Setting up and using live chat and chatbots in HubSpot

Live chat and chatbots are powerful tools for delivering fast, real-time support—and with HubSpot Service Hub, setting them up is straightforward. Whether you’re helping customers find information quickly, routing them to the right team, or answering simple questions automatically, chat tools can improve both your customer experience and your team’s efficiency.

In this article, we’ll show you how to set up live chat and chatbots in HubSpot, when to use them, and how to manage conversations once they’re live.

What’s the Difference Between Live Chat and Chatbots?

• Live Chat connects website visitors with your support team in real-time via a chat window on your site.

• Chatbots are automated assistants that respond to visitors using pre-set logic, offering help, routing queries, or collecting information before a human takes over (if needed).

Both tools feed into HubSpot’s Conversations Inbox, so your team can see all live and automated chat interactions in one place.

How to Set Up Live Chat in HubSpot

To add live chat to your website:

1. Go to Inbox > Chatflows

2. Click Create chatflow and choose Website

3. Select Live Chat

4. Customise the welcome message—this is what visitors will first see when the chat opens

5. Choose which inbox the chats will go to

6. Set availability options:

   • During business hours only?

   • Always on?

   • Show offline message?

7. Decide where the chat should appear (all pages or specific ones)

8. Click Publish, and your chat widget will be live on your site!

💡 Pro Tip: Add routing rules to automatically assign chats to the right team based on page, topic, or time of day.

How to Set Up a Chatbot in HubSpot

To create a chatbot:

1. Go to Inbox > Chatflows

2. Click Create chatflow > Website > Chatbot

3. Choose a template (e.g. Lead qualification, Knowledge base search, Meeting scheduling) or build a custom bot

4. Use the visual editor to:

   • Set up welcome messages

   • Add questions or quick replies

   • Include actions like creating tickets, setting contact properties, or handing off to live chat

5. Set targeting and display rules (which visitors should see the bot)

6. Click Publish when ready

💡 Pro Tip: Start with a simple goal—like offering quick answers or routing queries—then add more actions as you learn what your users need.

Best Practices for Managing Chat Conversations

Once live chat or a bot is up and running, keep things running smoothly by:

• Assigning conversations – Use auto-assignment or manually assign chats to team members

• Using snippets and templates – Save time and stay consistent with pre-written responses

• Logging conversations – All chats are automatically saved in the contact timeline, so your team always has full context

• Tracking metrics – Use reporting tools to monitor response times, chat volume, and customer satisfaction

When to Use Chatbots vs. Live Chat

Use chatbots when:

• Your team isn’t online 24/7
• You want to pre-qualify support requests
• You need to collect customer info before handing off to an agent

Use live chat when:

• A customer has a complex question
• You want to provide a personal touch
• Speed of resolution is a priority

💡 Pro Tip: You can combine both—start with a bot, then hand over to a live rep when needed.

In Summary

Live chat and chatbots help you meet your customers where they are—right on your website. HubSpot’s tools make it easy to set up, manage, and scale your support across your team. Whether you’re using bots to qualify queries or offering instant help via live chat, you’re improving customer experience with every conversation.