---
schema_version: "1"
id: 00df32eea53d7d96c926e9935fb846f707e6ebf901309897bb5506a39d4f353d
title: Plan for Enhanced Chat
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/planning_checklist.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.planning_checklist.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: fd34ba3d18057cb6c1ea1dcdc0b7bb9826378e32fd2dad395fa2c9fc1537a282
description: Before configuring an Enhanced Chat experience, consider your business's current support goals. This step helps you select the right Omni-Channel routing approach, pre-chat form fields, and custom parameters to personalize the experience.
products:
  - Service Cloud
  - Digital Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Plan for Enhanced Chat

Before configuring an Enhanced Chat experience, consider your business's current support goals. This step helps you select the right Omni-Channel routing approach, pre-chat form fields, and custom parameters to personalize the experience.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition">
      <colgroup>
        <col style="width:50%">
        <col style="width:50%">
      </colgroup>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_editions.htm&amp;type=5&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions.</a></td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
            <a name="planning_checklist__d205e335"><!-- --></a><span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" id="planning_checklist__d205e335" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/checkmark.png" alt="Checkmark"></span>
            <strong>This article applies to:</strong>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Enhanced In-App Chat and Enhanced Web Chat channels</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
            <span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/crossmark.png" alt="X icon"></span>
            <strong>This article doesn’t apply to:</strong>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Enhanced WhatsApp, Enhanced Facebook Messenger, Standard and Enhanced SMS,
            Enhanced Apple Messages for Business, Enhanced LINE, and Bring Your Own
            Channel</td>

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

## Planning Questions

To create an effective chat system for a support team, answer these three questions.

- How are your service reps organized?
- What details do they need before chatting with a customer?
- Which Salesforce records do service reps pull before connecting with a customer?

## Considerations and Chat Options

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
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        </colgroup>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <p>
                <strong>How service reps are organized</strong>
              </p>
              <ul>
                <li>One group</li>

                <li>Service type</li>

                <li>Skill set</li>

                <li>Support topics</li>

                <li>Languages </li>

              </ul>
            </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <p>
                <strong>Solution: Select an Omni-Channel routing type</strong>
              </p><a name="planning_checklist__ul_nfl_3cp_g2c"><!-- --></a>
              <ul id="planning_checklist__ul_nfl_3cp_g2c">
                <li>Routing with Queues</li>

                <li>Route to an Agent (Service Rep)</li>

                <li>Routing with Skills</li>

                <li>Routing with Bots</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <p>
                <strong>Details service reps need</strong>
              </p>
              <ul>
                <li>First name </li>

                <li>Last name</li>

                <li>Email</li>

                <li>Custom information </li>

              </ul>
            </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <p>
                <strong>Solution: Use the pre-chat form</strong>
              </p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Collect details at the point of contact. Ask customers to fill out visible
                pre-chat fields or collect data behind the scenes with hidden pre-chat fields.
                Create the combination that works best for your organization.</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <p>
                <strong>Which records are pulled</strong>
              </p>
              <ul>
                <li>Leads </li>

                <li>Cases</li>

                <li>Contacts</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <p>
                <strong>Solution: Use individual-object linking</strong>
              </p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Link a record to a conversation based on how your database is set up. Connect
                your channel with an object.</p>
            </td>

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

## Feature Checklist

We recommend following our entire set-up process. Some steps must be completed before others can be configured. Here’s a preview of the features to select and customize during your setup experience:

- User verification allows chat conversations to persist beyond a single interaction, and across tabs and devices. [Learn More](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.user_verification.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To maximize data privacy, securely connect your customers to their messaging history and persist conversations across devices with token-based or credential-based user verification. Persist conversations across devices with token-based user verification.").
- Pre-chat forms use visible and hidden fields to collect basic details and other essential information like an email address. These inputs can be set to parameters and travel through your channel for a specific outcome you set. [Learn More](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_custom_field_example.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Enhanced Chat offers a powerful method to gather pre-chat details from your customer before the service rep connects. Standard Pre-Chat form fields you select, such as first name and last name, and new custom fields like account numbers, drive the experience. Here’s an example of how to create your first customer flow for efficient conversations.")
- Bots ease the chat burden on your support team for routine requests. Add a bot for routine inquiries or use as a quick pre-chat setup experience. [Learn More](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_considerations_bots.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To take advantage of Salesforce AI features, add an enhanced bot to your Enhanced Chat channels or enhanced Messaging channels. Standard Messaging channels support standard bots.")
- Omni-Channel allows you to direct customers in your channel with queue, service rep, skills or bot-based routing using Omni Flow.[Learn More](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_prepare_org_1.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Build a strong foundation for your new messaging channel and deployment.")
- Object lookup and creation added to your Omni Flow provides service reps with customer records as leads, cases, or contacts, so they have everything they need at their fingertips. [Learn More](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_map_messaging_2.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Omni Flow sends pre-chat form data to the messaging session for a more informed service rep experience. Map visible and hidden fields from your pre-chat form to your Omni flow.")
- Branding, yes! You can customize the look and feel of your chat experience for [mobile](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_deployment_mobile.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Customize an existing Enhanced In-App Chat deployment, add it to your site, and set up security. Or, if you’re adding a second deployment to an existing Enhanced In-App Chat channel, follow these steps to create and customize it.") and [web](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_configure_web_deployment_1.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Connect your messaging channel to a website with a new embedded deployment. Create and customize your deployment, add it to your site, and set up security.") channels. Pick colors and fonts and customize your window.
- Custom Labels can match the voice and tone of your website. Update your label text and add some zing to your chat window for [mobile](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_deployment_mobile.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Customize an existing Enhanced In-App Chat deployment, add it to your site, and set up security. Or, if you’re adding a second deployment to an existing Enhanced In-App Chat channel, follow these steps to create and customize it.") or [web](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_configure_web_deployment_1.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Connect your messaging channel to a website with a new embedded deployment. Create and customize your deployment, add it to your site, and set up security.").
- Messaging Components let you send structured content to customers for a more interactive and efficient chat experience. [Learn More](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_components_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- Push notifications for your mobile channel are an effective way to stay in touch with customers. Configure this feature as part of your deployment setup. [Learn More](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_inapp_push.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Set push notifications for your iOS or Android mobile apps in your Enhanced In-App Chat channel. Unlike messages that are automated or sent by service reps, push notifications are temporary and don’t appear in a user’s chat history.")
- Mobile SDK information is available for developers in our Enhanced In-App Chat Developer Guide. [Learn More](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/service/messaging-in-app/overview)