Difference between revisions of "Live Chat Addon"

From WHMCS Documentation

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For information, screenshots & to order, please visit [http://www.whmcs.com/livechat.php www.whmcs.com/livechat.php]
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== About this Addon Module ==
  
==Installation==
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Live Chat allows you to chat and engage with customers. It includes in-chat access to customer products and billing, and chat transcripts become support tickets after the chat concludes. You can use Live Chat from a downloadable client that's available for most major mobile and desktop operating systems.
 +
 +
<table class="table" style="text-align:center;margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;">
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<tr>
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<th style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;">Addon Name</th>
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<th style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;">Latest Release</th>
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<th style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;">Current Version</th>
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<th style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;">Compatible With</th>
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<th style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;">Included in WHMCS</th>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;">Live Chat Addon'</td>
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<td style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;">17th May 2021</td>
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<td style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;">5.8.9800</td>
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<td style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;">WHMCS 8.0 and later</td>
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<td style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:darkred;">No</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
  
'''Note:''' WHMCS version 4.4.2 and above is required to use the addon.
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[[File:Available_on_marketplace.png|link=https://marketplace.whmcs.com/product/34]]
  
Once you've purchased the Live Chat Addon for WHMCS, you will be able to download the files for it from our client area (it will show as an available download under the license you have purchased it for in My Licenses & Services > View Details > Downloads) and can then proceed to install it as follows:
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== Activating Live Chat Addon ==
  
#Begin by unzipping the contents of the download and upload all the files contained in the '''upload_me''' folder to your main WHMCS directory
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Before you can activate Live Chat, you must download it from the WHMCS Marketplace.
#Next, visit www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/install/ to begin the installation process
 
#'''Accept & Agree''' to the Software License Agreement to continue
 
#On the next step, confirm the '''Offline Email Address''' (that will default to the first public support department configured in your WHMCS system)
 
#Choose whether to install the optional '''GeoIP''' data which allows you to see where visitors are located (recommended)
 
#And finally enter the desired username & password for your primary live chat operator
 
  
Then '''submit''' to complete the installation. If you get any errors, go back and correct them and then '''delete''' the /modules/livehelp/install/ directory from your server to finish.
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<html><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcCKomdCe4Y&hd=1" class="docs-video-tutorial"><em>Watch the video tutorial for this feature.</em><span>&nbsp;<img src="https://assets.whmcs.com/icons/youtube.png">&nbsp;</span></a></html>
  
==Integration==
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To do this:
  
You're now just one step away from integrated Live Chat & Visitor Monitoring with WHMCS.
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# If you have not already purchased it, purchase Live Chat from [https://marketplace.whmcs.com/product/34 the Live Chat listing].
 +
# [https://www.whmcs.com/members/ Log in here].
 +
# Go to '''Services > All Products & Services'''.
 +
# Perform one of the following actions:
 +
## If you purchased your WHMCS license directly, select your main WHMCS license, select the '''Information''' tab, and download Live Chat.
 +
## If you purchased your WHMCS license from a reseller, select your Live Chat purchase, select the '''Downloads''' tab, and download Live Chat.
 +
# Unzip the ZIP file.
 +
# Upload the contents of the <tt>upload_me</tt> directory to the root directory in your WHMCS installation.
 +
# Check to ensure that the <tt>/modules/livehelp/templates_c/</tt> directory is writeable.
 +
# Go to <tt><nowiki>www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/install</nowiki></tt>, where <tt>www.example.com</tt> is the domain for your WHMCS installation, to complete installation.
 +
# Delete the <tt>/modules/livehelp/install/</tt> directory.
  
