# Live chat for your online store: setup, AI answers and metrics Live chat for your online store: add LiveChat or Zendesk Chat in CloudCart, decide when AI should answer, and track the chat metrics that show sales. Source: https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/live-chat-support · CloudCart · 2026-11-06 In short: live chat in a CloudCart store is added from Apps with a single field. For LiveChat you enter your license key in Apps → Live Chat, and for Zendesk Chat (Zopim) you paste the embed code in Apps → Zopim. Both are included in all four plans. People on your team answer, and Aura Chat covers the round-the-clock questions from your catalog and orders. This guide is written by the CloudCart team from the platform documentation and the [pricing page](https://cloudcart.com/en/pricing), for stores selling in one EU country or across several. It gives you the admin paths, the exact field names and how to split support between people and AI. Chatbot types and costs are covered in [the guide to ecommerce chatbots](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/chatbot-online-store). ## What live chat is and when it helps an online store Live chat is a window in the corner of your website where a customer types a question and someone from your store replies in real time. Unlike email, "will it arrive by Friday?" gets an answer while the customer is still on the product page. Live chat helps most with: - Expensive or technical products. Electronics, furniture, appliances: the customer wants a person before an order worth hundreds of euros. - Made-to-order products. Engraving, custom sizes and bulk orders, where every quote is different. - Complaints. The wrong size, a damaged parcel, a change of address after the order. - New stores and new countries. A reply from a real person builds trust while the store has no reviews, or when a shopper abroad asks about delivery and returns before the first order. Live chat only works when someone is on shift. A question at 11 p.m. waits until morning, which is why most stores combine human chat with an AI assistant for the repeat questions. ## Which live chat is best for an online store on CloudCart The best live chat depends on who answers. If your team replies itself, choose LiveChat or Zendesk Chat (Zopim). For round-the-clock answers from your catalog and orders, choose Aura Chat. CloudCart connects to all three, plus a Click to Call button for customers who would rather phone. | | LiveChat | Zendesk Chat (Zopim) | Aura Chat | | Who answers | Your agent | Your agent | An AI assistant speaking for your store | | Admin path | Apps → Live Chat → Settings | Apps → Zopim → Settings | Apps → Aura Chat | | What you enter | License key : your LiveChat license number | Code : the full embed code from Zendesk | Name, color, skills and rules | | Separate subscription | Yes, with LiveChat | Yes, with Zendesk | No; replies use credits, shown in the Usage tab | | Knows catalog and orders | No, the agent checks the admin | No, the agent checks the admin | Yes, once you turn the skills on | | Where it shows | All pages, no exceptions | All pages using the main template | All pages; by default it does not start a conversation in cart, checkout or account | | CloudCart plans | All four | All four | All four, with a starting credit on first install | The [plans table](https://cloudcart.com/en/pricing) also lists Facebook Messenger Chat in every plan. Chat providers bill separately, in US dollars. LiveChat starts at $19 per user per month billed annually, with a 14-day trial that does not ask for a card ([LiveChat pricing](https://www.livechat.com/pricing/)). At Zendesk, messaging and live chat come with the Suite plans, from $55 per agent per month billed annually ([Zendesk pricing](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/)). Both were checked in November 2026; confirm them before you choose. > €1/month for 3 months LiveChat and Zendesk Chat in every plan A new store can switch chat on during its first three months, when any plan costs €1/month. The chat service itself is billed by LiveChat or Zendesk. Create a store for €1 → ## How to add LiveChat to your store LiveChat takes one field: the license key from your LiveChat account. CloudCart loads the LiveChat script on every store page; agents, hours and the window's look are set in the LiveChat admin. - Find your license number. In your account at my.livechatinc.com, copy the numeric license number. - Install the app. In the CloudCart admin open Apps → Live Chat . - Enter the key. In Settings paste it into License key . Activating with the field empty shows "License key is required". - Save and check. CloudCart refreshes the storefront scripts by itself. If the chat does not appear in a new window, the key is wrong: CloudCart does not check its format. Important: the field accepts only a LiveChat license key. CloudCart embeds the fixed LiveChat script, so code from another service will not load. LiveChat on CloudCart cannot be hidden on individual pages, checkout included. It does not recognize a signed-in customer, so the agent sees an anonymous visitor unless the pre-chat form is filled in. ## How to add Zendesk Chat (Zopim) to your store Zendesk Chat is added by pasting the full embed code from Zendesk into the Code field. The app is called Zopim, the original name of Zendesk's chat, and suits stores that already run support in Zendesk. - Copy the code. In the Zendesk admin copy the whole chat embed code (the block). - Paste it. Open Apps → Zopim → Settings and paste it into Code . An empty field gives "Code is required". - Save and check the storefront. CloudCart stores the code as it is, with no preview. Scripts do not refresh by themselves here: if the chat does not