=== Social Chat – Click to Chat Buttons for WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber & Signal ===
Contributors: appscreo
Tags: whatsapp chat, telegram chat, viber chat, signal chat, click to chat
Requires at least: 5.0
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.2
Stable tag: 2.2
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Add WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber & Signal click to chat buttons to WordPress for instant visitor conversations.

== Description ==

Social Chat is the ultimate WordPress click to chat solution to turn your website visitors into real-time conversations on the apps they already use. Whether you run an e-commerce store, a service business, or a personal blog, adding direct messaging buttons for WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Signal, LINE, iMessage, and SMS drastically reduces friction and boosts customer engagement. [Browse live demos and see the plugin in action here](https://socialsharingplugin.com/social-chat/). The plugin works completely standalone or seamlessly alongside Easy Social Share Buttons, giving you the flexibility to deploy beautiful, high-converting chat interfaces without writing a single line of code.

= Why use Social Chat? =

* **WhatsApp chat button** – let visitors message your business on WhatsApp with one click, no app switching guesswork
* **Telegram chat button** – connect privacy-focused visitors directly to your Telegram account
* **Viber chat button** – reach audiences in regions where Viber is the preferred messaging app
* **Signal chat button** – offer a secure, encrypted contact option for privacy-conscious visitors
* Also supports Messenger, LINE, iMessage, SMS, and custom URL-based messaging services

= Free Version Features =

The free version of Social Chat provides a robust foundation for instant visitor communication. You can create up to three always-online operators and deploy a variety of chat interfaces tailored to your needs. Choose from a modern **Chat Popup** that lists multiple team members for visitors to select from, an interactive **Operator Popup** that mimics a traditional live chat experience with a welcome message and chat input, or a streamlined **Direct Chat Button** for instant one-click connections to a specific agent on WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, or Signal.

Customization is built right in, allowing you to adjust button shapes (round, pill, rounded, square), choose between icon-only or icon-plus-label styles, and apply entrance animations to match your brand's aesthetic. The free version includes one fully configurable chat widget and one display rule, enabling you to automatically show your WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, or Signal chat buttons on specific pages or manually embed them via shortcode. Plus, it is 100% GDPR compliant — no cookies, no tracking, and no personal data stored on your server.

= Upgrade to Pro for Unlimited Conversations =

Take your customer support and lead generation to the next level with Social Chat Pro. By upgrading, you unlock unlimited operators, widgets, and display rules across all supported channels — WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Signal, Messenger, LINE, iMessage, and SMS — giving you complete freedom to scale your communication strategy across your entire website. Pro introduces advanced availability settings, allowing you to set specific business hours, schedule days off, configure timezone support, and automatically hide chat widgets when your team is offline.

Pro users also gain access to premium engagement tools like the Auto-Open Chat feature, which automatically triggers the popup after a set timeout to capture high-intent visitors. You can personalize the experience further with custom text above the button, personalized greeting messages, and pre-defined suggested replies to help visitors start conversations faster on WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, or Signal. Additionally, Pro unlocks the beautiful Person Card and Person Card Group layouts, letting you put a face to your chat by showcasing team members with avatars, names, and roles.

Best of all, Social Chat Pro is available with a Lifetime License. Pay once and own it forever, with no recurring annual fees. You also get seamless integration with the Gutenberg Block Editor and Elementor, allowing you to drag and drop WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and Signal chat widgets anywhere in your page builder layouts. [Upgrade to Pro today and unlock unlimited features](https://socialsharingplugin.com/social-chat/#getchat).


== Installation ==

1. Upload the `essb-social-chat` folder to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory.
2. Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
3. Go to Social Chat in your admin menu to configure operators, widgets, and display rules.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Which messaging apps are supported? =
Social Chat supports all major messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Signal, LINE, iMessage, and SMS. You can also add custom URL-based messaging services.

= Can I add a WhatsApp chat button to my WordPress site? =
Yes. Social Chat lets you add a one-click WhatsApp chat button anywhere on your site, either through the Chat Popup, Operator Popup, or Direct Chat Button styles.

= Does it support Telegram, Viber, and Signal as well as WhatsApp? =
Yes. In addition to WhatsApp, you can configure operators and chat buttons for Telegram, Viber, Signal, Messenger, LINE, iMessage, and SMS, mixing and matching channels per operator.

= Is the plugin GDPR compliant? =
Yes. The plugin is completely privacy-safe. It does not set cookies, track users, or store personal data on your server. All chat links open directly in the visitor's preferred messaging app, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and Signal.

= Can I set business hours and offline schedules? =
Yes, the Pro version includes a comprehensive schedule system. You can set specific open hours, schedule days off, configure timezone support, and even hide the chat widget entirely when your operators are offline.

= Can I display different operators on different pages? =
Absolutely. With the Pro version's unlimited display rules, you can target specific pages, posts, categories, user roles, or devices. You can also use the included Gutenberg block, Elementor widget, or shortcodes to place chat buttons exactly where you want them.

== Screenshots ==

1. Chat Popup widget showing multiple operators with WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and Signal options for visitors to choose from.
2. Operator Popup in action — a live-chat style welcome message with a direct one-click connection to WhatsApp.
4. Direct chat button
3. Admin settings screen for configuring chat widgets, operators, and display rules for WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and Signal buttons.

== Changelog ==

= 2.2 =
* Fix: Settings export not working properly
* Fix: Mobile layout of the Chat Popup (single or multiple operators)

= 2.1 =
* Initial public release