This is where you add the javascript tracking code to your template. It couldn't be easier, all you need to do is add '''{$livehelpjs}''' to the <head> section of your template in the header.tpl template file as shown below.
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<div class="docs-alert-warning"><strong><i class="fa fa-info-circle"></i> License Update</strong><br />If you purchased the Live Chat Addon prior to installation, you may need to force a license update for your WHMCS installation to recognise the purchase. If you receive a license error or have trouble logging in after installation, log in to the WHMCS Admin Area, go to '''Help > License Information''', and click '''Force License Update'''. Then, reattempt login.</div>
  
<center>[[File:Livechatheaderjs.jpg]]</center>
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== Using this Addon ==
  
You don't have to do anything else in order to be able to monitor visitors and proactively iniate chats with them, however if you want the visitor to be able to initiate a chat, then you will want to add the live help button somewhere.
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To log in to Live Chat, visit <tt><nowiki>www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/admin</nowiki></tt>, where <tt>www.example.com</tt> is the domain for your WHMCS installation.
  
You can display a live chat status button by simply inserting '''{$livehelp}''' into any template file where you want it to appear, for example you could add it to the order form, ticket submission page, or the footer as demonstrated below.
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You can log in using the same username and password that you use for the WHMCS Admin Area.
  
<center>[[File:Livechatportal.jpg]]</center>
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=== First Login ===
  
===Outside WHMCS===
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The first time that you use this, a login prompt will display. Enter your account, username and password:
  
You can of course also add the visitor tracking and live help buttons to pages outside of WHMCS (for example on your main website). Remember to replace yourdomain.com/whmcs with the location of your WHMCS installation.
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* '''Account or Server:''' Enter the full path to the <tt>modules</tt> directory for your WHMCS installation.
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* '''Username / Password:''' Enter the same username and password that you use to log in to the WHMCS Admin Area.
 +
* '''Enable Secure Sign In:''' Enable this if your WHMCS installation uses SSL.
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* '''Sign In Automatically:''' Enable this to sign in automatically for future logins. If you enable this, in the future on this device you will only need to enter your password.
  
For visitor monitoring only, you only need to add this line to the <head> section of your page:
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For more information, see [https://www.chatstack.com/kb/category/apps/ the ChatStack website].
  
<script type="text/javascript" src="<nowiki>http://www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/includes/jscript/jquery.js
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=== Desktop Applications ===
</nowiki>"></script> <script type="text/javascript"<nowiki>
 
src="http://www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/plugins/whmcs/jquery.livehelp.js</nowiki>">
 
</script>
 
  
And then to display a live chat button you will also need to add this code to your file where you want the button to display:
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Downloadable clients are available for Windows®, Mac®, and Linux®. Mobile Apps are also available for iPhone® and Android™.
  
<a href="#" onclick="openLiveHelp(); return false">
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[https://www.chatstack.com/kb/download-live-chat/ Download the latest version of the Windows desktop application] and follow the automated installation process.
<img src="<nowiki>http://www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/include/status.php"</nowiki>
 
id="LiveHelpStatus" name="LiveHelpStatus" border="0" alt="Live Help" /></a>
 
  
If you prefer a text link will also work to initiate a chat as below:
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The Windows app has the following minimum requirements:
  
<a href="#" target="_blank" onclick="openLiveHelp(); return false">Chat With Us Live</a>
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*Windows 7 / Vista / XP SP 2
 
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*Internet Explorer 7 or above
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*[http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=333325FD-AE52-4E35-B531-508D977D32A6 .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or above]
 +
*Internet Connection
  
====Javascript Frameworks====
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For other operating systems, check their app stores for the downloadable clients.
If you are using a javascript framework on your pages other than jQuery (such as MooTools) we recommend using the jquery.livehelp.noconflict.js file instead.
 
