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Messenger (Live Chat)
Messenger (Live Chat)

Learn about the features and functionality of the Messenger conversation channel.

Michael Stephenson avatar
Written by Michael Stephenson
Updated over a week ago

Overview

Messenger is a powerful communication tool designed to connect you instantly with students, parents, and prospects. This versatile feature can be seamlessly integrated not only on internal Element451 pages and sites but also on any external webpage with a simple embed code. Plus, for even broader accessibility, we offer a direct link to your Messenger, allowing conversations to start from emails, social media, or anywhere you share the link.

Messenger enables personalized interactions with icebreakers, conversation starters, and saved replies, making every conversation feel unique and engaging. To elevate your communication strategy further, consider utilizing Bolt Assistants, our AI-powered chatbot assistants, to provide timely, automated responses, optimizing your team's engagement efforts.

Throughout this article, we'll explore how to access and integrate Messenger and fine-tune your settings for a customized chat experience. We'll also review features designed to enhance Messenger, including automation rules, saved replies, and BoltAI Writing Tools, to ensure you make the most of this powerful feature.

Accessing Messenger

Internal (Element451) Pages

Pages, Microsites, Application Sites, and the Appointment Booking Site each have a setting to enable the Element451 Messenger. We explain how to enable each one below in the Adding Messenger to Internal Pages section.

External Website Pages

Embed a code on your institution's website. Learn about the embed code in the Adding Messenger to External Pages section.

Direct Link

With a custom URL, anyone can directly access your messenger via a dedicated page. This offers you the flexibility to integrate Messenger links seamlessly into emails, campaigns, social media, and more. You can access your URL in Conversation Settings under Messenger. Explore more in Messenger Settings below.

Identifying Unknown Messenger Participants

When an external participant starts a Messenger chat, and Element451 has not identified them, the Messenger widget prompts them to enter their email address. This step helps you associate the visitor with an existing record. However, providing an email is optional. You may need to ask them for identifying information directly.

From the conversation, you can easily associate the participant with an existing user or create a new profile.

Important Notes:

  • The email prompt message, “Don’t have time to wait for a response? Leave your email, and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible,” cannot be edited.

  • The email prompt cannot be disabled.

  • If an email address is entered, the association with an existing contact is not automatic. You must confirm the action in the “Profile” tab of the conversation.

Responding to Chats When Participants Are Offline

If you respond to a chat after the participant has left the page and is no longer online, here’s what happens:

  • Identified Participants or Email Provided: The external participant will receive an automated email with your reply.

  • Recommendation: Configure conversation rules to either disable Messenger or provide automated responses when conversations are initiated outside your usual business hours. This ensures timely communication and sets proper expectations.

Difference Between Bolt Assistants and Messenger

Bolt Assistants and Messenger each play unique roles within the Conversations Module, complementing each other to provide comprehensive support.

Bolt Assistants are specialized AI-powered chatbots designed to overlay Messenger, converting it into an automated, intelligent assistant. By enabling the “Messenger” channel within Bolt Assistants, you can free up human staff for more complex tasks. Your Bolt Assistants are capable of handling inbound queries using your knowledge base and are powerful enough to guide students through tasks such as completing an application or registering for an event. If an issue requires human intervention, you can use handoffs to seamlessly pass unresolved conversations to your team.

Messenger, on the other hand, facilitates direct human-to-human interaction for real-time support. It is ideal for more personalized and complex customer engagements.

For more details on how to use Bolt Assistants and manage handoffs, explore this article.

Messenger Activation + Settings

To activate and configure Messenger settings:

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Conversations > Settings.

  2. Click Messenger in the left menu.

Messenger Settings Defined

  • Enabled: Sets the Messenger widget to active or inactive.

  • Limit The Time Messenger Is Active: Enabling this will allow you to schedule when the Messenger widget is active.

    • Active Days: If scheduling, select the days you want Messenger to be active.

    • Hours: If scheduling, select the hours you want Messenger to be active.

  • Conditions: Apply Page URL, Path URL, or UTM Parameter filters when using the embed code on external (non-Element451) pages.

  • Ice Breakers: An Icebreaker is the text displayed within the widget bubble before the messenger is opened (think of it as a prompt to get the student to open the messenger). You can get creative with these using page conditions to be more intentional. For example, on your application page, you could use an Icebreaker that says, “Need help with your application?”
    ​

  • Screen Position: Configure your widget to display in the bottom left or right corner.

  • Avatar: Upload an image to use as your Messenger avatar- you can use a logo or even a photo of your mascot.

  • Background Image: Add more branding to your Messenger widget by adding a background image that displays in the messenger header.

