DobroDesk Help Center
Understand live chat and the offline contact form
See what customers use while your team is available, what changes outside business hours and how each message reaches the same support Inbox.
What you'll achieve
You can explain and test the online chat and offline contact experiences without configuring them as separate widgets or channels.
One widget, two appropriate message layouts
DobroDesk uses the same saved website widget, support identity and Inbox route throughout the day. The message layout changes only to set the right expectation for the customer. You do not create a second integration for offline messages.
During available hours, the customer writes in a compact chat composer and new public replies appear in the same conversation. Before a conversation starts outside business hours, the widget shows a standard contact form so the customer can leave complete details without expecting an immediate chat reply.
- Live chat: the message field, attachment actions and Send button stay together like a normal messenger.
- Offline contact form: name, email, subject when enabled, message and attachments are shown as normal form fields with one submit action.
- Existing conversation: a returning customer keeps the chat history and composer even if the team is currently offline.
- Inbox route: both layouts create a conversation in the same Inbox selected for this widget.
Offline describes the team's current availability, not a broken connection. The widget remains available and accepts the customer's request.
What controls the availability message
The widget reads the workspace business-hours schedule and time zone. During a scheduled window it shows the online expectation. Outside that window it shows the localized offline notice and the current built-in reply-time expectation.
In DobroDesk open Admin > Workspace > Business hours and confirm the time zone.
Check each weekday window and any day when support is intentionally unavailable.
Open Admin > Channels > Website widgets and confirm the selected reply email and Inbox.
Save the settings before testing the public website.
Keep the wording honest. If the team answers on the next business day, do not promise an instant or same-hour reply in the widget.
Test the live chat experience
Open the public website in a private browser window during a scheduled support window.
The red outline shows the control or area used in this step. Select Contact support and confirm the message field, attachments and Send button appear together at the bottom of the panel.
Send a unique test message and keep the widget open.
Reply from the selected DobroDesk Inbox and confirm the reply appears in the open widget without a page reload.
Reload the website and confirm the same conversation history returns.
Test the offline contact form and receipt
Test outside the saved business-hours window or use a planned closed period. Do not change the schedule only to leave a permanent test value behind.
Open the website in a new private browser context with no earlier widget conversation.
Confirm the offline message and expected reply time are clear, then complete the contact form.
Submit one request and confirm the widget shows a friendly acceptance message with a ticket reference.
Find that reference in the selected DobroDesk Inbox and confirm the name, email, subject, message and attachments are complete.
The ticket reference confirms that DobroDesk accepted the request. Customers can use it when they follow up, so do not replace the receipt with a generic success message.
Avoid common setup mistakes
- Do not create one widget for chat and another for offline messages. Availability changes the layout automatically.
- Do not put the chat-style composer inside the offline form. The contact form keeps its message field and submit button in the normal form flow.
- Do not use an internal Inbox name in customer-facing availability text.
- Do not test a returning session when you need to verify the first-time offline form. Use a new private browser context.
- Do not mark a message missing until you check the widget's selected Inbox and clear active Inbox filters.