  
==Windows Application==
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== Upgrading ==
  
===Requirements===
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If you have an earlier version of the Live Chat Addon, perform these steps to upgrade to the latest version:
  
The requirements for the Windows App are as follows:
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# Log in [https://www.whmcs.com/members/ here].
 +
# Go to '''Services > All Products & Services'''.
 +
# Select your Live Chat purchase.
 +
# Go to the '''Downloads''' tab.
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# Download Live Chat.
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# Unzip the ZIP file download.
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# Upload the contents of the <tt>upload_me</tt> directory to your WHMCS installation's root directory.
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# Log in to the Live Chat Addon administration panel to complete the upgrade process at <tt><nowiki>www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/admin</nowiki></tt>, where <tt>www.example.com</tt> is the domain for your WHMCS installation.
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# Delete the <tt>/modules/livehelp/install/</tt> directory.
  
*Windows 7 / Vista / XP SP 2
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== Uninstallation ==
*Internet Explorer 7 or above
 
*.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or above - [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=333325FD-AE52-4E35-B531-508D977D32A6 Download]
 
*Internet Connection
 
  
===Installation===
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To remove the Live Chat Addon from your installation, delete the <tt>/modules/livehelp/</tt> directory and the <tt>/includes/hooks/livehelp.php</tt> file.
  
You can download the latest version of the Windows Desktop Application at any time from https://secure.stardevelop.com/downloads/download-latest.php and then follow the automated installer process to install on your computer.
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Optionally, you can also remove the database tables that begin with <tt>mod_livehelp</tt>.
  
===First Use===
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== Integration Outside of WHMCS ==
  
When you first attempt to sign-in to the Live Help Messenger application you will be presented with the following window.
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<div class="docs-alert-warning">'''Do Not Attempt''' to add this code to WHMCS templates. Those templates handle it automatically.</div>
  
<center>http://livehelp.stardevelop.com/documentation/images/signin.jpg</center>
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To integrate visitor tracking and live help in pages outside of your WHMCS installation (for example, your main website), perform the steps below:
  
You will need to enter your Account, Username and Password to access the Live Help system, these are described below.
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# Add the following lines to each page, once per page, after the <tt><title></tt> tag and jQuery call and before the <tt></head></tt> tag: <br /><source lang="js"><script type="text/javascript">
 +
<!--
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var Chatstack = { server: 'www.example.com/support/modules' };
 +
(function(d, undefined) {
 +
  // JavaScript
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  Chatstack.e = []; Chatstack.ready = function (c) { Chatstack.e.push(c); }
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  var b = d.createElement('script'); b.type = 'text/javascript'; b.async = true;
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  b.src = ('https:' == d.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + Chatstack.server + '/livehelp/scripts/js.min.js';
 +
  var s = d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
 +
  s.parentNode.insertBefore(b, s);
 +
})(document);
 +
-->
 +
</script>
 +
</source>Make certain to update<tt><nowiki>www.example.com/support/modules</nowiki></tt> with the path to your WHMCS installation's <tt>modules</tt> directory.
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# Optionally, you can either or both of these chat initiation methods:
 +
## To display the Live Chat Operator status and end user chat initiation button:<source lang="js">
 +
<a href="#" class="LiveHelpButton"><img src="http://www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/status.php" id="LiveHelpStatus" name="LiveHelpStatus" class="LiveHelpStatus" border="0" alt="Live Help" /></a>
 +
</source>
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##To display a static text link for chat initiation:<source lang="php">
 +
<a href="#" class="LiveHelpButton">Chat With Us Live</a>
 +
</source>
  
* '''Account or Server:''' If Live Help is installed at http://www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/ then your account or server would be entered as www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/modules/
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== Troubleshooting ==
* '''Username / Password:''' The default username and password is configured when you complete the Live Help installation at /livehelp/install/index.php The Live Help operator username and passwords are case-sensitive.
 
* '''Enable Secure Sign In:''' You can login to the Live Help administration via. SSL if your installation is accessible at https://www.yourdomain.com
 
* '''Sign In Automatically:''' This option will automatically sign-in a given account the next time the Live Help Messenger application is opened.
 
  
Once you have signed into the Live Help Messenger application you will be able to quickly sign-in again using the previous account.
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===Chat button non-functional / Blank live chat window===
 +
If clicking the chat button results in nothing happening or the live chat popup window is showing a blank chat window, make certain that the <tt>/modules/livehelp/templates_c/</tt> directory both exists and is writeable.  
  
