---
schema_version: "1"
id: 9026e170611999fde959f1e445796e71f33537e690061e1c0b0f0532c5a21645
title: Chat with Customers
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/live_agent_chat_with_customers.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_chat_with_customers.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: ea352928bd578fe8461f6939a246cea08923d98d53ef9fc7789e6d0b6a80262d
description: Accept incoming chat requests to begin chatting with customers in a Salesforce console app.
products:
  - Service Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Chat with Customers

Accept incoming chat requests to begin chatting with customers in a Salesforce console app.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.legacy_editions.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d37864e56">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37864e56 ">To chat with visitors in the Salesforce console: </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37864e56 ">Chat is enabled, set up, and included in a Salesforce console app</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_legacy-264-0-0-production-enus/081af4ec-6c06-4d4b-9443-cb3516bbc46d/images/icon_important.png)

Important

Legacy Chat will be retired on February 14, 2026. To avoid service interruptions to your end users, switch to enhanced Chat (formerly Messaging for In-App and Web). Enhanced Chat offers many of the legacy Chat [features that you love](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_replacing_chat_considerations.htm&language=en_US) plus asynchronous conversations that can be picked back up at any time. Learn about migrating in [Help](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_replacing_chat_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) and [Trailhead](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/migrating-from-legacy-chat-to-enhanced-chat).

When you receive a new chat or transfer request, the pending request appears in your chat monitor. You can see the deployment or website the chat came from, the customer’s name (if it's available), and the number of minutes the request has been waiting to be answered.

You can chat with several customers at the same time. Each chat sessions opens in a separate primary tab.

1. In the chat monitor, click **Accept** on the chat request.
    
    The chat log opens in a new primary tab.
2. Type your message to the customer in the message field.
3. Click **Send** or hit ENTER on your keyboard to send your message to the customer.
4. Click **End Chat** when you're done assisting the customer.
    
    If the customer ends the chat first, a notice appears in the chat log.

#### See Also

- [Send Quick Text Messages in Chats](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_send_quick_text_messages.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Send chat customers predefined messages to respond more quickly. You can create quick text for greetings, notes, answers to common questions, and more.")
- [Attach Articles to Chats](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_attach_articles_to_chats.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Use the Knowledge One widget to find articles that help solve customer issues during chats.")
- [Transfer Chats](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_transfer_chat_requests.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "You can transfer chat sessions to other agents when a customer needs extra help with an issue, or to make room for new requests.")
- [Transfer Files During a Chat](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_transfer_files.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Give customers the ability to upload and transfer files during a chat so they can easily share more information about their issues.")
- [Attach Records to Chat Transcripts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_attach_records_to_transcripts.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Search for or create records to attach to a chat transcript as you chat with customers in a Salesforce console app.")
- [End a Chat Session](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_end_chat_session.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "End a chat session after you’ve finished chatting with a customer and updating the records related to their chat.")