LobbyChat vs Sticky Chat Widget – Floating Chat Icons, Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat,

LobbyChat is a lightweight live-chat shoutbox you can drop into any WordPress page or sidebar with a single shortcode. Built for communities — fan sites, forums, fandoms, classrooms, internal teams — where you want a casual, always-on group chat without bolting on Slack or Discord. What you get Live chat feed with auto-refresh (configurable polling interval — no WebSocket server required) Guest posting — visitors can chat with just a display name, no signup wall Emoji reactions on every message — 👍 ❤️ 😂 🔥 🎉 Link previews for YouTube and any URL with Open Graph tags @mention highlighting — @username gets visually picked out Pinned messages — moderators can pin one important message above the feed Online presence — live count of members, guests, and search-engine bots in the room Moderator role — add a “LobbyChat Moderator” role to any user for pin/delete powers Reporting + auto-hide — 5 reports on a message and it’s hidden automatically Word blocklist for basic profanity filtering Rate limiting built in — separate cooldowns for guests vs members Fullscreen mode + collapse toggle Sound notification for new messages (toggleable per-visitor) Mobile responsive Optional: AI Chat Companion LobbyChat ships with an optional AI bot you can drop into your chat. The bot uses your own API keys — you bring your own Google Gemini key (the free tier works) or OpenAI key. The plugin does not route requests through any third-party server. Bring-your-own-key — Gemini (free tier) or OpenAI (paid) Configurable persona — name, system prompt, custom personality Smart triggers — replies to @mentions always; questions usually; random messages occasionally (all configurable) Hard rate limits — daily and hourly caps protect against runaway API costs Active-hours window — bot only chats during the hours you specify One-click test in the admin to verify the bot can post Privacy & data LobbyChat does not call any third-party server by default. The only network calls are: Fetching link previews when a user shares a URL (request goes from your server to that URL) Calling Google Gemini or OpenAI only if you explicitly enable the AI bot and provide an API key No telemetry, no analytics, no “phone home.” All data lives in your own wp_lobbychat* tables. Try it live See LobbyChat running in production at bejaunty.com/plugins/lobbychat. Roadmap LobbyChat is the free, standalone version. Premium add-ons with gaming-community features — looking-for-group buttons, platform tags, profile-card integration, and richer moderation tools — are in development. Updates and announcements at bejaunty.com. Support development LobbyChat is free and developed in spare time. If it helps your community, you can support development at wise.com/pay/me/asadk372. Every bit is appreciated. ♥ Usage After activating, drop this shortcode into any page, post, or text widget: [lobbychat] Then visit Settings → LobbyChat to configure rate limits, blocklist, and other options. For the AI bot, see Settings → LobbyChat AI Bot. Developer hooks LobbyChat exposes several filters and actions for theme/plugin developers: lobbychat_after_send — action, fires after a message is saved. do_action('lobbychat_after_send', $user_id, $message_id, $row) — the third arg is the database row object. lobbychat_profile_url — filter, override the URL linked from a username (default: WP author archive) lobbychat_allowed_reactions — filter, override the array of allowed reaction emoji lobbychat_report_threshold — filter, change the auto-hide report threshold (default: 5) lobbychat_emoji_set — filter, customize the array of emoji shown in the picker External services This plugin does not connect to any external service by default. Two optional features may, only when explicitly enabled by the site administrator, contact third-party services: 1. Link previews When the link-sharing feature is enabled (Settings → LobbyChat → “Allow link sharing”, which is on by default), and a logged-in user shares a URL in chat, the plugin’s server fetches that URL once to extract Open Graph / Twitter / metadata for a preview card. What is sent: The HTTP request from your server to the URL the user pasted. The request user-agent identifies as LobbyChatBot/1.0 and includes a link back to your site. When: Only at the moment a user posts a message containing a URL. What is received and stored: Title, description, and image URL extracted from the page’s metadata. Stored in the chat message row in your database. Special handling for YouTube URLs: YouTube URLs are first sent to YouTube’s public oEmbed endpoint (https://www.youtube.com/oembed) to retrieve title and author info. YouTube’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply. This feature can be fully disabled by un-checking “Allow link sharing” in plugin settings. 