<center>http://livehelp.stardevelop.com/documentation/images/previouslogin.jpg</center>
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We recommend that you try the following permissions in this order: <tt>755</tt>, <tt>775</tt>, and <tt>777</tt>.
  
The previous sign-in area only requires you to enter the password of the account.  
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===The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.===
 +
This message may appear when you click '''Chat Now'''. This indicates that the system cannot create the templates cache.  
  
==Web Browser Admin==
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To resolve this, make certain that the <tt>/modules/livehelp/templates_c/</tt> directory exists and is writeable.
  
You can also login to the Live Help web-based administration using your web browser at http://www.yourdomain.com/modules/livehelp/admin The web-based administration area allows your operators to access the Live Help system from any computer but the Windows application is recommended whenever possible for full functionality.
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We recommend that you try the following permissions in this order: <tt>755</tt>, <tt>775</tt>, and <tt>777</tt>.
  
==Upgrading==
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===License Invalid / Unable to login===
 +
If you see a "License Invalid" warning message when you open the Live Chat admin interface, your WHMCS installation has not yet updated to recognise your purchase of the addon. Your WHMCS installation only calls home to validate your license with us periodically. If you recently purchased the addon, you may need to force a local key update to have it take effect.
  
Upgrading the Live Help Addon is easy. So if there's a new release, simply follow the steps below to update:
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To do this, navigate to '''Help > [[License Information]]''' and click '''Force License Update'''. Then, attempt logging in again.
  
#Begin by downloading the update from our client area
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===Connection Error===
#Now unzip the folder and delete /modules/livehelp/include/database.php from the new files
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Connection errors when attempting to log in to the Live Chat administration area are typically due to misconfigured file and folder permissions.
#Next, upload the files from the '''upload_me''' directory to your main WHMCS directory overwriting any existing files
 
#Then to complete the process, simply open the Live Help Windows Application and sign-in to Live Help to complete the database upgrade process
 
#Finally delete the '''install''' folder from the /modules/livehelp/ directory and you're done.
 
  
==Further Reading==
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This configuration varies depending on your particular server environment. For example, the permissions setting for the <tt>/modules/livehelp/xml/WebService.php</tt> file should be <tt>644</tt>.
  
StarDevelop provides documentation covering how to use the live help software at:
+
* suPHP and PHP suEXEC require more restriction. If you use DSO as your PHP handler, you '''must''' use <tt>644</tt> permissions.
http://livehelp.stardevelop.com/documentation/
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* Limit access to only the account that owns the web server process. Make sure that no other system or user accounts can read your configuration file or modify any WHMCS-related files.
  
==Error Messages==
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If the issue persists, enable your [https://help.whmcs.com/m/troubleshooting/l/1312423-an-error-occurred-while-communicating-with-the-server-please-try-again browser network console] and examine the response for more information.
  
 
===Incorrect Server/Host===
 
===Incorrect Server/Host===
  
If you get this error then it indicates that the Live Help installation cannot be found at the supplied URL. Double check the URL you've entered. If Live Help is installed at http://www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/ then your account or server should be entered as www.yourdomain.com/whmcs/modules/
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Receiving this error message in one of the Desktop or Mobile clients indicates that the Live Help installation cannot be found at the given URL. Make certain that you entered the correct URL.
 
 
===License Invalid===
 
 
 
If when first opening the live chat admin interface or connecting via the Windows Desktop App you get a "License Invalid" warning message, this indicates that your WHMCS installation has not yet updated to recognise your purchase of the addon.  Your WHMCS install only calls home to validate your license with us periodically and so if you have only recently bought the addon, you may need to force a local key update by going to '''Help > Check for Updates''' inside your WHMCS admin area to get rid of this message.
 
