How to setup chat window flow?

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Introduction

Managing live chat with your website visitors is a great way to boost customer satisfaction and sales. But collecting visitor information and handling chats efficiently can sometimes be tricky. Zoho CRM’s chat window flow settings help you gather visitor details and manage conversations smoothly. This guide will show you how to set up and optimise your chat window flow, so you never miss out on important information or sales opportunities.

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

1. Set Up Pre-Chat Forms

Pre-chat forms collect essential visitor data before a chat starts. This means you won’t lose important info or have to scroll through long chat histories.

  • Go to Settings > Brands > Your Brand > Flow Control
  • Click Add Field to include the visitor info you want to collect (name, email, etc.)
  • Drag and drop to organise the fields
  • Under Form Style, choose Traditional to enable pre-chat forms
  • Mark fields as mandatory by ticking the Mark this field as mandatory box visitors must fill these out to start chatting

 

2. Set Up In-Chat Forms

 

In-chat forms let visitors start chatting immediately without filling out info first  perfect for quick support where speed matters. You can collect their details later in the conversation.

  • Navigate to Settings > Brands > Your Brand > Flow Control
  • Scroll to Form Style and select either:
    • Conversation – visitors enter details step-by-step in the chat window
    • Inline -visitors dive straight into chat and provide info through chat fields later
  • Click Save when prompted

3. Define Waiting Time for Visitors

Set how long operators have to respond before chats move to the missed section. Shorter wait times can increase satisfaction, but longer times help if you have fewer operators.

  • Go to Flow Control and set your preferred response time limit

4. Associate Departments with Brands

Route visitors to specific departments based on the website section they’re browsing. For example, car dealership queries go to the automobiles team.

  • Under Flow Control, scroll to Departments responsible for the chat
  • Select departments from the dropdown and assign them to your brand
  • Only operators in assigned departments will receive relevant chat requests
  • You can assign multiple departments, but at least one is required

 

5. Use Department Resources

Enable operators to access canned responses, templates, and more from their departments.

  • On the Flow Control page, toggle Display Departments for Resources
  • If disabled, manually select departments whose resources you want to use

6. Enable Reopening Chats

Allow visitors to reopen closed chats, helping operators assist based on previous conversations without starting fresh.

  • In Flow Control, toggle Reopen Chat to enable

7. Allow Parallel Conversations

Visitors can start new chats even while another chat is ongoing. Great for busy customers with multiple questions.

 

Enable this option in your chat

8. Configure Chat Notifications and Queue

Choose if chats are assigned automatically or manually to operators. Set a maximum queue limit per operator to manage workload.

  • Adjust chat notification preferences and queue limits under Flow Control

9. Show Visitor Questions in Accept Window

Display the visitor’s initial question in the operator’s incoming chat window for better context.

10. Enable Content Moderation

Filter abusive language to keep conversations professional and safe.

  • Navigate to the Abusive Content Moderation tab in Flow Control
  • Toggle Content Moderation on
  • Choose whether to monitor only operators or both bots and operators
  • Set message actions (display, mask, block) for abusive content
  • Adjust abusive word limits and customise warning messages
  • Set follow-up actions (close chat or block user) after limit is reached

11. Enable Operator Ratings and Feedback

Collect visitor feedback and operator ratings to improve support quality.

  • In Flow Control, toggle Enable operator ratings and feedback
  • Add motivational text and customise responses to feedback

Tips for Managing Chat Window Flow in Zoho CRM

  • Use mandatory fields wisely -Only require essential info to avoid frustrating visitors.
  • Balance response time -Too short can overwhelm operators; too long can annoy customers.
  • Route chats to the right departments -This boosts response quality and speed.
  • Moderate chat content to protect your brand reputation and ensure a positive environment.
  • Encourage feedback to improve your support and customer experience continuously.

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