Know who you are talking to before the chat starts
A pre-chat form asks visitors for their details before they can send a message. You decide what you ask for, and whether people register, log in, or both.
This is for you if replies keep going nowhere because you have no email address to answer on, or if your chat is only meant for people who already have an account with you. Everything lives under Settings > Users.
Step by step
Decide what the form should do
Go to Settings > Users and open Require registration. You can choose a Registration form, a Registration and login form, or a Login form on its own. Pick the one that matches how you want people to reach you.
Choose what you ask for
Under Registration fields, enable only the fields you actually need. If you limit it to name, or to email alone, the form becomes a light pre-chat form rather than a full sign-up.
Enable the email field if you want a login form
The login form only appears when the email field is enabled under Registration fields. Without it, returning visitors have no way to identify themselves.
Set the wording of the login link email
Forgot password sends people a login link by email. Edit that message at Settings > Users > Login link email; it uses the email template. This option is available only when Require registration includes a login form.
Connect your own accounts if you have them
Fill in Login verification URL under Settings > Users to check sign-ins against your own system. We send email and password as URL parameters, and expect a JSON object back containing at least first_name.
Settings reference
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Require registration | Turns the pre-chat form on and sets which form visitors see: Registration form, Registration and login form, or Login form. |
| Registration fields | Chooses which details a visitor is asked for before the chat begins. |
| Login verification URL | Checks the email and password against your own system and reads the user's details back from your response. |
| Login link email | The wording of the email sent when someone uses Forgot password. |
Good to know
No email field, no login form
The login form is tied to the email field. If that field is switched off under Registration fields, the login form will not appear at all.
An email already on file becomes a login
If someone registers with an email address that is already registered, a one-time code is sent so they can log in to the existing account instead of creating a second one.
Forgot password depends on the login form
The Forgot password link only exists when Require registration includes a login form. On a registration-only form there is nothing to recover.
People can arrive already logged in
Users can be logged in automatically through URL parameters, so returning customers do not have to fill the form again.
What your verification URL must return
The response has to be a JSON object with at least first_name in it. It can also carry last_name, email, profile_image, department, password and details.
You can skip the form on one page
Add var SB_REGISTRATION_REQUIRED = false; to a page to drop the mandatory registration there. Setting it to true forces the form on that page instead.
Common questions
Do I have to ask for a full set of details?
Why can nobody log in to the chat?
What happens if a visitor registers with an email we already have?
Can I use the accounts from my own website?
Can I turn the form off on a single page?
How do I change the Forgot password email?
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