  
If it continues after that, please get in touch with us for assistance.
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===Sending Emails===
  
===Blank Live Help Chat Window===
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By default, the Live Chat addon will use the <tt>PHP mail()</tt> function, and '''not''' the WHMCS mail configuration, to send emails. To configure sending via SMTP, see [https://www.chatstack.com/kb/setup-smtp-authentication/ Setup SMTP Authentication].
If you have installed Live Help and the Live Help popup window is showing a blank chat window then we recommend the following troubleshooting steps.
 
  
* Check that the /modules/livehelp/templates_c/ directory exists. If this directory doesn’t exist then please create it.
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== Change Log ==
* If the chat window is still blank then make the /modules/livehelp/templates_c/ directory writable. We recommend that you try the following permissions in this order 755, 775 and 777.
 
  
The /modules/livehelp/templates_c/ directory should be writable so that the Live Help templates can be created.
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See the [https://marketplace.whmcs.com/product/34-live-chat-visitor-tracking Live Chat] Marketplace listing.

Latest revision as of 12:57, 2 October 2023

About this Addon Module

Live Chat allows you to chat and engage with customers. It includes in-chat access to customer products and billing, and chat transcripts become support tickets after the chat concludes. You can use Live Chat from a downloadable client that's available for most major mobile and desktop operating systems.

Addon Name Latest Release Current Version Compatible With Included in WHMCS
Live Chat Addon' 17th May 2021 5.8.9800 WHMCS 8.0 and later No

Available on marketplace.png

Activating Live Chat Addon

Before you can activate Live Chat, you must download it from the WHMCS Marketplace.

Watch the video tutorial for this feature.  

To do this:

  1. If you have not already purchased it, purchase Live Chat from the Live Chat listing.
  2. Log in here.
  3. Go to Services > All Products & Services.
  4. Perform one of the following actions:
    1. If you purchased your WHMCS license directly, select your main WHMCS license, select the Information tab, and download Live Chat.
    2. If you purchased your WHMCS license from a reseller, select your Live Chat purchase, select the Downloads tab, and download Live Chat.
  5. Unzip the ZIP file.
  6. Upload the contents of the upload_me directory to the root directory in your WHMCS installation.
  7. Check to ensure that the /modules/livehelp/templates_c/ directory is writeable.
  8. Go to www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/install, where www.example.com is the domain for your WHMCS installation, to complete installation.
  9. Delete the /modules/livehelp/install/ directory.
License Update
If you purchased the Live Chat Addon prior to installation, you may need to force a license update for your WHMCS installation to recognise the purchase. If you receive a license error or have trouble logging in after installation, log in to the WHMCS Admin Area, go to Help > License Information, and click Force License Update. Then, reattempt login.

Using this Addon

To log in to Live Chat, visit www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/admin, where www.example.com is the domain for your WHMCS installation.

You can log in using the same username and password that you use for the WHMCS Admin Area.

First Login

The first time that you use this, a login prompt will display. Enter your account, username and password:

  • Account or Server: Enter the full path to the modules directory for your WHMCS installation.
  • Username / Password: Enter the same username and password that you use to log in to the WHMCS Admin Area.
  • Enable Secure Sign In: Enable this if your WHMCS installation uses SSL.
  • Sign In Automatically: Enable this to sign in automatically for future logins. If you enable this, in the future on this device you will only need to enter your password.

For more information, see the ChatStack website.

Desktop Applications

Downloadable clients are available for Windows®, Mac®, and Linux®. Mobile Apps are also available for iPhone® and Android™.

Download the latest version of the Windows desktop application and follow the automated installation process.

The Windows app has the following minimum requirements:

For other operating systems, check their app stores for the downloadable clients.

