Wix Chat is the live chatbox that sits at the bottom of a Wix site so visitors can message you in real time, and you can reply from your dashboard or the Wix mobile app. As of October 2026 it's no longer available to install on new sites: Wix Smart Chat is replacing it as Wix's AI and manual chat option.
So the first thing to check is whether you already have it. Some templates come with Wix Chat pre-installed, so look at the bottom right of your site in the editor. If a chatbox is there, everything below applies. If you're building a new site, you'll be looking at Smart Chat instead. And even on older sites, Wix Chat isn't available in the Wix Harmony Editor.
What Wix Chat lets you do
| Feature | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Chat hours | Show you as available only at set times, and switch chat off instantly if plans change |
| Offline details | Share other contact options in the chatbox when you're away |
| WhatsApp channel | Let visitors carry on the conversation in WhatsApp instead of staying on your site |
| Live visitors | See who's browsing, which pages they're on, and start the chat yourself |
| Coupons and links | Send discount coupons, product links or service links in the chat |
| Payment requests | Ask for a payment inside the conversation |
| FAQ buttons | Answer common questions when nobody's free to chat |
Two of those need other apps: product links need Wix Stores, and service links need Wix Bookings. The live visitor view is the one I'd point out to any small business. It turns the chatbox from a waiting room into something you can use to say hello while someone's looking at a product.
Adding Wix Chat to an existing site
If your site can still add it, open the editor, click Add Apps on the left, search for Wix Chat and click Add to Site. You can also add it from the dashboard. After that, Wix suggests two jobs: designing the chatbox so it matches your brand, and going through the chat settings so it works the way your business does.
Designing your chatbox
Click the chatbox in the bottom corner of the editor, then Settings. You'll find three tabs, and each one covers a different side of how the chat looks and reads.
| Tab | What you can change |
|---|---|
| Display | Bottom left or bottom right; whether new messages open the full chatbox or show a small bubble; every page or only chosen pages |
| Design | Business logo, minimised chat layout, background colour and pattern, message fonts, header, border radius, width and colour |
| Texts | The name in the header, the prompt to type a message, typical response time, minimised chat text and the offline message |
A detail worth knowing: your typical response time only shows during your available chat hours, and the minimised chat text only appears if you picked a layout that includes text. If you've added WhatsApp, you can colour the chat message icon, but the WhatsApp icon itself is fixed.
Automating chat messages
Every Wix automation is a trigger plus an action, and Wix Chat can be either one. Use it as the action and a form submission, for example, can send the visitor a chat message, which pairs nicely with Wix Forms. Use it as the trigger and a message received can kick off something else, such as awarding loyalty points.
- Go to Automations in your site's dashboard and click Create Automation, then Start from Scratch, or pick a suggestion under Popular.
- Name it, then choose the app and trigger. For chat as the trigger, pick Inbox and Chat, then Chat message sent or Inbox message received.
- Set Limit frequency: every time, once per contact, or once per contact every 24 hours.
- Choose the action. For a chat message, type it and decide whether it only sends while you're online.
- Optionally add a delay in days, hours or minutes, and conditions that decide whether it carries on.
- Add more actions if you want a multi-action automation, then click Activate.
Send a chat message only shows as an action for certain triggers, so if it's missing, try a different trigger. Without a delay, the action runs the moment the trigger fires.
Translating Wix Chat
On a multilingual site, set up Wix Multilingual first, then go to Translation Manager, click Chat and choose Automated messages, Channels, Texts or Pre-chat forms. Review any auto-translations, or translate fields by hand, then Save and Publish.
Here's the part that catches multilingual sites out. Changes you make in your main language don't update your other languages automatically, so every edit to the chat means another trip to the translation dashboard. Some built-in text, like the Type your message prompt, can't be translated by hand; Wix translates it automatically into a set list of languages, including French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese.
Letting members chat with each other
Members chat lets logged-in site members message each other and create group chats, as well as chatting with you. You need a members area plus Wix Blog or Wix Groups, and at least one member who ticked join a community when signing up. Turn it on from Chat Settings in your dashboard with the Enable members chat toggle.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
You control who can join in by blocking, deleting or approving members in your dashboard. To start a group chat yourself, log in to your live site's members area with your Wix account, open the chatbox, click New Chat, then New Group Chat, add people, name it and click Create.
When the chatbox doesn't behave
- Not showing on mobile? The old Mobile Action Bar hides it, so switch to the new Quick Action Bar.
- No message alerts? In Wix Chat settings, open Notifications and Manage Inbox Notifications, and check your phone allows Wix app notifications.
- Not loading? Check the app's installed and active, look for conflicting elements on mobile, then clear your cache or try another browser.
- Spam? Hover over the message, open More Actions, then Report as spam and Report and Delete.
My verdict on Wix Chat
I'd keep using Wix Chat if it's already on your site and working, set your chat hours and an offline message, and add one simple automation such as a chat follow-up after a form. I wouldn't plan a new site around it, since new sites can't install it. That's where you'll be choosing Smart Chat instead.
A chat that follows up on forms by itself is a small taste of the workflow automation I set up for teams. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still add Wix Chat to my site?
Not on a new site. Wix Chat is no longer available to install on new sites, and Wix Smart Chat is replacing it.
Why can't I see the Wix chatbox on mobile?
The chatbox doesn't appear if the old Mobile Action Bar is active. Switch to the new Quick Action Bar to show it.
Can Wix Chat send automatic messages?
Yes. In Automations you can set Send a chat message as the action for certain triggers, such as a form submission, with optional delays and conditions.
Does Wix Chat work with WhatsApp?
Yes. You can add a WhatsApp channel so visitors receive your messages in their WhatsApp accounts.
Do Wix Chat translations update automatically?
No. Changes in your main language don't update your secondary languages, so translate each update in the Multilingual dashboard.
