Department selection before chat
Let visitors choose the department they need before starting a new chat, with optional mandatory selection.
What it is
The department selector asks visitors which part of your organisation they need. It can display separate options or a dropdown. You can require a choice before chat continues.
Who uses it and why
Visitors choose the department that matches their request. People with the Settings role maintain the available departments and decide whether selection is optional or mandatory.
Where to find it
With the Settings role, manage departments in Settings › Chat › Departments. Configure the visitor choice in Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey, under Disclaimer/Department. Older panes use Settings › Chat › Chat Pane.
How it works
Before a new chat, INSIDE loads the configured department choices. A pre-chat survey can restrict the list. Without that restriction, the visitor interface requests the website's department list.
The visitor selects a department from the options or dropdown. INSIDE records the choice for the chat's routing. If Force selection of department before allowing chat is enabled, the visitor must choose before continuing.
Selection normally appears while assistants are available and there is no chat already in progress. A previously chosen department, another survey view or an operator-specific chat link can prevent the selector from appearing again.
Configure it
- Create the departments and their routing setup in Departments.
- Open the relevant pre-chat survey and enable Show Department.
- Select the departments to offer and enter Select Department Text in each required language.
- Choose whether to force selection and whether to use a dropdown.
- Save the survey and check that the intended theme uses it.
For an older pane, use its Show Department Selector controls instead. Check the pane version before changing settings.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Department | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey | website | Off | Settings role | Include department selection in this pre-chat setup. |
| Departments | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey | website | No restricted list when none is selected | Settings role | Select the departments to offer; without a restricted list, the visitor interface requests the website's department list. |
| Force selection of department before allowing chat | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey | website | Off when not configured | Settings role | Require a department choice before proceeding with chat. |
| Show department selector as dropdown | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey | website | Off when not configured | Settings role | Present departments in a dropdown rather than separate options. |
| Show Department Selector | Settings › Chat › Chat Pane | website | Off | Settings role | Display department selection at the start of a legacy chat pane conversation. |
| Select Department Text | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey | website | New surveys use: To help us better assist you, which department do you require assistance from? No custom prompt is supplied if absent from a saved survey. | Settings role | Supply the translated prompt for department selection. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Manage departments and configure their visitor-facing selection. |
Limits and good to know
- Turning off Show Department clears the associated forced-selection and dropdown options when saved.
- An empty restriction list does not mean no departments are offered. The website list is used instead.
- Choosing a department does not itself start an operator conversation or guarantee immediate availability.
- An active chat normally does not ask for the initial department again.
Depends on and works with
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- DepartmentsRequires
Configured departments supply the names and optional bot context actions offered by the selector.
- Visitor chat paneRequires
The visitor chat pane displays the department choices.
- Pre-chat survey for visitorsConfigured by
Pre-chat survey settings control department selection in the current pane.
- Chat links for visitorsConfigured by
Operator-specific chat links can bypass department choice.
- Visitor chat languages and text directionEnhances
The department prompt supports translated text.
- Legacy chat pane settingsConfigured by
The legacy pane uses its own department-selection controls.
Used by
- DepartmentsEnhances
Configure the visitor department selector separately to display the department choices.
- Visitor messages and sending feedbackConfigured by
A required department choice blocks ordinary messaging until the visitor selects a department.
- Pre-chat survey for visitorsEnhances
A survey can include department selection.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why can visitors chat without choosing a department?
Enable Show Department and Force selection of department before allowing chat in the survey actually used by that theme. Check that the visitor is starting a new chat.
Why are more departments shown than I expected?
Check the survey's Departments selection. If it contains no restriction, the interface requests the website list.
Why is there no department choice on an operator chat link?
An operator-specific link can route directly to its selected operator and suppress department selection.
Why can I not see any department choices?
Check that departments exist, the intended survey is selected, Show Department is enabled and live assistants are available. A missing list is not resolved by making selection mandatory.