If you've ever wished your website could answer the same questions over and over ("what are your hours," "do you do walk-ins," "how much does it cost"), a chatbot does exactly that, automatically, 24/7. The good news: adding one doesn't require a developer, a budget for custom software, or any code beyond a single line you copy and paste.
Here's the short version, then the details for each platform.
The 3-step version
- Sign up for a chatbot service and point it at your website. BotDesk reads your site and learns your services, hours, pricing and common questions on its own.
- Copy the embed code it generates. It looks like one line:
<script src="https://botdesk.studio/widget.js" data-api-key="YOUR_API_KEY"></script> - Paste it into your website: usually in a "footer code," "custom code," or "header/footer scripts" section in your site's settings, so it runs on every page.
That's it. The chat widget appears in the corner of your site and starts answering visitor questions immediately.
Where to paste the code, by platform
Every website builder calls this something slightly different. Here's where to look:
- WordPress: the free BotDesk AI Chat plugin (it only asks for your key), or the Footer box of a code snippets plugin such as WPCode. Full WordPress guide → WooCommerce works the same way: WooCommerce guide →
- Wix: Settings → Custom Code, set to load on All pages in Body - end (needs a Premium plan with a connected domain). Full Wix guide →
- Squarespace: Pages panel → Custom Code → Code Injection → Footer (Core plan and up). Full Squarespace guide →
- Shopify: the free BotDesk app from the Shopify App Store, or Online Store → ⋯ → Edit code →
theme.liquid, just before</body>. Full Shopify guide → - Webflow: Site settings (once called Project Settings) → Custom code → Footer code, then publish. This applies site-wide. Full Webflow guide →
- GoDaddy, GoHighLevel or Google Tag Manager: each has its own steps and a few limits worth knowing. See the GoDaddy, GoHighLevel and Google Tag Manager guides.
- Any other platform: if your platform has a "custom code" or "footer scripts" setting that applies to every page, paste the snippet there. An "embed HTML" block on a single page usually isn't enough: many builders put that code in a separate box, and the chat can't float in the corner from inside it. All guides: install guides for every website builder.
What happens after you add it
Once the code is live, a chat bubble appears in the bottom corner of your site. When a visitor clicks it, the chatbot can answer questions based on the information you gave it during setup, things like your hours, services, pricing, location, and policies. If it doesn't know an answer, a well-configured bot will tell the visitor to call or message your business directly, rather than guessing.
Many businesses also connect the chatbot to their booking system or a contact form, so it can capture a name, phone number, and reason for contact even outside business hours, turning what would have been a missed call into a lead waiting in your inbox the next morning.
Common questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You're copying one line of code into a settings field, the same way you'd add a Google Analytics tag or a Facebook pixel.
How long does setup actually take?
For most businesses, 5 minutes or less: sign up, let BotDesk read your website, copy the snippet, paste it in.
Will it slow down my site?
A properly built widget loads asynchronously in the background, so it shouldn't noticeably affect your page speed or Core Web Vitals.