Troubleshooting issues with offline messages and Chat

<p>In Zendesk Chat, use this guide if you experience any of these issues:</p><ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e5d24d7b8827fdfb3fe416d444f3aa286">You only receive offline messages and no live chat messages from end users</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ea7b33aa933e83ce02072389b2ccecfb0">The widget is not online even though your agents are signed in</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e016a2f12c6a0ec220a322f84d4aabe00">Your customers don't see the live chat option, only an option to send an offline message</li>
</ul><p>This article contains the topics below:</p><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: right;">
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</script><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01HNZD2MYR862KVXE03Q4CY05A">Step 1: Determine if agents are online</h3></div><div class="panel"><p>Live chat is offered to visitors when at least one agent is online. For more information to set your availability, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408828519706-Configuring-your-chat-availability-settings" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Configure chat availability settings</a>.</p></div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01HNZD2ZQHER9CAPSWWEVPH01P">Step 2: Verify your department settings</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>Determine if you set the right department and staff. To determine if the department is staffed correctly:</p>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e6867b025fcd2196e275520f7fead3395">Check if the department has agents online</li>
<li data-list-item-id="edecdf19689cfa85961833e77a6f77071">Confirm that agents are assigned to the created department</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee15ea55210c04fc1a9afc183f704ed8c">If you use the <a href="https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/widget/settings/?_gl=1*1j8ufw*_ga*MTQzNzY1MTk2MC4xNzA2Nzc0NzQ5*_ga_0G6FC9CS2V*MTcwNzIyODEwMy4xNC4xLjE3MDcyMjg5MDkuNjAuMC4w&amp;_ga=2.172512227.1197929889.1707117071-1437651960.1706774749#departments" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">application programming interface (API)</a> to set departments on your website, confirm the script, and select the right department</li>
</ul>
<p>For more information, see:</p>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e6f3a2eccbd3cf772ff2e54d08a149e75"><a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408845596698-How-do-I-set-or-change-the-department-of-a-chat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How do I set or change the department of a chat?</a></li>
<li data-list-item-id="e2c8cdc5e04ea7e5d4c6da6a4a59437d0"><a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408886967194-Recipe-Route-a-chat-to-a-department-based-on-the-URL-of-the-website" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Recipe: Route a chat to a department based on the uniform resource locator (URL) of the website</a></li>
<li data-list-item-id="e53f44d2d83ef27a615f15f723ba65d51"><a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408881953434-Automatically-route-chats-to-departments" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Automatically route chats to departments</a></li>
</ul>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01HNZCM46SZ9XMMT77Z150KDC2">Step 3: Check for connectivity issues</h3></div><div class="panel"><p>Review your live chat connection settings. Check if your dashboard is connected to the internet. Zendesk Chat offers a connection monitor to resolve connectivity issues. For more information to troubleshoot your connectivity, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838580250-How-can-I-solve-issues-with-my-live-chat-connection" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fix your Chat connection</a>.</p></div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01HNZCNB53X8R3DGAW5CNNTYJY">Step 4: Review security settings</h3></div><div class="panel"><p>Configure your widget security settings. Verify your security settings configuration. Go to <strong>Settings &gt; Widget &gt; Widget security</strong> and check <strong>Blocked countries</strong> and <strong>Allowed domains</strong>. For more information about widget security settings, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408887520282-Restricting-the-Chat-widget-by-country-or-domain" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Restrict the Chat widget by country or domain</a>.</p></div>