Chat supports numerous channel types; making communicating with your students easy. There is no limit to the number of channels you can create.
Channels can be created/edited/deleted by navigating to Settings > Channels.
Live Chat
Live Chat channels allow students to instant message you from anywhere your live chat channel is embedded.
Creating a Live Chat channel
There's no limit to the number of live chat channels you can create on your Chat account. Existing Live Chat channels can be edited by going to Settings > Channels. New channels can be added by clicking + Add New, finding the Live Chat card and clicking Add New Channel.
Let's run through the different fields when creating/editing a Live Chat channel:
🔎 Field | 💡 Description |
Channe Title | The internal name of the channel |
Widget Colour | The hex color of the widget open/close icon, buttons and header |
Widget Header Logo | This logo appears in the chat window header (225px by 30px) |
Widget Design |
|
↳ Default | Uses Gecko's default animated chat window open/close icons |
↳ Custom | Upload bespoke static image chat window open/close icons (70x70px) |
Chat Into Message | If using a pre-chat form, display this message in the chat header |
Unavailability Options |
|
↳ Show Unavailability message | Shows this message when Available When users are offline/unavailable |
↳ Hide widget | Hides this Live Chat channel widget when Available When users are offline/unavailable |
Available When | The agent(s)/team(s) to reference when checking Unavailablity Options |
Pre-Chat form | Pick the custom fields you want to capture before students can start a conversation. Individual fields can be set to required or optional |
Translate Bot Messages | When speaking with a bot, it allows the student to auto-translate bot messages into another language |
Use bot suggestions | Pick a bot to provide answer suggestions to your agents in conversations |
Allowed websites | Only allow your widget to load on pre-defined webpages |
Embedding a Live Chat channel
Clicking on any Live Chat channel on the Settings > Channels page will expose all live chat settings and your channel's unique Embed Code.
This code can be pasted directly into your web page's <body> or <head> tags or added to multiple web pages using Google Tag Manager.
The Gecko Engagement Widget also lets you embed your Live Chat channel into its various offerings!
Once embedded, your live chat widget will appear in the bottom-right corner of your webpage. The widget location can be changed using the following code:
<style>
<!-- Moves the open/close chat widget button -->
.GeckoChatWidget .ChatButton {
bottom: 60px !important;
right: 60px !important;
}
<!-- Moves the chat window -->
.ChatContainer {
bottom: 160px !important;
right: 60px !important;
}
<!-- Moves pre-chat workflow messages, sender avatar and close icon -->
.GeckoChatWidget .UnreadMessages {
bottom: 200px !important;
right: 60px !important;
}
</style>
SMS/Texting
To create an SMS channel, ensure your Chat agent profile has a valid telephone number. This can be set in Agents > {your agent} > Edit Agent Details > Telephone. Your personal number will not be used for the SMS channel; it's needed to send you confirmation that your SMS channel has been set up! Once the setup is complete, your agent's telephone number can be removed.
There's no limit to the number of SMS channels you can create on your Chat account. Existing SMS channels can be edited by going to Settings > Channels. New channels can be added by clicking + Add New, finding the SMS card, and clicking Add New Channel.
Give your channel an internal title and pick whether your number should be based in the UK, USA, or Canada. After choosing a number, pick whether you'd like to forward incoming calls to a specific telephone number before clicking Save.
Gecko will immediately send a text message to the number in the telephone field of the user who created the channel, congratulating them on the channel being created! Reply to this message to see your text come into Chat.
SMS Channels allow you to use 2-way texting throughout the Engage platform.
Students can quickly opt-out of any texts you send through Chat by replying to any messages with STOP. This prevents them from receiving future messages from the SMS channel they respond to.
There's no limit to the number of email channels you can create and no cap on the number of emails you can send from Chat. Existing email channels can be edited by going to Settings > Channels. New channels can be added by clicking + Add New, finding the Email card, and clicking Add New Channel.
🔎 Field | 💡 Description |
Your GeckoChat email address | The field is visible once the email channel has been initially saved. Gecko will use this non-spoofed email address when sending emails from Chat. This email can be used to set up forwarding rules from your actual email inboxes into Chat |
Channel title | The internal name of the email channel. Not visible to students externally |
Sending email address | The spoof email address Gecko should use when sending emails from Chat. This will be visible to email recipients |
Sender name | The spoof sender name Gecko should use when sending emails from Chat. This will be visible to email recipients |
Reply to option | If a student clicks 'reply' on the email, they receive from Chat, which email address should go in the 'to' field? By default, this will be the Sending email address |
Chat supports all the features you’d expect of an email provider - rich text editing, CC + BCCs, email forwarding, email threading based on the subject line, email staff signatures, and the ability to upload attachments.
Facebook Messenger
Note: for this channel to function, you will need a Facebook business page or account connected to an Instagram business account.
The Facebook messenger channel allows any DMs sent to your FB business page to be pushed into Chat. Any replies you send back from Chat are sent to the student on Facebook messenger.
Setting up your Facebook messenger channel is quick and easy. Go to Settings > Channels > + Add New. Find the Facebook card and click Add new channel.
Click Login to Facebook and enter your email and password. Once configured, a window will open in Chat, asking you to provide a Channel Title and to specify which eligible Facebook page(s) you'd like to integrate.
Troubleshooting
🔎 Issue: Why can't I respond to old Messenger messages from Chat?