2. Optional AI chat companion When the AI bot is explicitly enabled by the administrator (Settings → LobbyChat AI Bot → “Enable bot”, which is off by default) and the administrator has provided their own API key for one or both of the providers below, chat messages are sent to that provider for the bot to generate replies. Google Gemini API (https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/) * What it is: Google’s generative AI service, used here to produce conversational chat replies. * What is sent: Up to 6 most recent chat messages (sender display name + message text), the bot’s system prompt, and the administrator’s Gemini API key. * When: Only when the administrator has enabled the bot AND a chat message satisfies the bot’s reply-trigger rules (mention, question, or random chance — all configurable). * Terms and privacy: Google APIs Terms of Service, Gemini API Additional Terms, Google Privacy Policy. OpenAI API (https://api.openai.com/) * What it is: OpenAI’s chat completions API, used here as a fallback when Gemini fails or as the primary if only an OpenAI key is configured. * What is sent: Same as Gemini above (recent messages + system prompt + administrator’s OpenAI API key). * When: Same conditions as Gemini above. * Terms and privacy: OpenAI Terms of Use, OpenAI API Data Usage Policies, OpenAI Privacy Policy. The AI bot is disabled by default and will not contact any external service unless the administrator explicitly enables it and provides an API key. 3. Optional Cloudflare Turnstile spam protection When Turnstile is explicitly enabled by the administrator (Settings → LobbyChat → Spam protection, off by default) and a site key and secret key are provided, the plugin uses Cloudflare’s Turnstile service to verify that the person posting is not a bot. Cloudflare Turnstile (https://challenges.cloudflare.com/) * What it is: Cloudflare’s privacy-focused CAPTCHA alternative, used here to block automated spam before a message is posted. * What is sent: When a user submits a message, the Turnstile token generated in their browser plus the user’s IP address are sent from your server to Cloudflare’s siteverify endpoint, along with your secret key, to confirm the token is valid. The browser-side widget also loads Cloudflare’s api.js script from challenges.cloudflare.com. * When: Only when Turnstile is enabled and a user attempts to post a message (optionally limited to guests only). * Terms and privacy: Cloudflare Website Terms of Use, Cloudflare Privacy Policy. Turnstile is disabled by default and will not contact any external service unless the administrator explicitly enables it and provides their own keys.

Engage your website visitors in seconds with Sticky Chat Widget. Add floating social chat buttons and contact options including WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype, WeChat, Viber, SMS, Email, Call Button, and more. Fully customizable and mobile-friendly, it helps businesses, blogs, and stores boost leads and customer satisfaction. The most effective Click to Chat and Call to Action buttons for website Easy Setup & Configuration – Install the plugin and add chat buttons within minutes, no coding required. Customizable Design – Change colors, icons, size, and position to match your website branding. Multi-Channel Support – Connect with visitors via 20+ platforms including chat apps, email, SMS, and call buttons. Lead Generation & Engagement – Get direct calls, messages, and inquiries that boost conversions. Improved Customer Experience – Make it simple for visitors to contact you, increasing trust and satisfaction. Want to connect with your customers in just a few seconds? Sticky Chat Widget makes it easy for your visitors to reach you instantly through their favorite messaging apps like Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and more. Searching for the best chat plugin for WordPress? Your search ends here with Sticky Chat Widget. This powerful plugin supports 20+ platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Viber, Line, Email, Telegram, VKontakte, SMS, WeChat, Skype, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Waze, and even custom links. With support for almost every popular app, your customers can contact you directly using the channels they already have installed. Sticky Chat Widget is available in both Free and Pro versions. Why Choose Sticky Chat Widget? More Flexible than Live Chat: Unlike traditional live chat, which locks users into one channel and requires them to stay on your site, Sticky Chat Widget lets visitors connect via the apps they already use daily — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. They can message you anytime, even after leaving your website. One-Click Chat: Give your users the freedom to choose how they reach you. Add only the chat platforms where you’re active, so you can stay available without overwhelming your visitors. With a single click, they can start a conversation instantly. Share Your Location: Running a physical store? Platforms like Waze make it easy to share your location, guide customers directly to your shop, and convert visits into sales. Business Hours Control (Pro): Set specific days and times when chat icons are displayed on your site. Perfect for businesses that want to show availability only during working hours — included in the Pro version. Want to unlock the full power of our plugin and engage better with your website visitors? Check out our Pro Plans. Connect via 25+ Popular Channels Sticky Chat Widget seamlessly integrates with a wide range of social and communication platforms, giving your visitors multiple ways to reach you. Supported channels include: WhatsApp Facebook Messenger Viber Line Email Telegram VKontakte SMS Phone Call WeChat Skype Snapchat LinkedIn Twitter Slack Instagram Waze Google Maps Signal TikTok Contact Form Discord Microsoft Teams Zalo Custom Link Live Demo Want to see Sticky Chat Widget in action? Check out the Live Demo on Ginger’s demo site. Sticky Chat Widget – What’s Included in the Free Plan? With the free version of Sticky Chat Widget, you’ll enjoy powerful features to get started right away: 1. Unlimited Channels – Add as many chat buttons as you need for different platforms or support topics. 