Chatting with website visitors
Set up the website chat widget, add it to your practice website, and answer visitor messages from the omnichannel inbox.
The website chat widget is configured in Settings → Growth → Website Widgets. In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Growth, click Website Widgets. The page groups the website widgets and includes a chat widget card and a contact widget card. It lets visitors start a conversation from your own website. When a visitor submits the contact form, Ona creates a lead with the source widget and opens a website chat conversation your team can answer from the omnichannel inbox.
How do I turn on and customize the website chat widget?
In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Growth, click Website Widgets to control how the website chat widget looks and what visitors must enter before they can chat.
Use Settings (1) in the sidebar, then Website & Widget (2) in the settings menu.
- Enable the website widget.
- Set the text for the floating launcher. If it is blank, the widget uses Get in touch.
- Set the welcome message that appears at the top of the chat. If it is blank, the widget uses Hi! How can we help you today?
- Choose the widget color and starting state.
- Choose whether visitors must provide an email address or phone number.
- Review the preview before you add the widget to your website.
When the website widget is off, the embedded widget hides on websites where it has been added. Existing leads and conversations remain in Ona.
How do I add the widget to my website?
In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Growth, click Website Widgets. On the same page, after you turn the widget on, you need access to the part of your website where custom HTML or scripts can be added.
Use Embed code (1) to find the snippet, and Copy script (2) to copy it.
- Copy the widget script from the embed-code area.
- For a floating chat button, paste the script on the page where you want the widget to appear.
- For an embedded chat block, add
<div class="ona-widget"></div>where the chat should sit, then include the same script on the page. If there are several embedded chat blocks on a page, the first one is used. - Publish your website changes.
- Open your website and confirm the widget appears.
The floating widget sits at the bottom right of the page. The embedded block fills the width of its container, stays open in the page, and does not show a launcher or close button.
What do website visitors have to enter?
In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Growth, click Website Widgets. On Settings → Growth → Website Widgets, choose whether Phone and Email are required; otherwise, they are optional. Name is required. If you require date of birth, visitors pick it with the calendar picker.
If a visitor enters a phone number, it must be a valid phone number before the chat can start. The visitor selects Start chat to open the conversation.
The widget header shows Online now when your practice is available and Away right now when it is not. When the practice is away, the form tells visitors to leave a message and that your team will get back to them.
What does the visitor see in the chat?
In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Growth, click Website Widgets. On the same page, after the form is submitted, the visitor sees the chat view with your welcome message pinned at the top. The welcome message is a greeting in the widget, not a stored message in the conversation.
Messages are plain text in both directions. Automatic replies may appear in the transcript, and an automatic reply that arrives right after the visitor sends a message may show after a short typing indicator.
If the visitor comes back later in the same browser and the session is still valid, the widget resumes the existing conversation instead of asking them to fill out the form again. If the session is no longer valid, or the browser cannot store the session, the widget shows the contact form again.
How do I answer website chat messages?
In the left sidebar, under Communication, click Omnichannel (1). Website chat conversations appear in the omnichannel inbox like other conversations. Open the conversation and reply from the composer.
Use Omnichannel (1) in the left sidebar to open the inbox.
The visitor sees replies while the chat is open. For more on working in the inbox, see The omnichannel inbox. For lead follow-up, see Managing leads.
What can't I do here?
In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Growth, click Website Widgets. Access and widget behavior are limited in these ways:
- Staff and clinicians cannot configure the website chat widget from Settings.
- Visitors cannot start a chat without entering Name.
- Visitors cannot start a chat without Email or Phone when those fields are required.
- A phone number must be valid when a visitor enters one, even if phone is optional.
- The floating widget cannot auto-open on phone-sized screens.
- The embedded block cannot be closed by the visitor.
- If a visitor's browser blocks local storage, the widget may not be able to resume the same session later.
Common questions
Does turning off the widget delete website chats?
No. Turning off the website widget hides it where it is embedded. Existing leads and conversations stay in Ona.
Where do website visitors become leads?
When a visitor submits the widget contact form, Ona creates a lead with the source widget and links the website chat conversation to it.
Can I require both email and phone?
Yes. Require both if your team needs both before a visitor can start a chat.
Can the form open with the visitor's details filled in?
Yes, on pages that already know who is visiting, such as a patient area. Add any of data-first-name, data-last-name, data-email, data-phone and data-date-of-birth (as YYYY-MM-DD) to the widget's script tag, or to its <div class="ona-widget"> for an embedded chat. The chat uses the name, email and phone, and the date of birth field uses the calendar picker. Visitors can still change the details before they start the chat, and the details are never put in a web address.
What happens if a visitor returns later?
If the same browser still has a valid widget session, the visitor returns to the same conversation with its message history. If the session is no longer valid, the widget shows the contact form again.
Are widget messages rich text?
No. Widget messages are plain text in both directions.
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