A shop assistant on every page, even when the shop is just you
In a physical boutique someone can ask "Is this real leather?" and get an answer. Small online stores lose that moment. HTchat brings it back with a chat that looks like your shop, works well on phones and tells you plainly when you're online or away.
Free during beta · No card required · Installs with one line of code
Built for
- Solo founders and makers
- Boutiques, craft and gift shops
- Stores where most visitors arrive on a phone
What gets in the way — and how HTchat helps
You can't be online all day
Set custom online and offline text so shoppers know when to expect a reply, and let the AI agent cover common questions while you're away.
Generic widgets look out of place
Upload your logo, choose your colour, name the chat and write your own welcome message. Changes apply to the live widget as soon as you save.
Most shoppers are on phones
On small screens the chat opens as a full-screen sheet with a large text field, not a cramped pop-up.
What a conversation looks like
Pick an example to see how HTchat handles it. These are illustrations of how the product works, not real customers.
Outcome: Answered from a product fact the owner added as knowledge.
Visitor
Is the tote real leather?AI agent
Yes — full-grain leather from a tannery in Nairobi, lined with cotton.How it works day to day
- 01
Brand the widget once
Logo, assistant image, colour, position, welcome message and online/offline wording in Settings → Widget, with a live preview.
- 02
Shoppers chat from any page
Their conversation is remembered if they browse to another page or come back later.
- 03
You reply from the inbox
Answer from a laptop or phone browser. Unread counts show what still needs a reply.
- 04
Close it when it's done
If the shopper writes again, the conversation reopens automatically so nothing is missed.
The HTchat features you'll use
| Feature | How it helps | |
|---|---|---|
| Widget branding | Logo, assistant image, name, colour, position and welcome message, applied instantly. | Learn more → |
| Online / offline status | Shows online when you've been active in the dashboard recently, or set it manually. | Learn more → |
| Email capture | Ask for name and email before or after the first message — or not at all. | Learn more → |
| Shared inbox | Open, closed and all conversations with unread counts, answerable from any browser. | Learn more → |
| Browser alerts & sound | A notification and chime when a shopper writes, so you can keep working on other things. | Learn more → |
Setup checklist
Tick the steps as you go — most teams finish in under 15 minutes.
0 of 5 done
Install on your platform
The snippet
Your real widget key appears in Settings → Installation after you sign up.
<script src="https://thchat.app/widget.js" data-htchat="YOUR_WIDGET_KEY" async></script>What HTchat doesn't do yet
So you can decide with the full picture.
- There's no mobile app; the inbox runs in your phone's browser.
- The "Powered by HTchat" badge stays on during beta; removing it will be part of higher plans.
- Inviting extra teammates by email is still being built.
Common questions
Do I need technical skills?
No. You copy one line and paste it into your shop builder's custom code box, or use the WordPress plugin. The Installation Guide has steps for each platform.
What happens when I'm offline?
The widget shows your offline text. Visitors can still write; with email capture on you can reply later, and the AI agent can answer questions you've covered.
Can I change the look later?
Yes. Every widget setting can be changed at any time and the live widget picks it up on the next page load.
Try HTchat on your own site
Free during beta. Your first conversation can happen today.