modal. Clicking Close will complete the connection process and close the modal window. You can configure Live Chat users at any time.
7.	Enter two-factor authentication information, if prompted.
8.	Click Allow.
9.	Click Setup.

Adding Chat Users 

Once you have enabled Live Chat, you can give users the ability to directly communicate with site visitors. The Live Chat users you add to the feature will be able to communicate through Slack.

Be aware that your Live Chat users will need to have Slack installed in order to use this feature effectively. Site visitors do not need to have Slack installed, as they will only ever see the chatbot on the site they are visiting.

1.	In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click Chatbots.		Click to enlarge.
2.	Click Live Chat Settings.
3.	Enter the desired user's name in the Select Live Chat User field.
4.	Select the user's name.
5.	Repeat as necessary.
6.	Click Save.

Setting Chat Availability

Added users can be set as available for chat. Users who are set as available will be those users who will directly communicate through Slack with site visitors who have requested communication via Live Chat.

To set chat availability for users, do the following:

1.	In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click Chatbots.
2.	Click Live Chat Settings.		Click to enlarge.
3.	Locate the desired chat user.
4.	Set the Availability toggle to either Available or Unavailable.
5.	Repeat as necessary for other chat users.
6.	Click Save.
Available users will have a    blue dot next to their   User Settings avatar in SharpSpring's top toolbar. This indicates that they are available for Live Chat communication.

Removing Chat Users

You can remove users from Live Chat at any time. To remove users from Live Chat, do the following:

1.	In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click Chatbots.		Click to enlarge.
2.	Click Live Chat Settings.
3.	Locate the desired chat user.
4.	Click    Remove.
5.	Repeat as necessary for other chat users.
6.	Click Save.

Disabling Live Chat

You can disable Live Chat features as necessary.  To disable Live Chat features, do the following:			Click to enlarge.
1.	In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click Chatbots.
2.	Click Live Chat Settings.
3.	Click Disable Live Chat.		Important: Disabling Live Chat will disable the connection between SharpSpring and Slack. It will also force chatbot workflows using this action to default to the away message. Modify those workflow branches before disabling Live Chat.
4.	Type Confirm.
5.	Click Disable.

Using Live Chat Actions in Workflows

You can configure your chatbot workflows to contain an action to divert site visitors with questions into a Live Chat channel in your Slack instance. To add an action to send site visitors to your Live Chat Slack channel, do the following:			Click to enlarge.
1.	In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click Chatbots.		Note: This action will be unavailable if Live Chat is not enabled. Enable Live Chat will be listed instead.
2.	Create or open a chatbot.
3.	Click + Add Action under the desired chatbot response.		Note: You can only use public Slack channels.
4.	Click Chatbot Actions.
5.	Click Route to live chat.		Note: If you enter a Slack channel name that does not exist in your Slack instance, the channel will be created when this action fires.
6.	Enter the desired public Slack channel in the Slack Channel field.
7.	Enter a display message in the Away Message text editor.		Important: Both a Slack channel and a display message are required.
8.	Click OK.

Configuring Slack Permissions

In order to effectively utilize the chatbot with Slack, your Slack administrator will need to configure Slack channel management permissions in a way that suits your workspace's Slack instance. Specifically, your Slack administrator will need to configure permissions that permit users to create and archive channels. To configure Slack permissions, do the following:			Click to enlarge.
1.	Log into your workspace Slack instance.
2.	Click your Slack instance name at the top of the left panel.		Important: You must have administrator privileges in your Slack instance to change management permissions.
3.	Click Settings and administration > Workplace Settings.
4.	Click the Permissions tab.
5.	Click Expand in the Channel Management section.		Important: SharpSpring has no control over how Slack grants or configures application permission. Slack may change how permission is modified at any time and without warning. These procedures are constantly changing. This procedure and all associated information may be outdated.
6.	Select Everyone, except guests from the People who can create public channels drop-down menu.
7.	Select Everyone, except guests from the People who can archive channels drop-down menu.
8.	Click Save.
For more information on installing and using Slack, refer to Slack's external documentation.

Communicating via Slack

Once you have configured Live Chat settings and added the Live Chat action to a chatbot workflow, site visitors who navigate your workflow to that point will then be able to communicate with available Live Chat users. 

Available users will communicate through Slack, which will allow for a log of communication between the site visitor and the Live Chat user. The site visitor will only ever see and communicate through the chatbot on the site they are visiting.

To communicate with site visitors who have opened a Live Chat conversation via a chatbot, do the following:

1.	Log into your workspace Slack instance.		Click to enlarge.
2.	Click the Slack channel that was set in the workflow action.
3.	Click the Join Live Chat link.		Important: Users must have display names set to their accounts in order to chat without issue.
4.	Converse with the site visitor as necessary through the Slack message window.
5.	Type one of the following in the Slack message when the conversation concludes: /endlivechat before the site visitor leaves the chat /archive after the site visitor leaves the chat		Important: Pop-up blockers will prevent the chatbot from loading on your site.
Be aware that /endlivechat is a slash command that is specific to the SharpSpring-Slack integration. Similarly, /archive is also a slash command—but it is a core slash command in Slack. Typing either command will end the conversation and also archive the channel. That said, the user who types /endlivechat or /archive must have the appropriate permissions in Slack to be able to archive channels.  When another site visitor opens a Live Chat session, a new channel will be made, and the archived channel will not be opened. For more information on installing and using Slack, refer to Slack's external documentation.

Regarding Preview Mode

You can preview your chatbots as necessary, which allows you to view how a chatbot operates and functions. Issues with a chatbot's overall logic path, statements, or other components can be seen and attended to before you activate it.

When you open a chatbot in preview mode, a webpage with the chatbot is opened in a new browser tab. In this preview mode, all interactions you make with the chatbot will be in offline mode. Additionally, interactions in preview mode will not push to SharpSpring or send Live Chat requests.