appear, clear the cache or wait for cached pages to update. CloudCart does not pass the signed-in customer's name, email or cart to Zendesk. To pre-fill name and email, add Zendesk's identification code to the same block. One store takes one Zendesk chat. ## Can live chat answer on its own? Yes, when an AI assistant answers. LiveChat and Zendesk Chat are windows for talking to a person. Aura Chat, the chat of [AURA, CloudCart's AI assistant](https://cloudcart.com/en/aura), answers on its own, for your store and only from your store's data. You turn it on in Apps → Aura Chat. On install all skills are off: it answers only from your store pages until you switch on product search, orders or returns in Knowledge & Skills. - "Where is my order?" It asks for the order number and the email on the order, then gives the status. Without both it shows nothing. - Delivery, returns, warranty. It reads your published store pages and answers with a link. - "Which one should I buy?" It asks with buttons, shows product cards with "Add to cart" and says why it picks one. - Ready-made questions. In Settings you set up to 6 questions of up to 200 characters that the customer taps. Aura Chat does not hand over to an agent, so write your phone and email into its instructions for complex cases. Every conversation is in Conversations. The full settings guide is in [the AURA AI assistant in CloudCart](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/aura-ai-sales-assistant). > Aura Chat An answer at 11 p.m. with nobody on shift Order status, delivery and returns questions that would wait until morning get answered around the clock from your catalog, orders and pages. Your team keeps the cases that need a person. How Aura Chat sells → ### People, AI or both Two chat windows on one page confuse the customer, so pick one main chat. A small store with nobody on shift starts with Aura Chat and a phone number. A store whose team already works in LiveChat or Zendesk uses that, and covers the night with clear "Delivery", "Returns" and "FAQ" pages. ## A call button for customers who prefer the phone Click to Call is a round button on the storefront that opens the phone's dialer with your number. It suits phone orders, custom quotes and business customers. - Install the app. Open Apps → Click to Call . - Enter the number. In Contact phone number pick the country code; an invalid number cannot be saved. - Set the look. Position (left or right), Text (for example "Call us") and Background color , then check the live preview and activate. Put the call button on the opposite side from the chat so they do not overlap on a phone. It has one number for the whole store and does not count calls. ## Live chat on mobile: where the sale is won or lost Test live chat on a phone first. In Europe 54.45% of web visits in October 2026 came from a mobile device, against 43.46% from desktop ([StatCounter Global Stats](https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/desktop-mobile-tablet/europe)). Each country has its own mix, so check yours in Analytics. On a phone a chat window that opens by itself covers the photo, the price and "Add to cart". Google says dialogs that obstruct the main content frustrate users and can hurt search, and recommends small banners instead ([Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/avoid-intrusive-interstitials)). | Mobile check | What to look for | Fix | | Chat button | Covers "Add to cart" or the order button | Move it in the LiveChat or Zendesk settings | | Auto-open | Window opens over the product | Turn off the automatic invitation for mobile | | Chat and Click to Call | Buttons overlap | Opposite sides via Position | | Checkout | Chat blocks address or card fields | Run a full order from a phone | The full checklist is in the guide to [mobile ecommerce: 12 checks for your store](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/mobile-version-online-store). ## Returns and withdrawal requests through support Many chat conversations are about returns. Across the EU a consumer who buys online can withdraw within 14 days of delivery without giving a reason ([Your Europe](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/returns/index_en.htm)). Since 19 June 2026, traders must also offer an online withdrawal function, under Article 11a of [Directive (EU) 2023/2673](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2673/oj/eng). In CloudCart this is the Withdraw from contract app. It adds a withdrawal button and form to the storefront, and requests arrive in Orders → Withdraw from contract. The default period is 14 days from delivery; you can extend it to 365 days but not shorten it. Each request gets an automatic confirmation email that cannot be switched off. With the returns skill on, Aura Chat can file a return request inside the chat. Buyer rights are explained in [returns and consumer rights online](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/returns-consumer-rights-online-store). ## How much time chat saves: a worked example Take a cosmetics store with 40 questions a day at 3 minutes each. | Approach | Answered by a person | Staff time per day | Questions after 6 p.m. | | Email only | 40 | 2 hours, replies after hours | Wait until morning | | Live chat | 40 | 2 hours, replies in minutes | Wait until morning | | Aura Chat plus phone | Complex ones only, for example 10 | About 30 minutes | Answered right away | These numbers illustrate the calculation and are not market averages. Count your own questions over one week: order status, delivery, product choice. Aura Chat can take most of the first two if your "Delivery" and "Returns" pages are clear. Tracking the effect on sales is covered in [online store conversion