Can I create a direct link to a live chat popout window instead of using the widget?

Question

I don't want to use the chat widget on my website, but I want to provide my customers with a live chat option. Can I create a direct link to a separate chat window to send to my customers?

Answer

You can create a direct link to a live chat popout window if your account uses the Web Widget (Classic). Share one of the URLs below with your customers for a direct link to your live chat:

If your dashboard URL is yoursubdomain.zendesk.com/chat, use:

https://yoursubdomain.zendesk.com/chat

Replace the yoursubdomain string from the URL with your Zendesk subdomain.

Note: If you use the Web Widget for messages, this workflow opens the widget on a new page and not a direct link.

If your dashboard URL is dashboard.zopim.com, use:

https://v2.zopim.com/widget/popout.html?key=<ACCOUNT_KEY>

Replace <ACCOUNT_KEY> in the URL with the key from your account.

Turn on the Chat toggle in the Web Widget (Classic) within the widget settings.

To set the language of the widget, add &locale=[language code] to the end of the URL. For example, to set the language to English, add &locale=en to the URL.

Note: A direct chat link limits functionality with Chat triggers and stops conversion metrics from correct operation.

Security considerations

Important: Direct popout links bypass normal widget security.

Security checklist:

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing):

The popout window must load from an allowed domain

Configure in Admin Center > Channels > Chat > Settings

Add domains to the allowed list

Authentication:

Popout links don't inherit website authentication

Users may need to re-authenticate

Consider authenticated chat for sensitive data

Domain allowance:

Only serve popout from trusted domains

Restrict domain list to the minimum number of domains necessary

Review the domain list periodically

Migration to modern messaging

The popout link feature is part of legacy Chat. For modern implementations:

Message alternatives:

The Web Widget for messages allows for a more modern conversation experience.

No popout needed - widget expands inline

Better mobile support

Authenticated messages available

For more information, see:

How migration to messages impacts Chat settings and capabilities

Zendesk message resources

For help to identify which version of Chat you use, see Determining your Zendesk Chat account version.