WhaChat user manual
Complete dashboard documentation for owners, admins, and agents.
This guide explains what each WhaChat dashboard section does, what to click, how the widget connects to client websites, how agents handle chats, and how Status Center, notifications, visitors, plans, billing, email verification, and settings work together.
Quick start
The correct order to set up a client workspace.
Use this order when onboarding a business. It keeps setup simple, avoids missed messages, and confirms the widget is connected before the client starts using WhaChat daily.
Create or activate the business workspace, then sign in as owner or client owner.
Set business name, agent identity, avatar, badge, brand colors, position, and pre-chat messages.
Add allowed domain, copy the embed script, paste it into the client website, and test first visit.
Send a website message, reply from the dashboard, test attachments, read ticks, links, and phone numbers.
Create agents, assign departments, invite participants, and confirm agents can accept or decline chats.
Check sound, topbar activity, unread counters, mobile/PWA behavior, and notification preferences.
What WhaChat is
WhaChat is a live chat, status/story, visitor intelligence, and support dashboard platform for businesses that want website visitors to reach them instantly.
The public website is whachat.co. The app dashboard is app.whachat.co. Client websites load the widget from the app host using an embed script generated in the dashboard.
The system has three connected parts:
- Dashboard: owners, admins, and agents manage conversations, widget settings, status posts, visitors, teams, notifications, billing, and plans.
- Widget: visitors chat from the client website, view statuses, send replies, attachments, links, phone numbers, and reactions.
- Backend: messages, routes, sockets, status updates, reads/delivery ticks, visitors, settings, and team assignments stay synchronized.
User roles and what each person sees
WhaChat separates ownership, team management, and agent operations so clients can use the dashboard without seeing unnecessary platform-owner controls.
Platform owner
Manages the WhaChat product, client workspaces, manual billing fallback, subscription visibility, receipts, renewal attention, and platform health.
- Create or review client accounts.
- Monitor Stripe-connected plan states.
- Record authorized manual billing adjustments when needed.
- Monitor platform health and client readiness.
Client owner/admin
Runs one business workspace. This is the main paid-client dashboard role.
- Manage chats, visitors, widget, status, agents, install, notifications, and account.
- Add approved domains and copy install code.
- Assign chats to agents or departments.
Agent
Handles assigned or invited conversations and keeps their public profile updated.
- Accept or decline invited chats.
- Reply after accepting a conversation.
- Change public display name, avatar, badge, and availability.
Account setup and sign in
The account screen is the first client touchpoint. It supports sign in, account creation, password recovery, and future account flows.
How to create a workspace
- Open the app: visit
https://app.whachat.co/admin/. - Create account: enter business name, owner name, owner email, and password.
- Verify email: enter the 6-digit code sent by WhaChat before full dashboard access.
- Start trial: the workspace enters the 7-day trial or plan state configured for the client.
- Land in dashboard: the owner can begin install, customization, and testing.
Manual client setup
The WhaChat owner can create a client manually or let the client register and verify their email. Client owners can then choose monthly or yearly Pro from Account, complete Stripe-hosted Checkout, and return to the same workspace with the correct plan access.
Welcome back
Email address
name@company.com
Password
Enter your password
Sign in to dashboard
Dashboard overview
The Dashboard page gives the business a quick view of daily activity and the next actions that need attention.
Live Chats manual
Live Chats is the daily support inbox. It is where admins reply, assign, transfer, react, delete, clear, and follow up on conversations.
What the chat board includes
- Filters: All, Open, Closed, Mine, Unassigned, Team, and Urgent views help admins find the right chat faster.
- Unread state: unread chats look different and counters update when the chat is opened.
- Message composer: supports multiline typing, attachments, emojis, replies, reactions, and status ticks.
- Tools: view profile, clear chat, delete conversation, assign to me, mark urgent, download transcript, and internal routing.
- Message lifecycle: new, updated, deleted, delivered, read, edited, reactions, attachment previews, and transcript-ready history.
Recommended chat workflow
- Open the newest unread or urgent chat.
- Read visitor message and page context.
- Reply clearly or assign to the correct department.
- Use internal notes for team-only context.
- Use transcript or ticket when the conversation needs follow-up.
- Clear or delete only when the business no longer needs the history visible.
Hello, can your agency build my company website?
Yes. Please share your pages, timeline, and budget range.
Visitors and visitor intelligence
The Visitors section helps admins understand who is on the website, what they are doing, and which conversations need attention.
Status Center manual
Status Center lets businesses publish story-style updates, offers, notices, media, and campaigns directly through the widget profile ring.