rate](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/online-store-conversion-rate). ## Which live chat metrics to track The five chat metrics that matter are conversations, response time, conversion after a chat, revenue per conversation and the topics customers ask about. The first two show whether the team keeps up; the last three show whether chat sells and what the site is missing. For Aura Chat, CloudCart calculates them in Apps → Aura Chat → Overview, with period comparison. An order counts towards a chat when placed afterwards from the same browser or by the same signed-in customer. For LiveChat and Zendesk Chat, response time and volume are in their own reports. | Metric | What it shows | Name in Overview | | Conversations | Conversations started in the period | Conversations | | Orders after a chat | Orders placed after a conversation | Orders assisted | | Revenue from chat | Total of those orders | Assisted revenue | | Conversion after a chat | Orders after a chat ÷ conversations | Conversion after a chat | | Revenue per conversation | Revenue from chat ÷ conversations | Revenue per conversation | | Response time | From message to start of reply | Average time to reply | | Topics | What customers ask about, in % | What customers ask about | Topics tell you what to fix on the site. If 30% of conversations are about delivery, your "Delivery" page is unclear; questions about sizes mean a missing size chart. Repeat questions also make good topics for [post-purchase emails](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/email-marketing-online-store). ## Support metrics from an AI agent, without opening the admin The fastest way to get support-related store numbers is to ask an AI agent. Claude Code, ChatGPT Codex, Gemini CLI or Cursor, connected with a PAT token from Settings → PAT tokens, reads orders and customers and answers a plain-language question with a table. Choose the Read Only level: the agent sees data but cannot change anything. | Question for the agent | What you decide | | "Which paid orders from the last 2 days have not shipped yet?" | What to ship today, before the customer writes in chat | | "Which in-stock products have fewer than 5 units left?" | What to restock before "when will it be back?" fills the chat | | "How many first-time customers this month ordered again?" | Whether your service leads to a second order | In a sample store with 400 products, tasks like these save about 19 hours a month, by the calculation in [what an AI agent saves an online store](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/ai-agent-online-store-why). The 10 metrics the agent calculates are in [ecommerce KPIs an AI agent calculates](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/ecommerce-kpi-metrics-ai-agent). > Store with an AI assistant Unshipped orders in one sentence A read-only AI agent shows which paid orders have not shipped, so you answer "where is my order?" before the customer opens the chat. How to connect an AI assistant to CloudCart → ## 7 best practices for live chat in an online store - Show your hours. Say in the greeting when you reply, with the time zone if you sell across borders. - Reply within 2 minutes. If nobody can, switch the chat off for those hours. - Prepare canned replies. Shipping costs, delivery times, returns and payment methods come up every day. - Publish policy pages. "Delivery", "Returns" and "Warranty" pages let an agent send a link and let Aura Chat find the answer. - Handle cookies. LiveChat and Zendesk Chat set cookies; with the GDPR app on, set consent in the chat service's admin. See GDPR and cookies in an online store . - Test on a phone. Run a full order using the mobile table above. - Read conversations weekly. A repeat question is a missing line in a product description or policy page. ## Mistakes to avoid - Wrong code in the wrong field. License key takes only a LiveChat key; Code needs the full Zendesk embed, not just an ID. - Two chats at once. They confuse the customer and overlap on a phone. - Chat with nobody on shift. The customer waits for an answer that never comes. - Policies only as an image or PDF. Aura Chat reads published pages, not images or PDF files. > 0% commission 0% of the sales you win in chat When a conversation ends in an order, CloudCart takes no percentage. You pay a fixed monthly plan. What 0% commission means → ## Frequently asked questions **How do I add live chat to my online store?** In CloudCart open Apps → Live Chat and enter your LiveChat license key, or Apps → Zopim and paste the full Zendesk embed code. The chat appears on every store page after you save. **What is the best live chat for an ecommerce store?** It depends on who answers. For a team replying live, LiveChat or Zendesk Chat. For round-the-clock answers from catalog and orders, Aura Chat. A small store with nobody on shift usually starts with Aura Chat and a call button. **Can a live chat answer customers automatically?** Yes, with an AI assistant. In CloudCart, Aura Chat answers about order status, delivery, returns and product choice using only your store's data. **How much does live chat for a website cost?** The connection is included in all four CloudCart plans; the service is billed separately. As checked in November 2026, LiveChat starts at $19 per user per month and Zendesk's Suite plans at $55 per agent per month, both billed annually. **Can I hide the chat on the checkout page?** Not through CloudCart settings; LiveChat and Zendesk Chat load on all pages. Aura Chat by default does not start a conversation in the cart or at checkout. **How do I know if live chat brings in sales?** Look at orders and revenue after a conversation. For Aura Chat, Apps → Aura Chat → Overview shows Orders assisted, Assisted revenue and Conversion after a chat.