2. Flexible Position & Size – Place the widget on the left or right, adjust size, and fit it seamlessly into your site design. 3. Custom Colors & Fonts – Match widget colors, hover text, and fonts with your website branding. 4. Engaging Animations & Effects – Choose from fade, slide, spin, pulse, bounce, and more to grab attention. 5. Contact Form – Allow visitors to reach you even outside chat apps with a simple built-in form. 6. Smart Triggers – Show the widget on scroll, after a delay, or when users try to exit. 7. Pending Message Badge – Display notification icons to nudge visitors into starting a chat. 8. Dedicated WhatsApp Widget – Connect directly with users via WhatsApp. 9. Icon Modes – Display channels vertically or horizontally. 10. Device Control – Show or hide channels separately on desktop or mobile. 11. Custom Links – Add links to specific pages or resources inside the widget. Sticky Chat Widget – What’s Included in the PRO Plan? The PRO version includes everything from the Free Plan, plus powerful advanced features: 1. Custom Icons & Images – Upload your own icons or images for a branded, professional look. 2. Precise Positioning – Fine-tune the widget’s placement anywhere on your site. 3. Developer Controls – Add custom IDs or classes for advanced styling and CSS tweaks. 4. Page Targeting – Show the widget only on selected pages for tailored engagement. 5. Day & Time Rules – Display chat icons only during business hours or custom schedules. 6. Date Scheduling – Plan widget visibility for campaigns, promotions, or events. 7. Country Targeting – Personalize chat visibility based on visitor location. 8. Google Analytics Integration – Track widget usage and measure engagement insights. 9. Custom Contact Form Fields – Collect detailed info with fields like text, dropdowns, file upload, and more. 10. Lead Integrations – Sync leads with Mailchimp, Mailjet, and other email marketing tools. 11. Email Forwarding – Receive contact form submissions directly in your inbox. 12. Autoresponder – Send instant automated replies to set response expectations. Upgrade to Pro for just $25/year and unlock all premium features of Sticky Chat Widget. Give your website visitors the fastest and easiest way to connect with you — and boost your leads, support, and sales. How does each channel work? WhatsApp: Connect instantly with users through the world’s most popular messaging app, enabling fast conversations and customer support. Facebook Messenger: Engage directly with your audience on Facebook using Messenger for real-time communication and assistance. Viber: Allow users to chat and call you for free via Viber, enhancing accessibility and interaction. Line: Provide support through Line with free calls, messages, and multimedia sharing features. Email: Let visitors reach you via traditional email, offering a familiar and professional communication method. Telegram: Offer secure, fast, and private messaging for users who prefer Telegram. VKontakte: Reach audiences in Eastern Europe by integrating with VKontakte, a widely used social network. SMS: Enable direct text messaging for simple, quick, and convenient communication. Phone Call: Give users the option to call you directly for immediate voice support. WeChat: Tap into WeChat’s massive user base in China, providing chat and multimedia messaging. Skype: Offer voice calls, video calls, chat, and file sharing with Skype integration. Snapchat: Engage visually with users through Snapchat’s multimedia messaging and story features. LinkedIn: Connect with professionals on LinkedIn for business-related inquiries and support. Twitter: Provide fast support on Twitter, responding via direct messages or public tweets. Slack: Cater to teams and businesses by integrating with Slack for seamless collaboration and support. Instagram: Communicate visually with users on Instagram via direct messages and comments. Waze: Share your store location on Waze, making it easy for customers to navigate directly to you. Google Maps: Enhance accessibility by allowing visitors to find and contact you via Google Maps. Signal: Offer private and secure communication through Signal, ideal for users focused on privacy. TikTok: Use TikTok to engage with users through short-form video content and direct messaging. Contact Form: Provide a customizable contact form for inquiries, feedback, and support requests. Discord: Build community engagement with real-time chat and support on Discord. Microsoft Teams: Connect with business clients and teams through Microsoft Teams integration. Zalo: Engage with users in Vietnam using Zalo, a popular local chat and social networking platform. Sticky Chat Widget is GDPR Compliant Sticky Chat Widget is designed with privacy at its core. Along with being a powerful communication tool, it ensures user data is protected and handled responsibly. No Data Storage: The plugin does not store or process any visitor data on your servers. Direct to Social Channels: Users are redirected to platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Telegram — all communication happens there, not inside your site. Contact Form Privacy: Only the information users voluntarily provide (name, email, custom fields) is collected, and you control how it is handled. GDPR Standards: Fully aligned with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring the highest level of data protection. By taking a privacy-first approach, Sticky Chat Widget lets you engage with your visitors in real time while respecting and protecting their personal data.