  • Greeting: The greeting is the heading text in the messenger header

  • Team Intro: The team intro is the subheading text in the messenger header
    ​

  • Reply Time: This lets the visitor know when they can expect a reply from your Messenger. It displays in the messenger as "We typically reply _____."

  • Messenger Preview: The message preview allows you to see changes as you make them. As you configure the settings above, you will see a preview of your messenger in real time.

  • Conversation Starters: Allow you to pre-configure prompts that guide how a student or visitor may want to interact with you. For example, if a student is visiting your program page, you could display a conversation starter like “What Can I Study?” When clicked, it will send the message, “Hello, I’d like to learn more about your majors.”

    • If you use Bolt Assistants for Students, combine Conversations Starters with the Inquiry Flow Skill.

  • Embed Code: The embed code allows you to add the Messenger widget to non-Element451 pages, like your institution's website.

    • We recommend adding the embed code on all website headers for tracking purposes and then controlling which pages the chat widget appears on by using conditions.

  • Direct Link: The custom URL to your Messenger messenger dedicated page. With this link, anyone can directly access your messenger.

    • Click Go to Messenger Directly Link to open your messenger page.

    • Click the copy icon to copy the URL to share.

Adding Messenger to Internal (Element451) Pages

Enabling the Messenger Messenger to display on your internal Element451 pages and sites is a straightforward process that doesn't require any coding. To show the messenger, you can activate the 'Activate Messenger' setting for each module. We have provided instructions below on how to access the settings in each module:

Pages

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Pages

  2. Locate the page where you want to place the messenger, and then click on that page name.

  3. Click on the Setup tab

  4. Toggle Activate Element Messenger to Yes
    ​

    ​

Microsites

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Microsites > All Microsites.

  2. Locate the Microsite where you want to place the messenger, and then click on that site name.

  3. Under Settings in the left-hand menu, click General.

  4. The General Settings page will open, and you will see the section called Element451 Messenger.

  5. Toggle Activate Element Messenger to Yes.

Appointments Booking Page

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Appointments.

  2. Click the three dots in the top right corner of the header.

  3. Click Page Settings.

  4. Scroll down to the Element Messenger section.

  5. Enable the Active toggle.

Application Sites

  1. Navigate to Applications > Applications > Sites.

  2. Locate the Application Site where you want to place the messenger, and then click on that site name.

  3. From the General Tab, click Setup in the left-hand menu.

  4. Toggle Activate Element Messenger to Yes.

Adding Messenger to External Web Pages

To add Messenger to an external webpage:

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Conversations > Settings > Messenger.

  2. Copy the Embed Code.

  3. Add the embed code to your webpage header or in the header across your entire site. In addition to allowing access to Messenger this code also installs the Element451 Tracking Pixel and allows you to call Bolt Discovery functions.
    ​

In Messenger settings, you can set conditions for it to appear based on Page URL, Path URL, or UTM Parameters.
​

Messenger Enhancement Features

Consider using the following features to complement Messenger, enhancing the conversation experience for both you and your participants:

  • Automation Rules: You can tag, assign, automatically reply, close conversations, and more by using Conversation Rules. Explore More: Conversation Rules →
    ​

  • Saved Replies: The saved replies feature allows you to configure and save common Messenger responses ahead of time. This lets your team quickly access and send pre-written replies to frequently asked questions during a chat conversation.
    ​

  • Conversation Starters: Allow you to pre-configure prompts that guide how a student or visitor may want to interact with you. For example, if a student is visiting your program page, you could display a conversation starter like “What Can I Study?” When clicked, it will send the message, “Hello, I’d like to learn more about your majors.”

  • Ice Breakers: An Icebreaker is the text displayed within the widget bubble before the messenger is opened (think of it as a prompt to get the student to open the messenger). You can get creative with these using page conditions to be more intentional. For example, on your application page, you could use an Icebreaker that says, “Need help with your application?”
    ​

  • BoltAI Writing Tools: BoltAI Writing Tools are integrated throughout Element451 to assist you in creating automated and customized responses or editing and improving your text. These tools generate replies based on message context or user prompts, and they simplify drafting by improving writing quality, fixing spelling and grammar, shortening text, expanding details, changing tone, and translating content. BoltAI also summarizes conversations into shareable notes, saving you time by automating repetitive communication tasks. Explore More: BoltAI Writing Tools →
    ​

  • Voice Messages: Messenger supports voice-recorded messages, allowing communication with students and other contacts using voice recordings. Explore More: Voice Messages in Messenger →

Related Articles
Getting Started with Conversations
Bolt Assistants for Staff Overview
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Bolt Discovery Overview
Recorded Voice Messages in Messenger
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