This article explains how to customize your PSAI Chat app. By following the instructions below, you'll be able to change your chat app's placement, automated greeting, logo, color scheme, and more.
In order to follow the instructions below, you'll need to first create and save your new marketing source. You can learn how to create a new marketing source here.
For an even more beginner-friendly overview, start with our start-to-finish guide on PSAI marketing sources.
1. Go to your "Manage" tab in the PSAI admin
Open the Sources Manager page by clicking "Manage" from the left-hand toolbar.
2. Find the desired chat app and click "Edit"
You can identify Chat apps at a glance by looking for the green circle with a white speech bubble icon inside.
3. Click the "Customize" tab at the top
After you click on your desired Chat app, you'll be brought to the Settings panel. At the top, click the "Customize" to enter the customization tab.
The Customization tab shows you all of the available customizations for that specific type of app. For Chat apps, you'll see two sections: one Display Type and another below it for App Event Steps.
Customize Section #1: Display Type
Your Chat app can be set to two different Display Types: Button Opens Popup (Floating) and Auto Popup (Floating).
For more guidance, see some Display Type examples and explanations here.
Customize Section #2: App Event Steps
The options that appear under the second section, App Event Steps, will vary slightly depending on which of the two Display Types you have chosen.
The primary difference is this: If your Chat app is set to display as Button Opens Popup (Floating), then your app will include a Start Button. The Start Button will appear as the first panel in the App Events Section, as shown below.
If you have chosen the other Display Type for your Chat app (Auto Popup), then you will not see a Start Button panel here. However, the rest of the customization process will be the same for both Display Types.
4. Click the blue pencil to edit any panel
Chat apps can include two different types of panels: Start Button and Chat Panels. Both panels can be completely customized to your liking. You can change the button color, heading text, background color, form fields, and more.
Simply click the blue pencil icon to pull up the advanced customization options for that panel.
Start Button Customizations
Remember, the Start Button panel only appears if your Display Type is set to Button Opens Popup (Floating).
When you click the blue pencil by the Start Button panel, you'll be brought to the customization screen shown below. Here you can make edits to the:
- Intro greeting that users receive
- Color of the circular button background
- Color of the speech bubble icon
- Screen position of the chat box (bottom left or bottom right)
The standard best practice for screen position is bottom right. We recommend leaving your chat there unless you have a specific reason not to (for example, you have important text that you don't want to be hidden by the floating chat).
Chat Panel Customizations
Unlike the Start Button panel, Chat Panels appear for both Display Type. Click the blue pencil to enter the advanced customization page, as shown below.
Here there are a number of ways to change the look of your chat: heading background color, conversation background color, and action color (which refers to the "Send" button).
You can also have your company logo appear in the chat box by clicking the button for "Upload Logo."
Logo images must be 60 pixels by 60 pixels. If you do not know how to resize your logo, you can use an online image resizer.
5. Preview to see your edits
As you make edits to your Chat Start Button or Chat Panel, they'll show up in real time on the screen.
Alternatively, you can click the "Preview" button in the upper right-hand corner. This will open a new tab in your browser, where you can view a stand-alone preview of the Chat app.
As you make your color changes, be sure to keep readability in mind. There should be high contrast between the background color and the text color, so users of all ages can read it easily.
6. Save your changes
When you are satisfied with how your Chat app looks, click the "Save Changes" button in the upper right-hand corner. (This button automatically appears whenever the system detects that changes have been made.)
You can edit your Chat app at any time in the future by following the instructions above.
Did you know? You can even edit your Chat app after you've added it to your website. All changes made and saved in the PSAI admin dashboard will automatically appear on your site.
Next Steps for Your Chat App
If you're customizing a new Chat app, then your next step will likely be to add it to your website. Head over to our instructions for adding PSAI apps to your website to learn how.