Simple Ajax Chat Pro

Simple Ajax Chat Pro is a self-hosted chat add-on for WordPress. Visitors can chat on your website without creating an account with a third-party chat service. Add a chat box to a post or page with a shortcode, or place one in a theme template.

Set up separate conversations

The free version supports one chat form; Pro supports unlimited forms. You can place conversations in various areas of your website and configure each form with its own available settings and capabilities. Pro also lets you create private chat boxes between users and set a user limit for each form.

How messages update

New messages load through Ajax, so users can follow the conversation without refreshing the page. The extension is designed to optimize chat processing and works with browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, as well as mobile devices including iPhone and Android.

Choose ascending or descending message order, add custom content before or after a form, and enable sound alerts or browser notifications. You can also load JavaScript only on pages where a chat box appears.

Control participation and moderation

Chat can be open to visitors or restricted to logged-in users. Pro includes invisible Google reCAPTCHA, controls to mute users or ban non-admin users from a chat session, and options to ban phrases in messages and usernames. Fine-grain settings control which chat content is allowed. Administrators can edit or delete messages from the WordPress control panel.

Configure each form's appearance

Choose from six form styles or apply custom styles. Custom CSS and JavaScript are available, and filter hooks allow further customization. Form options include a larger textarea, using the logged-in username as the chat name, and enabling or disabling the URL field for names.

Pro can show user avatars and roles beside messages, add a customizable emoji picker, and optionally display inline images. Emoticons and emojis are supported. Other settings let you limit message count and length, adjust the Ajax update interval, and change the fade-in colors and duration for new messages. A maximum-character counter is also available.

Manage ongoing chats

Advanced chat management utilities and user statistics help administrators oversee multiple conversations. Pro includes email notifications for new messages, an option to clear chat messages automatically and send an email alert, an online users widget for a form, and a role-based chat box on the WordPress dashboard. You can also export chat messages as a CSV file or restore the plugin's default settings.

Install and place a chat box

Install and activate the plugin through the WordPress dashboard, then configure the chat form in its control panel. Add a shortcode to a post or page, or use the template tag to place a chat box in a theme template.