Setting up a new live chat tool can feel like a lot, even when the software itself is simple. This guide walks through how JivoChat’s setup process actually works, what the main sections of the app do, and answers to the questions new users run into most often — written independently, in plain language, based on how the platform is actually used.
Creating Your Account
Getting started with JivoChat begins with a short registration flow on the website. You’ll enter an email and password (or sign up directly with a Google account), then fill in a few basic profile details — your name, a profile photo, your role, and a color theme for the chat widget that will eventually appear on your site. All of these can be changed later from inside the app, so there’s no need to overthink them at this stage.
After that, you’ll be prompted to write a proactive greeting message — the text that pops up to invite visitors to chat — along with your website domain, business phone number, and country. The last step is choosing how you want to use JivoChat day to day: as a desktop app (recommended for daily use, since it tends to feel smoother for ongoing management) or directly in a browser. Mobile apps for iOS and Android are also available if you’d rather manage chats from a phone.
Installing the Chat Widget on Your Website
Once your account is set up, JivoChat gives you a small snippet of widget code tied to a unique Widget ID, found under Channels → your website channel → Installation in the dashboard. Pasting that snippet into your site’s HTML — usually just before the closing </body> tag — is enough to get the widget live.
For popular platforms, the process is even simpler:
- WordPress: a dedicated plugin handles the installation without manually editing theme files
- Shopify: installed through the app store, with authorization handled during setup
- Other website builders (Wix, Weebly, BigCommerce, and similar platforms): most offer a one-click JivoChat integration or a plugin-style installer
After installing, it’s worth sending yourself a test message from inside the app (Contact Center → Inbox → send a message to yourself) to confirm everything is connected before real visitors start chatting.
Understanding the Contact Center
The Contact Center is where all incoming conversations live, and it’s organized into three tabs:
- Inbox — new chats that haven’t been picked up by an agent yet; you can accept or pass on them here
- My Dialogs — conversations currently assigned to you
- Archives — closed or past conversations, kept for reference
From within an active chat, agents have a few useful tools available: inviting another teammate into the same conversation, transferring a chat entirely to a colleague, or marking a visitor as spam if needed. Conversations can also be labeled with custom “chat topics” — set up by an administrator under Contact Center settings — which makes it possible to later see reporting broken down by the type of request customers are sending in most often.
Using the Built-In CRM
Alongside the Contact Center sits JivoChat’s CRM section, where customer profiles, deals, and follow-up tasks are managed. Every contact who chats in gets a profile that stores their conversation history and basic details, and deals can be organized into a visual pipeline to track where a lead currently stands. Reminders can be set as tasks, so a follow-up doesn’t slip through the cracks after a conversation ends.
For small teams that don’t already run a separate CRM, this is often enough to keep sales conversations organized without needing to pay for and connect a second piece of software.
Connecting Other Channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram & More)
Beyond the website widget, JivoChat can pull in messages from WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, Apple Business Chat, and email, all landing in the same Contact Center inbox. Each channel is added individually from the Channels menu, and platforms that rely on Meta’s messaging APIs (WhatsApp and Facebook in particular) typically require verifying a business account through Meta’s own setup process before the connection goes live — this step happens outside JivoChat itself, so it can take a little longer than adding, say, Telegram.
Setting Up an AI Chatbot
JivoChat’s chatbot can be configured to answer frequently asked questions automatically, engage visitors outside business hours, and collect contact details from visitors before handing the conversation to a human agent. It’s set up from the Integrations menu, where you can define the questions it should recognize and the responses it should give. For most small businesses, it’s worth starting with a short list of the handful of questions customers ask constantly — shipping times, return policy, business hours — rather than trying to script every possible scenario on day one.
Adding Team Members
Additional agents can be invited from the Teammates section of the dashboard. Once invited, a new agent receives an email with instructions to install the desktop or mobile app and log in with their own credentials. Admins can assign specific agents to be automatically reassigned a returning visitor’s chat, which helps keep continuity when the same customer reaches out more than once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install the desktop app, or can I just use JivoChat in a browser?
Either works. The desktop app is generally recommended for agents handling chats regularly, since notifications and day-to-day management tend to feel smoother outside a browser tab, but the browser version is fully functional and a fine starting point.
Can I use JivoChat on my phone?
Yes — mobile apps are available for both iOS and Android, letting agents reply to chats, take calls, and manage conversations without being at a desk.
Why hasn’t my WhatsApp or Facebook channel connected yet?
These integrations rely on Meta’s business verification process, which happens outside JivoChat. If a connection isn’t going through, it’s worth checking the status of your Meta Business verification before assuming something is wrong on the JivoChat side.
Can multiple agents work from the same inbox?
Yes. Chats can be transferred between agents without losing conversation history, and teammates can be invited into an ongoing conversation to collaborate in real time.
Is there a free plan to test everything first?
JivoChat offers a free plan that includes unlimited chat widgets and messages, making it possible to fully test the setup process before committing to a paid tier.
Where to Go From Here
This guide covers the parts of JivoChat that most new users need to get running day one. For anything more specific — API documentation, advanced automation rules, or troubleshooting a particular integration — the official JivoChat Help Center has detailed, up-to-date articles for nearly every feature in the platform.
If you haven’t set up an account yet, it takes just a few minutes to get a working chat widget live on your site.