3CX Live Chat for WordPress: Free Setup Guide (2023)

Why Live Chat Matters (And Why 3CX Is Worth a Look)

According to HubSpot, 66% of customers expect a response from a business within 10 minutes. That's a pretty demanding expectation — but it also highlights exactly why live chat is such a powerful tool for any website. If someone lands on your sales page and has a question, the difference between closing a sale and losing a visitor often comes down to how quickly you can respond.

3CX is primarily a phone system company, and live chat is just one feature of their broader communications platform. That's actually what makes their free plan so generous. They're betting that once your business grows, you'll eventually need their paid phone and conferencing features. In the meantime, you get a fully functional live chat tool at zero cost.

The free plan covers up to 10 users forever. If you outgrow that, the next tier supports 20 users for $275 per year — and that includes video conferencing and phone systems on top of chat. For context, most standalone live chat tools charge more than that for chat alone. 3CX works with major brands like Coca-Cola, Toyota, and Pizza Hut, so the infrastructure behind it is enterprise-grade even if you're running a one-person WordPress site.

Installing the 3CX Plugin on WordPress

Getting started is refreshingly simple. Head to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New, and search for "3CX." The plugin you're looking for is called "3CX Free Live Chat, Calls and WhatsApp." Hit Install Now, then Activate.

Once the plugin is active, you'll need to sign up for a 3CX account. One nice touch: the plugin grabs your WordPress admin email and pre-fills the signup form, so all you need to do is type your name and click "Let's Go." A confirmation email arrives almost instantly, and clicking the login button gets you straight into the 3CX dashboard.

The very first thing 3CX does after login is prompt you to download their mobile app. This is actually important — if you're promising live chat, you need to be reachable. The app setup is dead simple: download it from your app store, open it, tap "Scan QR Code," and point your phone at the screen. No passwords, no manual configuration. You're logged in and ready to receive chats on your phone immediately.

Customizing Your Live Chat Widget

Inside the 3CX dashboard, head to Voice and Chat > 3CX Live Chat. The first thing you'll want to do is set up your agent profile. Upload a photo and choose a display name — using your first name keeps things informal and approachable. You can also toggle the name off entirely and just show the avatar if you prefer.

The styling tab is where things get fun. There are four presets to start with — 3CX, Salty Water, Summer Vibes, and Dark — but the real value is in the custom option. You can match the chat widget to your brand colors by pasting in hex codes for the icon and background. A live preview updates as you make changes, so you can see exactly how it'll look on your site before committing.

For privacy-conscious site owners, there's a GDPR consent toggle tucked inside the advanced options. Turning this on means visitors have to accept before starting a chat. You can also disable features you're not ready for — if you just want chat and aren't set up for phone calls, simply toggle off the phone option. The widget supports WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger integration too, giving you a single dashboard for multiple communication channels.

Choosing Where to Display Chat on Your Site

Back in WordPress, something clever has already happened: the plugin automatically filled in your Talk URL from your 3CX account. No copying and pasting API keys or fiddling with configuration files — the plugin and 3CX's backend handle it seamlessly.

The key decision here is where to show the chat widget. You can enable it on all pages or restrict it to specific ones. Being strategic about placement matters more than you might think. If you have a sales page that's already converting well, adding a chat bubble might actually distract from the existing add-to-cart flow. A better approach is to put chat on pages where you know visitors are getting stuck — lower-converting pages where a quick answer could make the difference.

One detail worth noting: even on the free plan, the chat widget is completely unbranded. There's an optional toggle to show the 3CX logo if you want to support them, but it's off by default. No "Powered by" badges cluttering up your site.

Managing Chats and Setting Up Templates

When a visitor sends a message, it shows up instantly in both the web app and the mobile app. Response options are straightforward: you can reply directly, mark the conversation as dealt with, or transfer it to another team member. With up to 10 users on the free plan, you can easily route customer support questions to your support person while keeping sales inquiries for yourself.

The triple-dot menu on each chat gives you additional options: viewing more information about the visitor, archiving the conversation, ending the session, or blocking a user if needed. For efficiency, 3CX supports stock replies with dynamic placeholders. You create categories, add template responses, and drop in variables like the visitor's name — so you're not typing the same greeting or FAQ answer fifty times a day.

To capture visitor information before a chat begins, head to Settings > Voice and Chat > 3CX Live Chat and look for the visitor information dropdown. You can require a name and email, just a name, or just an email. This is valuable for follow-up and for feeding contact data into your CRM.

CRM Integrations and Desktop App

Collecting visitor data is only useful if it flows into your existing workflows. 3CX has built-in integrations with most major CRMs — the list is extensive and covers the big names you'd expect. If your CRM isn't on the list, there's a custom integration option where you provide a contact URL template and map the variables yourself.

For Mac users, there's a dedicated desktop app that goes beyond the web interface. It includes a separate dialer for phone functionality and provides a native experience that keeps chat out of your browser tabs. PC users can achieve something similar by saving the web app as a standalone Chrome app, but having a proper native application is always a smoother experience.

3CX also includes an office hours feature, so you're not on the hook for 24/7 availability. Set your working hours and visitors will know when to expect a response. It's a small but essential feature that prevents burnout while keeping expectations clear.

Watch the Full Video

Prefer watching to reading? Check out the full video on YouTube for a complete walkthrough with live demos and commentary.