You've decided to add a live chat to your WordPress store: good news, it's one of the fastest installs there is. No code, no developer, and in five minutes the widget is running on your site. This tutorial walks you through it, step by step, with the settings that actually matter and how to fix the two or three classic pitfalls.
If you're still unsure whether a live chat is worth it, read the complete WordPress live chat guide first. Here, we get practical: we install it.
Before you start (2 prerequisites)
- A self-hosted WordPress site (WordPress.org) where you're the administrator. Note: a site on the free WordPress**.com** plan can't install plugins — you need standard hosting.
- A free TextDigo account. The Free plan is enough to install and test. Create it now, and you'll save time at step 2.
That's it. No FTP, no command line, no server configuration.
Step 1 — Install the plugin (1 minute)
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New.
- Type "TextDigo" in the search bar.
- Click Install, then Activate.
A TextDigo entry appears in the WordPress sidebar menu. Installation is done — all that's left is to link it to your account.
Step 2 — Connect your account (1 minute)
- Open the TextDigo menu in WordPress.
- Paste your channel's login credentials (found in your TextDigo dashboard, under Channels → Live Chat).
- Confirm.
The plugin now knows which account to send conversations to. Everything a visitor writes on your site lands in your TextDigo inbox, not in some forgotten corner of WordPress.
Step 3 — Customize the widget (1 to 2 minutes)
A few settings are enough to make it yours:
- Color: use your brand's primary color so the widget matches your store.
- Welcome message: a sentence that invites people to write, for example "Hi 👋 A question about a product? Message us, we reply fast."
- Position: bottom right by default (where visitors instinctively look).
- Language: English.
- Offline: a message for hours without an agent — or, better, let the AI reply (step 4).
Save, and the widget is live on your site.
Step 4 (optional but recommended) — Connect WhatsApp and the Melia AI
Live chat alone is already good. But the real value comes when you add two things:
- WhatsApp Business, shown next to the live chat so the visitor picks their preferred channel. The full how-to is in how to connect WhatsApp Business to WordPress.
- Melia, the AI, which automatically answers common questions (delivery, prices, payment) from your catalog — including at night, when most messages land in African e-commerce.
You can turn this on now or come back to it later: the live chat works without it.
Check that everything works (30 seconds)
- Open your site in a private browsing window (to see what a visitor sees).
- The widget should appear in the corner you chose.
- Send yourself a test message: it should land in your TextDigo inbox within seconds.
If the message arrives, you're done. If not, see the troubleshooting below.
Troubleshooting: the widget doesn't appear
In the vast majority of cases, it's one of these three causes:
- The cache. This is culprit number one. If you use a cache plugin (WP Rocket, LiteSpeed, W3 Total Cache…) or a CDN (Cloudflare), clear the cache. Then reload your site in private browsing.
- A widget conflict. If you already have another floating button (another chat, a WhatsApp button, a pop-up), disable it temporarily to check it isn't hiding the widget.
- The credentials. Re-confirm at step 2 that the credentials you pasted match your Live Chat channel (and not another channel).
More rarely, a heavily customized theme doesn't load footer scripts correctly — in that case, contact support, it's quickly sorted.
FAQ
Do you need to know how to code to install a live chat on WordPress?
No. The whole installation happens from the WordPress dashboard, in a few clicks. No line of code, no FTP or server access.
Is it really free?
The plugin is free, and TextDigo's Free plan is enough to install, customize and test the live chat. You only move to a paid plan (in FCFA, from 12,000 FCFA/month) when you need more volume or advanced features.
Does it slow down my WordPress site?
The widget loads asynchronously, after the page content: the impact on perceived speed is negligible. Your store stays fast.
Does it work with WooCommerce?
Yes, the installation is identical on a WooCommerce store. The widget appears on all your pages, including product pages and the cart.
In summary
Four steps, five minutes, zero code: install the plugin, connect your account, customize the widget, and (optionally) connect WhatsApp and Melia. The hard part, really, isn't the installation — it's replying fast and all the time once the widget is in place. That's exactly where the AI takes over.
You can create a free TextDigo account and install the plugin on your store today. The Free plan needs no credit card.