Simple Ajax Chat Pro lets visitors chat on your WordPress site without an account with a third-party chat service. Add a chat box to a post or page with a shortcode, or place one in a theme template. New messages load through Ajax without refreshing the page.

Set up separate conversations

The free version works with one chat form; Pro supports unlimited forms. Place conversations in different areas of your website and configure each form with its own available options and capabilities. You can select ascending or descending message order, add custom content before or after a form, and load JavaScript only on pages that show a chat box.

The extension works with browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, as well as mobile devices including iPhone and Android. You can set the Ajax update interval, enable sound alerts, and turn on browser notifications, which depend on each visitor’s browser settings.

Manage access and messages

Restrict a form to logged-in customers, create private chat boxes between users, or set a user limit for a form. Invisible Google reCAPTCHA is available for chat forms. From the WordPress control panel, administrators can edit or delete messages, mute users, and ban non-admin users from chat sessions. You can also define banned words and phrases, including restrictions for message text and user names, and control which chat content is allowed.

Adjust the form and its presentation

Choose from six form styles or use custom styles. The extension supports custom CSS and JavaScript, with filter hooks for further customization. Form options include a larger textarea, the logged-in username as the chat name, and an optional URL field for chat names. Set limits for message length and the number of displayed messages, and adjust new-message fade colors and duration. Pro can also show a maximum-character counter.

Tools for active chats

Pro adds a customizable emoji picker, user avatars and roles beside messages, and Bang shortcuts. You can send email notifications for new messages, optionally display inline images, and automatically clear messages with an email alert. Other utilities include an online-users widget, a role-based chat box on the WordPress dashboard, and six sound alerts to choose from.

Advanced chat management and user statistics give administrators more oversight. Chat messages can be exported to CSV, and you can restore the plugin’s default settings when needed. Emoticons and emojis are supported.

Install and place a chat box

Install and activate the plugin through the WordPress dashboard, then configure its options in the control panel. Use the supplied shortcode on a post or page, or call the simple_ajax_chat() template tag in a theme to place a chat box.