Add MyLiveChat to your WordPress site
MyLiveChat live chat for WordPress provides an easy way to integrate your WordPress-powered
website with MyLiveChat. MyLiveChat helps your team answer visitors quickly, collect offline messages, and keep support conversations organized.
It lets your team answer visitors in real time, see helpful visitor context, and keep every conversation available for follow-up. You can install MyLiveChat plugin in just a few minutes:
Start free
Step 1. Get your MyLiveChat code
Sign in to the MyLiveChat web console and click
Deployment menu on the left. Choose Chat Button tab and copy the MyLiveChat
code. It is a single script tag and it is the same code on every platform.
Step 2. Paste the code into your WordPress footer
Use whichever matches your theme:
- Block themes (the default since WordPress 5.9): go to Appearance » Editor » Patterns » Footer, add a Custom HTML block, paste the code and save.
- Classic themes: go to Appearance » Theme File Editor, open
footer.php, and paste the code immediately before </body>.
- Either way, paste it once. Two copies produce two chat launchers.
Editing a theme file? Use a child theme, or a code-snippets plugin, so the next theme update does not remove the code.
Step 3. Verify the live installation
Open a public page of your WordPress site in a private browser window and confirm the chat launcher appears. Then open
Dashboard » Deployment and click Verify install. Detection updates only after a public page has loaded the code at least once.
Launcher not visible? Confirm the Site ID was saved, purge WordPress/page/CDN caches, and temporarily disable script optimization or delay-JavaScript rules. If your site uses Content Security Policy, allow https://*.mylivechat.com in both script-src and frame-src; the bootstrap uses www.mylivechat.com and then your account’s assigned MyLiveChat subdomain. Also remove any duplicate MyLiveChat snippet before testing again.
Check that live chat is working
Do not assume the install worked because you saw no error. Open your site in a private
browsing window and walk through this once:
- Look for the chat launcher on the page. If it is missing, view the page source and search
for mylivechat to confirm the code is really being served.
- Start a chat as a visitor and send a test message.
- Sign in to the web console and confirm the message arrives and
that you can reply.
- Close the chat and check the transcript is saved, so you know follow-up will work.
WordPress caching is the usual culprit. Purge your caching plugin, any page cache and your CDN before deciding something is broken; a cached copy of the old page is the single most common reason a correct installation looks like a failed one.
Common WordPress setup mistakes
- The Site ID was never saved. Open the MyLiveChat settings page and confirm your Site ID is stored. An empty Site ID renders nothing at all, which looks identical to a blocked script.
- A caching or optimization plugin is delaying the script. Rules like “delay JavaScript”, “defer all scripts” or aggressive minification can stop the bootstrap from running. Exclude MyLiveChat from those rules, or switch them off long enough to confirm the cause.
- MyLiveChat is installed twice. If the code is in both the footer pattern and
footer.php, or left over in an old sidebar widget, you end up with two launchers. Keep one copy only.
- You are testing while signed in as an administrator. Admin views can be served a different, uncached version of the page. Always check in a private browsing window.
What's next?
After setup, sign in to the web console to answer visitors from your browser. You can also use the desktop app from the download page if your team prefers it.
WordPress live chat FAQ
Do I need to edit theme files or add code?
On a block theme, no: a Custom HTML block in the footer pattern is enough. On a classic theme you paste the snippet into footer.php, and a child theme or a code-snippets plugin keeps it through updates. Either way, paste it once.
Does it work with a caching plugin?
Yes, but purge the cache after you save your Site ID, and exclude MyLiveChat from any “delay JavaScript” or “defer all scripts” rule. A cached copy of the old page is the most common reason a correct install looks broken.
Does it work on a WooCommerce store?
Yes. The footer code loads site-wide, so it covers shop, product, cart and checkout pages. There is also a dedicated WooCommerce live chat page if you want store-specific notes.
Will it slow my site down?
The chat code loads asynchronously after your page content, so it does not block rendering. If you want the detail, see does live chat slow down your website.
Is it really free?
Yes. One agent, unlimited chats, and unlimited websites are free forever, with no credit card required.
Make the chat window fit your site
Colours, position, language, the pre-chat form and your offline message are all set in your
MyLiveChat dashboard rather than in your WordPress code, so you can change them without editing
your site again. See customization options for
what can be changed, and visitor monitoring if you
want to see which page a visitor is on before you reply.
Related guides
New to live chat? Start with
how to add live chat to your
website and the
live chat launch checklist, then
live chat best practices once you are
answering real conversations.
Also useful: Live chat for blog readers and
Common live chat setup mistakes.
If you are worried about page speed, see
does live chat slow down your
website.
Any questions?
If anything is unclear, contact our support team from the chat button on this page or visit the Support page. We can help you choose the right setup path.