Live chat for WordPress, answered from Telegram
Most WordPress live-chat plugins ship a whole helpdesk you have to log into. chatrelay is one script tag: the chat bubble appears on your site, visitor questions land in your own Telegram, and your reply shows up on their screen in seconds. No plugin updates to babysit, nothing that slows your theme down.
Install chatrelay on WordPress
- Create your free chatrelay account
Sign up (free plan, no credit card) and copy your embed snippet from the dashboard — it comes pre-filled with your real project id. The snippet below shows the shape;
your-projectis replaced by your id. - Option A — paste it with a code-snippets plugin
If you already use WPCode (formerly “Insert Headers and Footers”) or a similar snippets plugin: go to Code Snippets → Header & Footer, paste the embed into the Footer box, and save. That injects it site-wide before
</body>— exactly where it belongs.<script src="https://www.chatwithdev.com/widget.js" data-chatrelay-project="your-project" data-chatrelay-convex="https://impressive-quail-820.convex.cloud" data-chatrelay-title="Chat with us" defer></script>
- Option B — paste it into your (child) theme
Prefer no extra plugin? In a classic theme, open Appearance → Theme File Editor → footer.php (use a child theme so updates don't overwrite it) and paste the snippet right before
</body>. In a block theme, add it via Appearance → Editor in a Custom HTML block inside your footer template part. - Reload your site
The chat bubble appears bottom-right on every page. Send yourself a test message — it arrives in your Telegram (how the relay works) and in the chatrelay dashboard.
How replies reach your visitors
Every message relays to a Telegram bot you own — created at @BotFather in a minute and connected once in the chatrelay setup. In group mode each visitor gets their own topic; in direct mode chats arrive in your DM with the bot. Your reply appears in the visitor's chat bubble live, and the web dashboard (with AI drafting) is always there as a second screen. How the Telegram relay works →
FAQ
Do I need a WordPress chat plugin?
No. chatrelay is a hosted widget loaded by one script tag, so there is no plugin to install or update. A snippets plugin like WPCode is only a convenient way to paste the tag.
Will it slow down my WordPress site?
No — the script is a single deferred bundle under 30 kb that loads after your page is interactive, so it does not affect your largest-contentful-paint or PageSpeed score.
Does it work with WooCommerce?
Yes. The widget shows on every page including product and checkout pages, so shoppers can ask a question right where they hesitate.
Where do I answer customer messages?
In your own Telegram (each visitor can get their own thread) or in the chatrelay web dashboard. Replies appear in the visitor's chat bubble live.
Does it work on WordPress.com?
On WordPress.com you need a plan that allows custom code (Business or higher) to add script tags. Self-hosted WordPress has no restrictions.