We’re proud to introduce our latest major release of WP-Live Chat. Version 8 has been a work in progress for a couple of years and has finally been released after extensive development and testing.

Around two years ago, we started working on experimental code in an aim to make our plugin the only real time live chat app that integrates within the WordPress core functionality (database, Gutenberg, settings, etc.). After four attempts, we found a solution using the latest technologies the web has to offer. We are truly proud of this release and believe it will set the stage for many greater things to come.

Let’s take a look at some of the new functionality that has been included in the latest release:

New look and feel - We’ve built an entirely new chat dashboard that is more user friendly and efficient for agents. The new dashboard includes filtering which allows you to filter your visitors based on certain criteria.

Standalone server - Our previous versions relied heavily on your own server to run the chat processes between agents and visitors. In version 8, you will now be using our super fast, scalable live chat relay server, taking all the pressure off your own hosting environment and speeding up your website.

Agent to agent chat - Chat directly with other agents in the new chat dashboard. This is really helpful when you need to get another team member’s advice on a customer’s question.

Message editing - Edit messages that have already been sent. Messages are edited in real time. Simply press the up arrow to edit the last message you sent or hover over any of your messages to edit them.

Typing preview - See what your customer is typing before they even send the message. This is incredibly helpful and helps you formulate a response while they are still typing. Use the new quick response functionality to send responses even faster.

Emojis - Brighten up your chat with a wide range of standard emoticons.

Event notifications - Know exactly what your customer is doing on the page. Get notifications for when they click links, scroll, fill out forms, become inactive, and more!

Department transfer - Transfer a chat to a specific department in the new version. Select which agents belong to a department and allow any agent within that department to accept the transfer.

Drag and drop file support - Simply drag and drop your files into the chat window to send them.

Gutenberg support - We’ve jumped on the Gutenberg band-wagon and added support for the latest innovative functionality that WordPress has to offer.

Apart from the above, we have fixed many bugs and added a few other smaller features. We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on our latest version. Please use the form below to leave a comment.