---
title: Setting up offline auto-responses in the chat widget
description: Learn how to create an offline messaging flow to help customers who start chats outside your service hours.
---

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# Setting up offline auto-responses in the chat widget

## Customize the messaging your chat widget displays outside of service hours.

If you've [set up chat service hours](https://helpcentre.breadstack.com/adjusting-live-chat-service-hours?hsLang=en-ca), you can create auto-responses to help guide customers who message you when your team is offline.

In **Settings > Chat Widget**, you can set up the following messaging flow for customers who try to start a chat during your offline hours:

1. **Out-of-office message (optional)** - After the customer starts the chat (by entering their required details and selecting a department) this message will appear automatically. It's an opportunity to let the customer know your team is currently offline and set expectations about when you will follow up.
   
   ![Screenshot 2025-11-25 213359](https://helpcentre.breadstack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-11-25%20213359.png?width=500&height=240&name=Screenshot%202025-11-25%20213359.png)
2. **Leave-a-message form** - Choose whether to require customers to leave a message (requiring a message means the customer cannot start a new chat until they have submitted their message).
3. **Follow-up message (optional)** - This  generates automatically after the customer submits their message. You can also choose to have this message to go to the email address the customer provided.
   
   ![Screenshot 2025-11-25 213955](https://helpcentre.breadstack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-11-25%20213955.png?width=600&height=218&name=Screenshot%202025-11-25%20213955.png)

Below, you can see an example of how this messaging flow appears to customers in the chat widget.

![Screenshot 2025-11-25 215713](https://helpcentre.breadstack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-11-25%20215713.png?width=350&height=557&name=Screenshot%202025-11-25%20215713.png)

Learn how to [follow up on a missed chat](https://helpcentre.breadstack.com/following-up-on-a-missed-chat?hsLang=en-ca).

 

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