# Chat links

Share links that direct visitors towards selected operators, teams or channels and track referral sources.

*Release 3.3 · admin, operator, visitor*

**Settings › Chat › Chat Links** · **Settings › Account › My Links**

## What it is

**Chat Links** gives you shareable entry points to the visitor chat experience. A link can favour an operator, team or channel, offer appointment scheduling and identify a referral source.

## Who uses it and why

Users with the **Settings** role create and maintain links for a routing purpose. Operators share their available links with visitors. Visitors follow the link to request help or schedule an appointment, depending on its configuration.

## Where to find it

With the **Settings** role, open **Settings › Chat › Chat Links** to manage links. Operators can find their own links under **Settings › Account › My Links**.

## How it works

The visitor follows a link to its configured destination. INSIDE checks the preferred recipients and their availability. It can show different messages when an operator is unavailable, the visitor is waiting or another operator can help.

Preferred recipients receive priority in routing. **Allow Connecting to Other Operators** controls fallback when those recipients are unavailable. **Allow Connecting to Limited Operators** can widen the supported capacity eligibility; it does not remove all capacity limits.

A link can run pre-chat intake, start chat automatically or open appointment scheduling. Generated links can carry a **Referral Source Name**. INSIDE records available or unavailable views, clicks, starts and failures for referral analysis.

## Configure it

Create or edit a link in **Chat Links**. Set **Name** and **URL**, then choose **Channels**, **Subsites**, **Settings › Teams** and **Operator** as required. The destination must be a valid web address using HTTP or HTTPS.

Set the visitor messages, fallback options and available or unavailable images. Choose any pre-chat, automatic-start, date-filter, scheduling or available call options, then save.

When generating the shareable output, choose **Link**, **Button** or **QR Code**. Add a referral source if you need to distinguish placements. Saving a link also updates its existing short links to use the revised settings.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enabled | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | On for new links | Settings role | Makes the link available for use, subject to recipient availability. |
| Schedule Appointments Link | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Off | Settings role | Creates an appointment-scheduling entry rather than the ordinary direct-chat experience. |
| Start Video Call | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Unknown | Settings role | Enables video-call entry options where the video controls are available. |
| Voice Only | Settings › Chat › Chat Links › Visitor or Operator | website | Unknown | Settings role | Selects voice-only participation separately for the visitor or operator. |
| Video Chat | Settings › Chat › Chat Links › Visitor or Operator | website | Unknown | Settings role | Selects video participation separately for the visitor or operator. |
| Camera is off at start of Chat | Settings › Chat › Chat Links › Visitor or Operator | website | Unknown | Settings role | Starts the selected participant's camera turned off. |
| Channels | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Any | Settings role | Selects the channels associated with the link. |
| Subsites | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Any | Settings role | Associates the link with a subsite. |
| Settings › Teams | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Any | Settings role | Selects preferred recipient teams. |
| Operator | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Any | Settings role | Selects the preferred recipient operator. |
| No Operator Available Message | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Not set | Settings role | Sets the visitor message used when the link has no available operator. No custom message is supplied until one is configured. |
| Awaiting Operator Message | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Not set | Settings role | Sets the visitor message while waiting for an operator. No custom message is supplied until one is configured. |
| Allow Connecting to Other Operators | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Off; selecting a specific operator turns it On | Settings role | Allows fallback to other eligible operators if preferred recipients are unavailable. |
| Other Operator Available Message | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Not set | Settings role | Sets the message used when an alternative operator is available. No custom message is supplied until one is configured. |
| Allow Connecting to Limited Operators | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Off | Settings role | Allows the link to consider operators in the supported limited-capacity state. |
| Chat Available Image | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Not set | Settings role | Supplies the available-state image for a link button. |
| Chat Unavailable Image | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Not set | Settings role | Supplies the unavailable-state image for a link button. |
| Trigger Pre-Chat Survey/Task | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Off | Settings role | Runs the configured pre-chat intake when the visitor follows the link. |
| Start Chat Automatically | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Off for new links; On for existing operator links with no saved choice | Settings role | Starts the chat automatically through the link's configured entry flow. |
| Enforce Channel Date Filters | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | website | Off | Settings role | Applies channel date restrictions to the link's availability handling. |

### Fields

| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | Yes | Identifies the link in administration, with a maximum of 250 characters. |
| Description | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | No | Adds a description for the link. |
| Thumbnail | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | No | Adds an image to identify the link. |
| URL | Settings › Chat › Chat Links | Yes | Sets the destination website page for the chat link. |
| Referral Source Name | Settings › Chat › Chat Links › Download Chat Link | No | Identifies the source of visits through a generated link, with a maximum of 50 characters. |
| Select chat link style: | Settings › Chat › Chat Links › Download Chat Link | Yes | Chooses Link, Button or QR Code output. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Allows access to Chat Links to create and maintain links. |

## Limits and good to know

- A link does not guarantee that the preferred operator is online or able to accept more work.
- The link can be enabled while its recipients are unavailable. Check both states.
- **Name** allows up to 250 characters. **Referral Source Name** allows up to 50 and must pass the form's character validation.
- Channel date filters can affect availability when **Enforce Channel Date Filters** is enabled.
- Appointment-only links follow scheduling behaviour rather than ordinary live-chat availability.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Configured in** [Subsites](ADM-003.md): Subsite records supply the subsite choices available when configuring a chat link.
- **Configured in** [Teams](ADM-013.md): Team membership determines the operators available for a team-targeted link.
- **Configured in** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Channel routing and date filters control recipient eligibility for live-chat links.
- **Configured in** [Chat limits and wind-down](CHAT-008.md): Operator availability and capacity affect whether a recipient can accept the chat.
- **Works better with** [Browser video and audio calls](RTC-017.md): Eligible link setups can offer video or voice-call entry.
- **Works better with** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): A link can invoke the configured pre-chat survey or task.
- **Works better with** [Appointment booking for visitors](VX-023.md): Appointment-only links use scheduling.
- **Related** [Event, link and Virtual Assistant reports](REP-013.md): Entry-point reports help review chat-link referral activity.
- **Related** [Chat links for visitors](VX-024.md): The visitor entry guide explains what happens when someone follows a chat or appointment link.

### Used by

- **Required by** [QR codes for chat links](RTC-035.md): The QR code uses a configured chat link and its destination and routing options.
- **Configures** [Chat links for visitors](VX-024.md): Chat Links settings define the destination, targets and entry options used by the visitor link.
- **Configures** [Event, link and Virtual Assistant reports](REP-013.md): Chat link settings and referral sources define the entries measured by Link Usage and Link Source.
- **Enhances** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Chat links can favour particular operators, teams or channels.
- **Enhances** [Chat limits and wind-down](CHAT-008.md): Chat links can allow limited operators to receive a chat within the link's special capacity tolerance.
- **Enhances** [Email templates and ticket notifications](CHN-028.md): Template tools can insert available chat links.
- **Enhances** [Sales attribution to conversations and operators](COM-021.md): Valid chat referral links can direct purchase credit to the referring conversation.
- **Enhances** [Teams](ADM-013.md): Chat links can target a team and prevent its deletion until those references are removed.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why does the link say no operator is available?

Check that the link is enabled, its preferred recipients are available and eligible, and any enforced channel date filters allow the request.

### Why did another operator receive the chat?

Check **Allow Connecting to Other Operators** and the recipients configured on the link. Preferred routing still depends on eligibility.

### Can I reuse a link after changing its routing?

Yes. Saving the link updates its existing short links with the revised settings.