To explain, if a student sends you a message on Facebook Messenger or Instagram, this begins a 24-hour countdown. During this 24-hour countdown, you can respond to the student without restrictions. Each time the student sends a new message, it resets the 24-hour countdown.
When the 24-hour countdown elapses, you cannot send any additional messages to the student. Any subsequent messages that you try to send from a Meta channel will be blocked until the student messages you once again.
tl;dr - if a student last messaged you on Facebook Messenger or Instagram more than 24 hours ago, you'll be unable to respond.
Note: for this channel to function, you will need an eligible Instagram business account connected to a Facebook page or account.
The Instagram channel allows any DMs to your Instagram page to be pushed to Chat automatically. Any replies you send from Chat are sent back to the student on Instagram.
Setting up your Instagram channel is easy. Log into Chat and click Settings > Channels > + Add New. Find the Instagram card and click Add new channel.
Click Login to Facebook and enter your email and password. Lastly, a window will open in Chat asking you to provide a Channel Title and to specify which eligible Instagram Business Account you'd like to integrate.
Troubleshooting
🔎 Issue: Why aren't messages being pushed from Instagram to Chat or vice versa?
To allow messages to sync between Instagram and Chat, you must ensure the two platforms are correctly configured to talk to one another. To ensure this:
Log into your Instagram Business Account
Select the "hamburger" drop-down menu in the top-right
Navigate to Settings > Privacy > Messages
Toggle Allow access to messages to on
🔎 Issue: Why can't I respond to old Instagram messages from Chat?
To explain, if a student sends you a message on Facebook Messenger or Instagram, this begins a 24-hour countdown. During this 24-hour countdown, you can respond to the student without restrictions. Each time the student sends a new message, it resets the 24-hour countdown.
When the 24-hour countdown elapses, you cannot send any additional messages to the student. Any subsequent messages that you try to send from a Meta channel will be blocked until the student messages you once again.
tl;dr - if a student last messaged you on Facebook Messenger or Instagram more than 24 hours ago, you'll be unable to respond.
Note: for this channel to function, you'll need a Facebook Business Manager account. All WhatsApp channels are also subject to a business case review by Meta.
Gecko's WhatsApp channel allows you to speak with students via an existing WhatsApp business number on a 1-to-1 basis. Once set up, any messages sent to your WhatsApp number will automatically be pushed to Chat. Any replies from Chat will be sent to the student via WhatsApp.
Getting set up with WhatsApp can take a little bit of time, but is easy to follow:
Step 1: Facebook Business Manager
What? Meta (parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) requires all WhatsApp channels to be linked to your Facebook Business Manager. The Business Manager manages your Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, and WhatsApp numbers in one place. If you don't already have a Facebook Business Manager account, you can create one by following the steps here.
Task: Gecko will need your Facebook Business Manager ID. This can be found in the Business Info section under Business Settings. Be sure to note this ID, as we'll need it later!
Step 2: Set up an SMS Channel in Chat
What? Log into your Chat account and create a new SMS number. We'll later transform this number into your WhatsApp channel!
Task: Note the number of your newly created SMS channel. We'll need this later.
Step 3: Read and accept the WhatsApp terms of service
What? Meta requires all end-users to accept its terms of service.
Task: Review and confirm the WhatsApp Client Terms.
Step 4: Submit a WhatsApp channel request form
What? Meta insists that all new channels are subject to a business case review. Gecko will help you with this - fill in the form below! You'll need all of the information gathered in steps 1-3.
Task: Complete the form below:
Once you complete the form, our support team will receive an alert and will go on to place a request to verify your SMS number with WhatsApp.
Presently, it takes WhatsApp anything from a few days to a whole month to verify a number. Sadly there's nothing we can do to expedite this, and we thank you for your patience!
Once Meta has verified your request, the success team will inform you that your brand-new WhatsApp channel is good to go!
Troubleshooting
🔎 Issue: Why can't I respond to old WhatsApp messages from Chat?
To explain, if a student sends you a message on Facebook Messenger or Instagram, this begins a 24-hour countdown. During this 24-hour countdown, you can respond to the student without restrictions. Each time the student sends a new message, it resets the 24-hour countdown.
When the 24-hour countdown elapses, you cannot send any additional messages to the student. Any subsequent messages that you try to send from a Meta channel will be blocked until the student messages you once again.
tl;dr - if a student last messaged you on Facebook Messenger or Instagram more than 24 hours ago, you'll be unable to respond.
🔎 Issue: How can I start a conversation on WhatsApp?
The link below can be re-tooled and shared with students to instigate conversations. This link can be included in emails, SMS messages, or even as an anchored link on your webpage.
If a student clicks the link, it'll open their WhatsApp app and send a message to Chat via your WhatsApp channel.
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone={your-phone-number}&text={your-message-goes-here}
To use the link, there are a few edits you'll need to make:
{your-phone-number} - replace this with your WhatsApp channel number. Head to Settings > Channels and click on your WhatsApp channel. Copy the number (including any international dial codes) into your link. For example, a WhatsApp channel number of +4412345678910 would look like this:
...?phone=+4412345678910
{your-message-goes-here} - replace this with the message you want to be automatically sent when the link is tapped/clicked. White/blank spaces are encoded using the characters %20. For example, a message of "Hello there" would be written as
....&text=Hello%20there
Simple! Combining the two examples above, our conversation-initiating link would look like this:
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=+4412345678910&text=Hello%20there
Any questions? Start a live chat with a support team member, or feel free to explore the rest of our academy. Spotted an error or want to suggest a future article for the academy? Let us know here.