Service Cloud Chat Developer Guide

About This Guide
Prerequisites
API Versions
Customize Deployments with the Deployment APIs
Use Pre-Chat to Gather Visitor Information and Set Context for the Agent
Find and Create Records Automatically with the Pre-Chat APIs
Access Chat Details with the Pre-Chat APIs
Implement a Custom Chat Window Using Visualforce
Use Post-Chat to Wrap Up the Chat Interaction with Your Customer
Set Up Direct-to-Agent Chat Routing with the Deployment APIs
PDF

Newer Version Available

This content describes an older version of this product. View Latest

Use Pre-Chat to Gather Visitor Information and Set Context for the Agent

Use pre-chat forms in to collect information from visitors and customize their pre-chat experience.

The legacy chat product is scheduled for retirement on February 14, 2026, and is in maintenance mode until then. During this phase, you can continue to use chat, but we no longer recommend that you implement new chat channels. To avoid service interruptions to your customers, migrate to Messaging for In-App and Web before that date. Messaging offers many of the chat features that you love plus asynchronous conversations that can be picked back up at any time. Learn about chat retirement in Help.

Important

A pre-chat form can gather information, such as a customer's name, email address, and reason for contacting customer support. This information can help direct chat requests more efficiently and reduce the time agents spend collecting the information themselves. You can also use this information to customize the customer's experience while they chat with the agent, such as including their first name in the chat window.

You can create a Visualforce page to host your pre-chat form, or you can develop the form on your own. The information in this guide focuses on using Visualforce.