Pre-chat, offline and rating forms
Ask visitors for their details before a chat, decide what happens when nobody is available, and collect a rating when the conversation ends.
The Forms tab holds three forms: the pre-chat form visitors fill in before a conversation, what happens while you’re offline, and the rating form that asks how the chat went. Switch between them with Pre-chat, Offline and Rating at the top of the tab. The live preview shows the form you’re editing.
#Set up the forms
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Go to Settings Chat widget Forms .
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Choose Pre-chat, Offline or Rating at the top of the tab.
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Change the settings. Edits on each view are kept while you switch between them.
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Click Save changes at the top of the page to save all three at once.
#Pre-chat form
The pre-chat form asks for contact details or context before the conversation starts. It’s on for new websites, with email required.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enable pre-chat form | Visitors fill this in before the conversation starts. |
| Email address | Makes email required. The email field is always shown, because it’s how you reply if the visitor leaves. On by default. |
| Full name | Makes the name field required. |
| Phone number | Adds a required phone field. Useful for sales or urgent support, but it can lower how many visitors finish the form. |
| Custom fields | Extra fields below the standard ones. Type a name, such as Company name, and click Add field. Tick Required on any field visitors must fill in. |
| Privacy policy URL (optional) | A small link to your policy below the form. Use a full address starting with https://. |
| Require GDPR consent | Adds a consent checkbox visitors must tick before they can start the chat. |
#While you’re offline
The Offline view sets what visitors get when no one on your team is available. A note at the top tells you how this fits with Pengo Intelligence. When Intelligence answers first, these options apply when a visitor needs a person and nobody is free, or when Intelligence can’t answer.
Pick one Offline behavior:
| Option | What visitors get |
|---|---|
| Let visitors leave a message | The chat stays open. Pengo asks for their email and you reply when you’re back. |
| Show message only | Your away message. New visitors can’t write until you’re back, but visitors with an open conversation can still reply. |
| Hide widget | The launcher disappears while you’re offline and comes back as soon as someone is available. Visitors mid-conversation keep the widget so they can finish. |
#Leave a message options
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Away note | Shown at the top of the chat while you’re offline. Default “We’re away right now. Leave a message and we’ll reply by email.” |
| Email address (required) | Visitors must leave an email before their message is sent, so you can always reply. Asked inside the chat, only when Pengo doesn’t already know it. |
| Name | Also asks for the visitor’s name. |
| Confirm by email | Emails visitors that their message was received and you’ll reply soon. |
| Also send to (optional) | A shared inbox that gets a copy of every offline message. Your team also gets the usual new-chat alerts. |
For Show message only, write the Message visitors see. The default is “We’re offline right now. We’ll be back soon.”
Pengo treats your team as offline when no teammate is online, and also outside your business hours if you’ve turned them on. Set your hours in Settings Conversations Business hours .
#Auto-resolve
The Offline view also has Auto-resolve inactive chats. When it’s on, open and waiting chats with no recent activity move to Resolved. Set the Inactivity threshold (hours) from 1 to 720. The default is 24. Pengo checks hourly, and you can reopen any resolved chat.
#Rating form
The rating form asks visitors to rate their experience. It’s off until you turn on Enable feedback form.
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| When to show | When chat ends: right after the conversation is closed. When widget closes: as the visitor closes the widget. After 5 messages: mid-conversation, after enough back and forth. |
| Rating style | Stars: a 1 to 5 rating. Thumbs: up or down. Emoji: a five-face scale. |
| Ask for additional comments | Adds a comment box under the rating. On by default. Turn on Make comment required if visitors must write something to submit. |
Visitors rate each conversation once.
Common questions
Is the pre-chat form on by default?
Yes. New websites ask for an email address before the first message. Turn off Enable pre-chat form to let visitors start typing straight away.
What counts as offline?
Nobody on your team is available to take the chat, and Pengo Intelligence isn't answering it. If Intelligence answers first, the offline options apply when a visitor asks for a person and no one is available.
When is the rating form shown?
You choose. When chat ends, when the visitor closes the widget, or after 5 messages. It's off until you turn on Enable feedback form.
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