Using Canned Responses in Live Chat
Canned responses are pre-written replies your agents can insert instantly during conversations. They save time on repetitive questions, ensure consistent messaging, and help your team handle more chats simultaneously.
Step 1: Navigate to Canned Responses Settings
In your Live Chat dashboard, go to Settings > Canned Responses. You'll see a list of all existing responses — if you're just getting started, it will be empty.
- Canned responses are shared across your entire team by default
- You can control which responses are team-wide vs. personal in the advanced settings
- Responses can also be created by agents with permission directly from the chat window
Step 2: Create a New Canned Response
Click Add Canned Response and fill in the two key fields: the shortcut and the message text.
- Shortcut: A short keyword agents type to trigger this response (e.g.,
/greeting,/refund,/hours) - Message: The full text of the response — keep it friendly, helpful, and on-brand
- Shortcuts must be unique and cannot contain spaces
- Include merge tags like
{{visitor_name}}for personalized responses
Step 3: Organize by Categories
As your canned responses library grows, organize them into categories so agents can quickly find the right response. Create categories under Settings > Canned Responses > Categories.
- Suggested categories: "Greetings", "Pricing", "Technical Support", "Shipping", "Closing"
- Assign each response to a category when creating or editing it
- The category label appears next to the response in the search dropdown during chats
Step 4: Use During a Conversation
During an active chat, agents can insert a canned response by typing / (forward slash) in the message input box. A dropdown appears with matching responses.
- Continue typing after
/to filter responses by shortcut or message text - Use arrow keys to navigate the dropdown, then press Enter to insert
- The response is inserted as editable text — agents can customize it before sending
- Canned responses work in both live chat conversations and email tickets
Step 5: Share Responses with Your Team
Manage team access to canned responses from the Settings page. Admins can publish, edit, or remove any response, while agents can create personal responses visible only to them.
- Export your canned responses library as a CSV for backup or documentation
- Import responses from a CSV to bulk-create your initial library
- Regularly review and update responses to ensure accuracy and brand consistency
💡 Tip: Analyze your chat transcripts monthly to find the most common questions, then create canned responses for those. Most support teams find that 10–15 canned responses cover 70% of their chat volume.