# Chat avatars and visitor reactions

Show visitors animated advisors and bots, with optional visitor appearance choices and chat reactions.

*Release 3.3 · admin, operator, visitor*

**Settings › Chat › Themes** · **Settings › Chat › Avatar Animations** · **Settings › General Settings › Admin**

## What it is

**Avatars** add animated advisors, bots and optionally the visitor to the chat experience. They can show welcome bubbles, typing activity and reactions while the conversation continues. Avatar display is optional and depends on your website and theme configuration.

## Who uses it and why

Visitors can open chat through an avatar, change supported appearance options and use available reactions. Operators appear as advisors and can send chat-linked actions. People with the **Settings** role choose where avatars appear and how the theme presents them.

## Where to find it

With the **Settings** role, open **Settings › Chat › Themes** and select **Avatars** in the theme editor. **Settings › Chat › Avatar Animations** provides the related animation configuration.

Visitors can use **Disable Avatars** and **Enable Avatars** when those menu controls are included. **Avatar Actions** provides the available reactions or actions.

Powerfront can enable avatar support for you through **Settings › General Settings › Admin**.

## How it works

The avatar view selects advisors according to availability and the current conversation. A bot and the visitor can have separate appearances. During chat, typing and participant changes can update the animation and position of speech bubbles.

Visitors can open chat through an avatar and minimise or restore the avatar presentation. Where offered, appearance controls let them choose supported looks such as hair, clothing or glasses. Available reactions can include thumbs-up and thumbs-down controls.

Choosing **Disable Avatars** switches away from the avatar experience and stores that preference in the browser. **Enable Avatars** can restore it. The ordinary chat tab can be suppressed by the avatar presentation, depending on the setup.

## Configure it

Ask Powerfront to enable avatar support for your website. With the **Settings** role, enable **Show Avatars** in the applicable theme and choose **Show Visitor Avatar**, **Transparent Chat Pane**, **Allow Festive** and **Avatar Actions** as needed.

Use **Bot Alias** and the bot or operator body-wrap controls to customise the displayed identity and appearance. Review the configured animations in **Avatar Animations**. Test chat entry, messages, minimising and returning to chat on desktop and mobile.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enable 3D Avatars | Settings › General Settings › Admin | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Make avatar options available in chat themes. |
| Show Avatars | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | Off in the theme editor | Settings role | Enable the avatar experience in the selected theme when website avatar support is enabled. |
| Show Visitor Avatar | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | On in new themes; Off if absent from an existing theme | Settings role | Include the visitor's avatar in the avatar experience. |
| Transparent Chat Pane | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | Off in the theme editor | Settings role | Use the transparent pane presentation with avatars. |
| Allow Festive | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | On | Settings role | Allow the bot avatar to wear seasonal accessories. |
| Avatar Actions | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | On in new themes; Off if absent from an existing theme | Settings role | Offer the avatar action menu where the avatar experience supports it. |
| Bot Alias | Settings › Chat › Themes | website | Not set | Settings role | Supply the name used for the theme's bot avatar. When not set, use the available bot or avatar name, falling back to Ai Bot. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Configure theme avatars and Avatar Animations. |

## Limits and good to know

- The advisor avatars shown can change as operators become available or the conversation changes hands.
- Visitor, bot and advisor avatars do not all support the same appearance choices.
- A visitor's browser preference can hide avatars even when the theme enables them.
- Seasonal accessories require **Allow Festive** and a suitable bot avatar.
- Mobile overlays can arrange and restore avatars differently from desktop.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Visitor chat pane](VX-002.md): The visitor avatar experience uses the chat pane for its conversation and controls.
- **Configured in** [My Look operator avatar choices](CON-011.md): Saved operator looks supply the advisor avatar's appearance.
- **Configured in** [Avatar animation and reaction settings](CON-012.md): Avatar Animations selects the reaction buttons offered to visitors and operators.
- **Configured in** [Visitor chat themes and branding](VX-003.md): The active theme controls avatar display, presentation and bot appearance.
- **Works better with** [Typing indicators and typing preview](CHAT-004.md): Typing activity can change avatar animations.
- **Works better with** [Chat tabs for visitors](VX-001.md): Avatars provide an alternative chat entry and interact with the chat tab.
- **Works better with** [Mobile chat](VX-004.md): Mobile overlays have separate avatar layout and restoration behaviour.
- **Related** [Visitor chat status and waiting](VX-007.md): Availability and conversation handovers affect which advisor avatars appear.
- **Needs licence or module** Admin settings and feature switches (managed by Powerfront): Powerfront must enable 3D Avatars for the website before the visitor avatar experience can be used.

### Used by

- **Enhances** [Avatar animation and reaction settings](CON-012.md): Enabled visitor avatars let visitors see and use supported reactions in their chat experience.
- **Enhances** [Chat tabs for visitors](VX-001.md): An enabled avatar can be used instead of an image tab.
- **Enhances** [Mobile chat](VX-004.md): Avatar layouts affect the space available for the conversation.
- **Enhances** [Previous chat history for visitors](VX-033.md): Avatar presentation changes bubble layout and message grouping.
- **Related** [My Look operator avatar choices](CON-011.md): The visitor avatar experience can show the operator look in supported chat themes.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why is Avatars missing from my theme?

Ask Powerfront to check **Enable 3D Avatars** for the website.

### Why does one visitor see ordinary chat instead?

They may have selected **Disable Avatars** in that browser. They can use **Enable Avatars** if the control is available. Also check which theme applies to their visit.

### Why is the visitor avatar missing?

Check **Show Visitor Avatar** in the active theme.

### Why has the advisor avatar changed?

The displayed advisor follows availability and the active conversation. A handover can change the participant shown.

### Why are appearance or reaction choices different?

Choices depend on the avatar type and the configured action controls. Check **Avatar Actions** and the theme's avatar setup.