🚀 Getting Started
Welcome to Shaka.Chat! Let's get your community up and running in minutes.
What is Shaka.Chat?
Shaka.Chat transforms your Shopify store into a vibrant community where customers can connect, chat, and share their excitement about your products in real-time.
- ✅ Real-time customer conversations
- ✅ Build trust through community engagement
- ✅ Increase conversions with social proof
- ✅ Reduce support burden with peer-to-peer help
Quick Start Checklist
- Install Shaka.Chat from the Shopify App Store
- Complete the onboarding setup
- Customize your chat widget appearance
- Enable chat on your storefront
- Start engaging with your community!
⚡ Installation
Step 1: Install from Shopify App Store
Search for "Shaka.Chat" in the Shopify App Store or click the button below:
Install Shaka.Chat →Step 2: Grant Permissions
Shaka.Chat needs the following permissions to function properly:
- Read products: To enable product-specific chats
- Read customers: To authenticate logged-in users
- Add script tags: To display the chat bubble
Step 3: Complete Setup
After installation, you'll be guided through a quick setup process where you can:
- Choose your chat configuration (global or per-product)
- Select your avatar pack
- Customize colors and branding
- Set moderation preferences
⚙️ Configuration
Chat Types
Choose how you want to structure your community:
🌍 Global Store Chat
One chat for your entire store where all customers can interact. Perfect for building a unified community.
🛍️ Product-Specific Chats
Individual chats for each product. Great for focused discussions and product-specific questions.
🎯 Hybrid Approach
Mix both! Have a global chat plus product-specific chats for your best sellers.
Notification Settings
Stay in the loop with your community:
⚡ Instant Notifications
Get notified immediately when someone sends a message. Perfect for active engagement.
📧 Digest Emails
Batch notifications into periodic email summaries. Ideal for busy merchants who want to stay informed without notification overload.
🎨 Customization
Chat Bubble Appearance
Make the chat widget match your brand:
🎨 Colors
Customize the primary color, button color, and text colors to match your brand palette.
📍 Position
Choose where the chat bubble appears: bottom-right, bottom-left, top-right, or top-left.
👋 Welcome Message
Set a custom greeting that appears when users first open the chat.
Avatar Packs
Choose from 20+ unique avatar packs to give your community personality:
- 🐶 Cute Animals
- 👤 Professional Avatars
- 👾 Pixel Art
- 🎭 Fun Characters
- 🦄 Fantasy Creatures
- 🌊 Beach Theme
- And many more!
Custom Branding (Pro Plan)
Pro plan users can:
- Remove "Powered by Shaka.Chat" branding
- Add custom CSS for advanced styling
- Use custom emoji reactions
- Upload custom avatar packs
🛡️ Moderation
Moderation Tools
Keep your community safe and friendly:
🗑️ Delete Messages
Remove inappropriate messages with a single click. Deleted messages are soft-deleted and can be reviewed later.
🚫 Ban Users
Temporarily or permanently ban users who violate your community guidelines. Banned users receive an email notification.
✅ Unban Users
Give users a second chance by unbanning them. They'll receive a welcome back email.
🚩 Report Messages
Users can report messages they find inappropriate. Review reported messages in your admin dashboard.
Auto-Moderation (Coming Soon)
Automated tools to help keep your community clean:
- Profanity filter
- Spam detection
- Link blocking
- Rate limiting
📊 Analytics
Community Metrics
Track your community's growth and engagement:
👥 Active Users
See how many unique users are engaging with your chat.
💬 Message Volume
Track total messages sent over time to measure engagement levels.
📈 Growth Trends
Visualize your community's growth with interactive charts.
🕐 Activity Patterns
Understand when your community is most active.
Advanced Analytics (Pro Plan)
- User activity heatmaps
- Sentiment analysis
- Conversion tracking
- Product mention tracking
- Export data to CSV
🔧 Advanced Features
Authentication Options
🔓 Guest Chat
Allow anyone to chat without logging in. Users can choose a display name and avatar.
🔐 Shopify Customer Login
Require users to be logged into their Shopify customer account to participate.
🎫 Hybrid Mode
Allow both guest and logged-in users, with badges to distinguish verified customers.
Webhooks & Integrations
Connect Shaka.Chat with your existing tools:
- Slack notifications for new messages
- Discord integration
- Email service providers (Klaviyo, Mailchimp)
- Custom webhooks for developers
Multi-Language Support
Shaka.Chat automatically adapts to your store's language settings. Supported languages include:
- 🇺🇸 English
- 🇪🇸 Spanish
- 🇫🇷 French
- 🇩🇪 German
- 🇮🇹 Italian
- And more being added regularly!
🆘 Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Chat bubble not appearing
Solution: Make sure you've enabled the chat in your settings and that your theme is compatible. If using a custom theme, you may need to manually add the app block.
Messages not sending
Solution: Check your internet connection and ensure you haven't been banned. Clear your browser cache and try again.
Avatar not loading
Solution: Refresh the page. If the issue persists, try selecting a different avatar pack in settings.
Notifications not working
Solution: Verify your notification settings and check your email spam folder. Ensure your email address is correct in your account settings.