Upgrading

If you have an earlier version of the Live Chat Addon, perform these steps to upgrade to the latest version:

  1. Log in here.
  2. Go to Services > All Products & Services.
  3. Select your Live Chat purchase.
  4. Go to the Downloads tab.
  5. Download Live Chat.
  6. Unzip the ZIP file download.
  7. Upload the contents of the upload_me directory to your WHMCS installation's root directory.
  8. Log in to the Live Chat Addon administration panel to complete the upgrade process at www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/admin, where www.example.com is the domain for your WHMCS installation.
  9. Delete the /modules/livehelp/install/ directory.

Uninstallation

To remove the Live Chat Addon from your installation, delete the /modules/livehelp/ directory and the /includes/hooks/livehelp.php file.

Optionally, you can also remove the database tables that begin with mod_livehelp.

Integration Outside of WHMCS

Do Not Attempt to add this code to WHMCS templates. Those templates handle it automatically.

To integrate visitor tracking and live help in pages outside of your WHMCS installation (for example, your main website), perform the steps below:

  1. Add the following lines to each page, once per page, after the <title> tag and jQuery call and before the </head> tag:
    <script type="text/javascript">
    <!--
    var Chatstack = { server: 'www.example.com/support/modules' };
    (function(d, undefined) {
      // JavaScript
      Chatstack.e = []; Chatstack.ready = function (c) { Chatstack.e.push(c); }
      var b = d.createElement('script'); b.type = 'text/javascript'; b.async = true;
      b.src = ('https:' == d.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + Chatstack.server + '/livehelp/scripts/js.min.js';
      var s = d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
      s.parentNode.insertBefore(b, s);
    })(document);
    -->
    </script>
    Make certain to updatewww.example.com/support/modules with the path to your WHMCS installation's modules directory.
  2. Optionally, you can either or both of these chat initiation methods:
    1. To display the Live Chat Operator status and end user chat initiation button:
      <a href="#" class="LiveHelpButton"><img src="http://www.example.com/whmcs/modules/livehelp/status.php" id="LiveHelpStatus" name="LiveHelpStatus" class="LiveHelpStatus" border="0" alt="Live Help" /></a>
    2. To display a static text link for chat initiation:
       <a href="#" class="LiveHelpButton">Chat With Us Live</a>

Troubleshooting

Chat button non-functional / Blank live chat window

If clicking the chat button results in nothing happening or the live chat popup window is showing a blank chat window, make certain that the /modules/livehelp/templates_c/ directory both exists and is writeable.

We recommend that you try the following permissions in this order: 755, 775, and 777.

The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.

This message may appear when you click Chat Now. This indicates that the system cannot create the templates cache.

To resolve this, make certain that the /modules/livehelp/templates_c/ directory exists and is writeable.

We recommend that you try the following permissions in this order: 755, 775, and 777.

License Invalid / Unable to login

If you see a "License Invalid" warning message when you open the Live Chat admin interface, your WHMCS installation has not yet updated to recognise your purchase of the addon. Your WHMCS installation only calls home to validate your license with us periodically. If you recently purchased the addon, you may need to force a local key update to have it take effect.

To do this, navigate to Help > License Information and click Force License Update. Then, attempt logging in again.

Connection Error

Connection errors when attempting to log in to the Live Chat administration area are typically due to misconfigured file and folder permissions.

This configuration varies depending on your particular server environment. For example, the permissions setting for the /modules/livehelp/xml/WebService.php file should be 644.

  • suPHP and PHP suEXEC require more restriction. If you use DSO as your PHP handler, you must use 644 permissions.
  • Limit access to only the account that owns the web server process. Make sure that no other system or user accounts can read your configuration file or modify any WHMCS-related files.

If the issue persists, enable your browser network console and examine the response for more information.

Incorrect Server/Host

Receiving this error message in one of the Desktop or Mobile clients indicates that the Live Help installation cannot be found at the given URL. Make certain that you entered the correct URL.

Sending Emails

By default, the Live Chat addon will use the PHP mail() function, and not the WHMCS mail configuration, to send emails. To configure sending via SMTP, see Setup SMTP Authentication.

Change Log

See the Live Chat Marketplace listing.