What is the Customizable Message Field in Chat Widgets?
The customizable message field is a pre-filled "Message" textbox that appears in your chat widget's contact form. It lets you define default text—like "Hi, I'd like to schedule a tour"—so families always submit an opening message while their personal details (name, phone, email) are stored privately in your CRM rather than in the chat transcript.
The field is required when no other message field exists and optional when your form already includes one. Visitors can freely edit or replace the pre-filled text before sending.
Key Benefits of the Customizable Message Field
Providing a default message delivers immediate value:
- Guarantees a clear, consistent first message for every chat conversation
- Keeps contact information inside CRM records, not exposed in the chat thread
- Preserves flexibility—works whether your contact form already has a message field or not
- Improves response efficiency by giving your team context up front
- Captures parent intent by ensuring each conversation starts with visitor needs
Pre-Defined Message Field Logic
A default "Message" field appears in the builder whenever you create a WhatsApp, Email/SMS, All-in-One Chat, or Voice AI widget.
If your contact form lacks a message field: This field is mandatory and pre-populated with editable text.
If your form already contains a message field: The field is optional—you can keep, remove, or reorder it.
The widget saves, embeds, and generates code seamlessly in either case.
Customizing the Pre-Filled Message
Within the widget builder you can:
- Click the Message field and type any default text (max 255 characters)
- Insert merge fields (e.g., {{business.name}}) for dynamic branding
- Rearrange the field order via drag-and-drop
- Toggle "Required" on/off when the field is optional
Visitor Editing Experience
After the widget loads on your enrollment site, visitors see your pre-filled text inside the message box. They can:
- Send it as-is for a quick start
- Modify or delete the content before submitting
- Benefit from immediate context with no extra typing
Supported Chat Widget Types
The feature is available in:
- WhatsApp Chat Widget
- Email/SMS Chat Widget
- All-in-One Chat Widget (multi-channel)
- Voice AI Chat Widget
Note: Live Chat widgets still rely on the existing free-form message box and do not include this field.
How To Set Up the Customizable Message Field
Setting up takes less than two minutes:
1. Open Chat Widget Settings
From the left-hand navigation menu, go to Sites and select Chat Widget at the top. This opens the main dashboard where you can view, manage, and edit all existing chat widgets created for your account.
2. Create a New Widget
Click the + New button in the top-right corner of the Chat Widget page. This begins the setup process, allowing you to choose the widget type and start customizing its design and behavior.
3. Select Chat Type
Choose the type of chat widget you want to create from the available options—All-In-One Chat, SMS/Email Chat, Live Chat, WhatsApp Chat, or Voice AI. Each option supports different communication methods, so pick the one that best fits how you want to interact with families visiting your enrollment site.
4. Configure Chat Window
After selecting the chat type, open the Chat Window tab to customize visitor-facing details. Here, you can edit the Chat Window Title, add an Intro Message, and define a Prefilled Message Text—a default message families see when starting a chat, which they can edit before sending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this replace my existing message field?
No. If your form already has one, the new field is optional—you choose which to keep.
Can I use different default messages on different pages?
Yes. Create multiple widgets with unique pre-filled text and embed each on specific pages. For example, use "I'd like to schedule a tour" on your homepage and "I'm interested in infant care" on your infant program page.
Is the visitor's edited message stored in the parent record?
The final message appears in the conversation transcript; personal details remain in the CRM contact record.
Does Live Chat support this feature?
Not yet. Live Chat continues to use its native free-text box without a pre-filled value.
Can I remove the field later without breaking my embed code?
Absolutely. Edit the widget in Enrollio, remove the field, save, and the live widget updates automatically.
How many characters can the default text contain?
Up to 255 characters, including spaces.
Will automations that trigger on "Customer Replied" still work?
Yes. The family's first submitted message (pre-filled or edited) triggers any "Customer Replied" automation.
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