Status sections
- Create: add title, body text, link-friendly content, media, expiry window, and publish or schedule.
- Active: shows live statuses currently visible to website visitors.
- Scheduled: stores future posts that publish when the selected time arrives.
- Expired: reviews posts after their 24h, 42h, 72h, 1 week, or 1 month expiry window.
- Analytics: tracks views and replies so the business can measure interest.
How visitors experience it
When a status is active, the widget profile displays a ring. Visitors click the profile, view the status smoothly on mobile or desktop, and can reply. Replies enter the correct chat so admins can follow up.
Limited website promo
Get a new business website and support chat setup this week.
Expires in 24 hours - 84 views - 7 repliesWidget Studio manual
Widget Studio lets clients customize WhaChat without editing code. This is where the widget becomes the client business brand.
Maya Support 
Hello. How can we help your website project today?
Install Kit manual
Install Kit makes WhaChat installable on any approved client website without manually editing the app code.
Install status meanings
- Connected: the widget script has been detected from an approved website.
- Waiting for first visit: the domain is allowed, but no visitor has loaded the widget yet.
- Not detected: WhaChat has not seen the script on the website.
- Blocked: the script loaded from a domain that is not approved.
HTML or custom website install
- Open Settings or Install Kit in the dashboard.
- Add the client domain, for example
example.com. - Copy the generated script.
- Paste it before the closing
</body>tag or in the global footer. - Visit the website and send a test message.
WordPress install
Paste the script with a header/footer code plugin, theme footer, or site-wide custom code area. Make sure it loads on all pages, not only the homepage.
https://app.whachat.co/widget/embed.js
Allowed domain
clientwebsite.com
<script async src="https://app.whachat.co/widget/embed.js?v=20260719-whachat56-premium-transcripts" data-whachat-key="CLIENT_WIDGET_KEY"></script>Agents, departments, routing, and chat participants
WhaChat supports team support workflows so each conversation can be routed to the right person or department.
Maya SarahLead - Support
Frank JudeActive - Technical
Billing TeamInvited - Billing
Notifications, alerts, and PWA behavior
Notifications help clients avoid missed chats. WhaChat uses sound, topbar alerts, unread counters, mobile-friendly PWA behavior, and dashboard notices.
Notification controls
- Sound: plays when important activity happens, such as new visitor messages or assignments.
- Topbar activity: shows a visible notice so admins know where the sound came from.
- Unread counters: Live Chats and Visitors counts update as chats are opened or activity changes.
- Notification center: keeps recent alerts scrollable on mobile and desktop.
- PWA: clients can install/save the app where supported for faster access.
Account, security, plans, and Pro controls
The Account page keeps business profile details, owner/admin identity, agent public profiles, security controls, and plan state in one place.
Stripe Checkout, subscriptions, receipts, and renewals
WhaChat v0.55a connects secure Stripe subscription billing directly to each client workspace without exposing card details to WhaChat.
Settings manual
Settings stores business-level controls that affect installation, notifications, widget behavior, allowed domains, and future integrations.
Daily usage workflow for clients
This is the simple operating routine a paying client should follow after WhaChat is installed.
Check unread chats, missed chats, new visitors, install health, and notifications.
Answer new messages, assign specialist chats, invite extra agents, use internal notes, and mark urgent chats.
Post offers, announcements, maintenance notices, or campaign updates from Status Center.
Download transcripts, create tickets, close completed conversations, check unresolved chats, and review renewal/payment notices when needed.
Troubleshooting guide
Use these checks before contacting support. Most issues are caused by domain, cache, notification permission, or install placement problems.
Widget does not appear
Confirm the script is pasted globally, domain is approved, website cache is cleared, and the script points to https://app.whachat.co/widget/embed.js.
Only homepage shows widget
The script was likely installed only on the homepage. Move it to the global footer, header/footer plugin, or theme-wide code area.
Dashboard shows disconnected
Check internet connection, app health, login session, browser cache, and whether the Node.js app is running correctly.
No notification sound
Check browser permission, notification settings, sound toggle, mobile silent mode, and whether the admin is logged in.
Status media fails
Check file type, upload size, network speed, plan limits, and whether mobile browser permissions allow photo upload.
Agent cannot reply
The agent must accept the assigned or invited chat first. If they declined it, the owner/admin must assign or invite again.
Receipt email not sent
Confirm SMTP is configured, client owner email is valid, the payment record exists, and the app health email section shows configured.
Stripe billing does not synchronize
Confirm Stripe is in the intended test or live mode, the webhook endpoint is enabled, its signing secret matches the server environment, and recent deliveries show successful responses.