# Department selection before chat

Let visitors choose the department they need before starting a new chat, with optional mandatory selection.

*Release 3.3 · admin, visitor*

**Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey** · **Settings › Chat › Departments** · **Settings › Chat › Chat Pane**

## 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

1. Create the departments and their routing setup in **Departments**.
2. Open the relevant pre-chat survey and enable **Show Department**.
3. Select the departments to offer and enter **Select Department Text** in each required language.
4. Choose whether to force selection and whether to use a dropdown.
5. 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

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Configured departments supply the names and optional bot context actions offered by the selector.
- **Requires** [Visitor chat pane](VX-002.md): The visitor chat pane displays the department choices.
- **Configured in** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): Pre-chat survey settings control department selection in the current pane.
- **Configured in** [Chat links for visitors](VX-024.md): Operator-specific chat links can bypass department choice.
- **Configured in** [Legacy chat pane settings](VX-032.md): The legacy pane uses its own department-selection controls.
- **Works better with** [Visitor chat languages and text direction](VX-031.md): The department prompt supports translated text.

### Used by

- **Configures** [Visitor messages and sending feedback](VX-006.md): A required department choice blocks ordinary messaging until the visitor selects a department.
- **Enhances** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Configure the visitor department selector separately to display the department choices.
- **Enhances** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): 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.