Setting Up Directorist Live Chat

The Live Chat extension lets a visitor message a listing owner directly from the single listing page, without leaving your site. The conversation happens in real time on the listing page for the visitor, and in a dedicated Chat tab on the listing owner’s User Dashboard.

Step 1 – Turn on Live Chat and set button text #

Path: WP Admin → Directorist Listings → Directorist → Extension Settings → Live Chat

1. Make sure Live Chat is switched On. This is on by default.
2. Set the “Start Chatting” Button Text, shown to visitors who aren’t logged in (defaults to “Start Chatting”).
3. Set the “Show Chat” Button Text, shown to logged-in visitors before they open the chat box (defaults to “Show Chats”).
4. Set the “Hide Chat” Button Text, shown once the chat box is open (defaults to “Hide Chat”).
5. Set the “Chat” Tab Label (User Dashboard), the label listing owners see on their dashboard (defaults to “Chat”).
6. Click Save.

Step 2 – Add the Live Chat widget to the single listing page #

Live Chat appears automatically at the bottom of the single listing page if you’re using Directorist’s default single listing layout. If you’re using a custom single listing page built with the Directorist Builder, add it manually:

1. Go to Directorist Listings → Builder → Single Listing Page for the relevant directory type.
2. Under Other Fields, drag the Live Chat widget into the Active Fields area.
3. Click on the widget to set its Label and Icon.
4. Click Update to save the layout.

Live Chat never appears to the listing’s own owner while they’re viewing their own listing, only to other logged-in visitors.

Step 3 – How a visitor starts a chat #

1. On a single listing page, a visitor who isn’t logged in sees a Start Chatting button. Clicking it shows a notice asking them to log in or register first.
2. A logged-in visitor instead sees a Show Chat button. Clicking it opens the chat box.

3. The visitor types a message and sends it. Their first message to that listing owner triggers an automatic email notifying the owner that they have a new chat.

Step 4 – How the listing owner replies #

1. The listing owner goes to their User Dashboard and opens the Chat tab.
2. Their dashboard lists every listing that has an active conversation. If more than one visitor has messaged about a listing, the owner can use Filter by User to switch between conversations.
3. The owner types a reply and sends it. This also triggers an automatic email back to the visitor letting them know the owner has replied.

Notes #

• A conversation is always tied to one specific listing and one specific visitor. Different visitors messaging the same owner about the same listing each get their own separate conversation.
• If your site uses the Pricing Plans extension with feature restrictions, Live Chat can be turned off for listings on a plan that doesn’t include it, in which case the chat box won’t appear at all on that listing regardless of the settings above.