Social Intents integrates with Google Chat so your team can respond to website visitors directly from Google Chat spaces. Below we cover installing the Live Chat app in your Google Workspace, adding it to a space, and receiving your first chat.
Prerequisites
- A Google Workspace account (Google Chat is part of Google Workspace)
- Permission to install Chat apps in your workspace, or access to an admin who can approve apps
- A website where you want to add live chat
Step 1: Install the Live Chat App
Start from Social Intents
New to Social Intents? Go to socialintents.com and start a free trial. During signup, on the Add Live Chat Agents step, click Add to Google Chat. Already have an account? Click Integrations in the left sidebar and, under Agent channels, click Connect on the Google Chat card.
Install from the Google Workspace Marketplace
Both paths open the Live Chat app (by Social Intents) in the Google Workspace Marketplace. Install it and follow the prompts to authorize it. The app needs permission to post messages and receive events from your Chat spaces.
Step 2: Add the App to a Space
Create or Select a Space
In Google Chat, create a space for live chat (e.g., "Live Chat" or "Website Support") or use an existing space. Add the Live Chat app to the space, then mention @Live Chat in a message. This registers the space with Social Intents and links it to your account.
Route Your Widget to the Space
In Social Intents, go to Chat Widgets, select your widget, and open the Settings tab. In Route chats to Google Chat space, pick the space and click Save changes. Spaces appear in this list once @Live Chat has been mentioned in them.
Step 3: Install the Chat Widget
Copy the Code Snippet
Open the widget's Deploy tab and copy the JavaScript snippet under Install on your website:
<script src="https://www.socialintents.com/api/chat/socialintents.1.5.js#YOUR_WIDGET_KEY" async="async"></script>Add It to Your Website
Paste the snippet before the closing </body> tag on every page where you want live chat. See Install Live Chat on Any Website Platform for platform-specific steps.
Step 4: Test
Send a Test Chat
Open your website, click the chat widget, and send a message. An interactive card should appear in your Google Chat space with the visitor's details. Click to join and respond.
How Messages Work in Google Chat
When a visitor starts a chat, Social Intents sends an interactive card to your configured space. The card includes the visitor's name, the page they are on, and their initial message. Agents respond directly in the space, and messages flow between Google Chat and the visitor's browser in real time.
Google Chat uses threads to organize conversations. Each visitor chat is grouped into its own thread within the space, keeping multiple simultaneous conversations separate and easy to follow.
WhatsApp Conversations in Google Chat
If you connect WhatsApp, WhatsApp chats routed to a Google Chat-connected widget arrive in your space like website chats, and agents reply from the thread. When a customer replies to a WhatsApp broadcast, the reply lands in Google Chat with a one-time context line showing which broadcast they are answering and when it was sent. See WhatsApp with Google Chat.
Google Chat Terminology
| Google Chat Term | Equivalent In Other Platforms |
|---|---|
| Space | Channel (Slack) or Channel (Teams) |
| Thread | Per-chat channel (Slack) or conversation thread (Teams) |
| Chat app (Live Chat) | Bot (Slack) or app (Teams) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work with personal Gmail?
No. Google Chat integration requires Google Workspace (formerly G Suite). Personal Gmail accounts do not support Chat apps.
Can I use multiple spaces?
Yes. Add the Live Chat app to multiple spaces, then route different widgets to different spaces, send pre-chat departments to their own spaces, or use escalation routing to direct chats by conversation topic.
Who can answer chats?
Any member of the Google Chat space where the app is installed can see and respond to incoming chats.