Web chat lifecycle

See the lifecycle of a web chat and the metrics that we capture at each state along the way. Genesys Predictive Engagement uses lifecycle states for reporting and determining the triggering behavior of action maps that use web chats.

Feature coming soon: Web messaging

This article applies only to customers using web chat. If you are a Genesys Cloud CX customer, we encourage you to use the new web messaging feature to replace web chat.

Web chat operation

Web chat lifecycle

The following diagram shows the stages that occur during the lifecycle of web chats after offering them to visitors. Subsequent sections provide details about specific states, including the events that can occur and the data that is available for use with the Events methods for web actions. The section, Terminal states, explains how states ensure that visitors do not see the same chat offer repeatedly.

For more information about web chat offering, see Offered action maps.

1. Web chat invitation

State	Event	Description	Data collected
offered	Web Actions Offered	Visitor's activity qualifies an action map and triggers a chat invitation.	See Event types for web actions.
accepted	Web Actions Accepted	Visitor accepts the chat invitation.	See Event types for web actions.
rejected	Web Actions Rejected	Visitor rejects the chat invitation. This state is a terminal state.	See Event types for web actions.
ignored	Web Actions Ignored	Visitor ignored the invitation by navigating away from or around it. This state is a terminal state. Note: This event does not have a corresponding metric in the Action Map Performance Report.	See Event types for web actions.
errored	Web Actions Errored	Error occurred in the widget that prevented the engagement from occurring. Note: This event does not have a corresponding metric in the Action Map Performance Report.	See Event types for web actions. Also, the errorMessage field is available.
timed out	Web Actions Timed Out	Chat invitation timed out and was rescinded. This state is a terminal state. Note: This event does not have a corresponding metric in the Action Map Performance Report. The timeout period is configurable through the widget.	See Event types for web actions.

2. Web chat form

State	Event	Description	Data collected
rejected	Web Actions Rejected	Visitor cancels or closes the form. This state is a terminal state.	See Event types for web actions.

3. Web chat window: before agent connects

State	Event	Description	Data collected
started	Web Actions Started	After the visitor submits the form, a chat interaction starts.	See Event types for web actions.
abandoned	Web Actions Abandoned	Visitor closes the chat window before an agent connects. This state is a terminal state.	See Event types for web actions.

4. Web chat window: after agent connects

State	Event	Description	Data collected
engaged	Web Actions Engaged	Agent accepts the chat and connects with the visitor. This state is a terminal state.	See Event types for web actions.

5. Web chat completion

	Event	Description	Data collected
Not applicable/Not tracked	Not applicable/Not tracked	Either the visitor or the agent ends the chat. Note: This event does not have a corresponding metric in the Action Map Performance Report.	See Event types for web actions.

Terminal states for web chats

In the web chat lifecycle, certain states are terminal, or final, states. If a visitor visits a web page where an action map is set to trigger a web chat and the web chat is in a terminal state, the action map doesn't offer the web chat. This action ensures that a visitor does not receive the same chat offer after they accepted the offer or indicated that they are not interested in that chat offer.

Terminal states for web chats are:

• Engaged
• Rejected
• Timed out
• Ignored
• Abandoned

For more information, see Define an action map's triggers.

Report metrics and events

The metrics in the Action Map Performance report correlate directly with the event types for web actions. For more information about metrics for web chats, see Monitor a web chat's performance.