> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.chizy.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.chizy.io/quick-setup-guide/set-up-live-chat.md).

# Set up live chat

Want your team to be able to jump in when a shopper asks for a person, or when the AI can't quite close the loop?

Live Chat lets you take over a Chizy conversation directly from Chizy Inbox — no extra apps. Your shoppers stay in the same chat window they were already in; you reply with full context from what the AI has gathered.

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Available on every **Chizy plan.**

**90-day live chat history** is limited to Development/Free plan users
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### How it works

When a shopper needs a person, Chizy pauses the AI, notifies you, and lets your team reply directly. This happens when:

* A shopper types something like "talk to a human" or "I want to speak to someone", or
* The AI can't confidently answer and asks whether the shopper wants to be connected to a person.

Chizy tells the shopper `You've been transferred to a human agent…` and stops replying. You get a web push and/or email notification, open the conversation in Chizy Inbox, and reply. The shopper sees your reply in the same chat window in real time. If no one on your team replies within the timeout you set (default 5 minutes), the AI resumes automatically so the shopper is never left waiting.

### Set up Live Chat

{% stepper %}
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### Turn Live Chat on

1. In your Shopify admin, open Chizy and go to **Live chat settings → General**.
2. Click **Turn on**.
3. If your Pre-chat Survey isn't already collecting emails, Chizy shows a confirmation popup letting you know it will enable the Pre-chat Survey and add **Email** as a required field — so your team always has an email address to follow up with. Click **Turn on** in the popup to continue.

Once enabled, the badge on the General tab shows **On** and future "talk to a human" requests will route to your team instead of triggering the AI's fallback message.
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### Customize how Live Chat works

The General tab has three cards that link to the rest of the settings:

* **Notifications** — decide when and how you get notified (web push, email, or both).
* **Human Handover** — set your staff name, alternative contact channels the AI can suggest, and how long to wait before the AI resumes.
* **Quick Replies** — create ready-made messages you can insert into a chat with a `/` shortcut.

Click **Manage** on any card to configure it. Full walkthrough in [**Customize Live Chat settings**.](#customize-how-live-chat-works)

<figure><img src="/files/vgaHrP7Y9pGYmoXUlhNX" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
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### Reply from Chizy Inbox

When a shopper asks for a person, the conversation appears in Chizy Inbox with a **Waiting for Agents** badge. Click the conversation, hit **Join Conversation**, and start typing. Full walkthrough in [**Reply to customers in Chizy Inbox**.](#reply-from-chizy-inbox)

<figure><img src="/files/aSzQKKWbmi3KU7Ci8iTc" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
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### Good to know

* **The AI keeps working when you're not around.** Live Chat only pulls you in on human requests. Everything else stays with the AI, exactly as it did before.
* **You can't run Live Chat and Shopify Inbox integration at the same time.** They both handle the same "shopper wants a human" moment, so Chizy blocks the second one. If Shopify Inbox is already enabled, turn it off in **Advanced Features → Integrations** first — Chizy will show a banner reminding you.
* **The Pre-chat Survey turns on with Live Chat.** So there's always an email to follow up on. You can un-tick individual fields or turn the survey off again later — just know that if no email is collected, no one can be emailed back.
* **The AI comes back on its own.** If no one on your team replies within 1–15 minutes (default 5, adjustable in Human Handover), the AI resumes.
* **Conversations don't disappear.** Chat history sticks around beyond 24 hours, so shoppers see the previous exchange when they return.

### Turn off Live Chat

Go to **Live chat settings → General** and click **Turn off**. Any conversations that were already in **Live Chat** or **Waiting for Agents** stay paused on your current session; after you reload, the AI takes them back.

What happens to your Pre-chat Survey when Live Chat turns off depends on how you left the `Only display when the customer requests "Talk to human."` tickbox — see **Customize Live Chat settings**.