# Visitor tracking consent and communication opt-ins

Ask visitors to accept cookie tracking before chatting and collect separate email and text opt-ins during pre-chat.

*Release 3.3 · admin, developer, visitor*

**Settings › Chat › Themes** · **Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey**

## What it is

**Data Privacy** lets the chat pane ask a visitor to accept cookie tracking before using chat. The prompt has acceptance and decline choices. Email and text opt-ins are separate choices collected in the pre-chat survey.

## Who uses it and why

Users with the **Settings** role set the wording and the pre-chat choices. Visitors decide whether to accept tracking and whether to opt in to email or text communication. Developers coordinating a website's privacy controls need to check that those controls and the INSIDE prompt produce the intended visitor experience.

## Where to find it

With the **Settings** role, open **Settings › Chat › Themes** for **Data Privacy**. Configure **Email Opt In** and **Text Opt In** in **Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey**.

Visitors may also see **Cookies Opt-out** in the chat menu when the privacy setup exposes it.

## How it works

1. When tracking acceptance is outstanding and privacy is enabled, the pane shows the configured **Consent Message**.
2. The message input is unavailable, and pre-chat waits for acceptance.
3. Selecting **Accept**, or its customised label, records the choice and allows the chat experience to continue.
4. Selecting **Decline** keeps chat input unavailable. If an **Opt-Out Message** is supplied, the visitor can confirm with **OK** or return to the prompt with **Cancel**.

The pre-chat email and text checkboxes submit independent choices with the relevant contact details. Accepting the privacy prompt does not itself select these communication opt-ins.

## Configure it

Enable **Enable Data Privacy** in the relevant theme. Supply the consent message, button wording and any decline confirmation in the languages you use. Include a consent message when enabling the prompt.

In the pre-chat survey, enable the email or mobile field and its corresponding opt-in. Enter the opt-in **Label** and choose its **Default** checkbox state. Check the theme uses that survey.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enable Data Privacy | Settings › Chat › Themes › Data Privacy | website | Off | Settings role | Allow the pane to explain privacy choices and request acceptance while the visitor has opted out of cookie tracking. |
| Consent Message | Settings › Chat › Themes › Data Privacy | website | Not set | Settings role | Set the message shown before the visitor accepts or declines. Without text, no consent prompt is displayed. |
| Opt-In Button Text | Settings › Chat › Themes › Data Privacy | website | Accept when no text is supplied | Settings role | Set the acceptance button label. |
| Opt-Out Button Text | Settings › Chat › Themes › Data Privacy | website | Decline when no text is supplied | Settings role | Set the decline button label. |
| Opt-Out Message | Settings › Chat › Themes › Data Privacy | website | Not set | Settings role | Show an optional confirmation after the visitor declines. Without text, the decline takes effect without this extra confirmation. |
| Opt-Out Menu Message | Settings › Chat › Themes › Data Privacy | website | Are you sure you want to opt out? You will no longer be able to live chat. | Settings role | Set the confirmation shown when the visitor chooses Cookies Opt-out. |
| Email Opt In | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey › Default Fields | website | Off | Settings role | Offer a separate email opt-in beside the pre-chat email field. |
| Text Opt In | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey › Default Fields | website | Off | Settings role | Offer a separate text opt-in beside the pre-chat mobile field. |
| Default | Settings › Chat › Pre-Chat Survey › Default Fields | website | Off for both email and text opt-ins | Settings role | In each opt-in section, choose whether that opt-in checkbox starts selected. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Configure theme privacy prompts and pre-chat opt-in choices. |

## Limits and good to know

- The current pane uses the visitor's cookie-tracking state to decide whether acceptance is outstanding.
- When privacy is disabled, the chat tab and pane are unavailable while the visitor has opted out of cookie tracking.
- **Cookies Opt-out** asks for confirmation and warns that live chat will no longer be available.
- Cookie acceptance, email opt-in and text opt-in have different purposes. Configure each separately.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Cookie consent and opting out](VIS-018.md): The privacy prompt responds to the visitor's cookie-tracking choice.
- **Requires** [Visitor chat pane](VX-002.md): The visitor chat pane displays the privacy prompt and pre-chat opt-in controls.
- **Configured in** [Visitor chat themes and branding](VX-003.md): The active theme supplies privacy messages and button labels.
- **Configured in** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): Pre-chat supplies the distinct email and text opt-in controls.
- **Works better with** [Visitor chat languages and text direction](VX-031.md): Privacy and opt-in messages can be translated.
- **Related** [SMS consent and number blocking](CHN-023.md): SMS keywords let contacts change text opt-in separately from pre-chat choices.

### Used by

- **Configures** [Cookie consent and opting out](VIS-018.md): Data Privacy settings define the chat consent prompt and its acceptance and decline choices.
- **Configures** [Chat tabs for visitors](VX-001.md): Privacy prompts can affect whether the tab is shown.
- **Configures** [Visitor messages and sending feedback](VX-006.md): Privacy or disclaimer acceptance can be required before messaging.
- **Configures** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): Privacy consent can precede intake; disclaimer acceptance and communication opt-ins have separate purposes.
- **Configures** [Chat links for visitors](VX-024.md): Required privacy consent prevents automatic chat start until supplied.
- **Configures** [Contact opt-in and blocking](CRM-007.md): Pre-chat communication opt-in controls set the choices offered to visitors and their initial checkbox state.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why can the visitor not type or reach pre-chat?

Check whether the privacy prompt is waiting for acceptance. Also check the theme has a non-empty **Consent Message**.

### Does accepting privacy also opt the visitor in to email and SMS?

No. The pre-chat survey collects those choices separately.

### Why is the email or text checkbox missing?

Check the survey used by the visitor's theme. Enable the relevant contact field and its **Email Opt In** or **Text Opt In** control, and supply its label.

### Can visitors change their tracking choice later?

Where available, they can choose **Cookies Opt-out** from the chat menu and confirm. This prevents further live chat until they accept again.