If the chat box isn't visible on your website — or your recent changes aren't showing up — this guide walks you through the most common causes and how to fix each one.
🟡 Try this first: Clear your browser cookies and test your website in an incognito/private window. This resolves most display issues. If the chat still doesn't appear, work through the checks below.
In this article:
Chat hidden in settings
Make sure the chat box isn't set to hidden while offline (1) or completely hidden (2) in Settings > Chat box > Options.
You are blocked
Make sure you aren't blocked as a visitor in your Smartsupp account.
Check whether your IP address is on the list of blocked IP addresses.
In the visitor list, use the "blocked visitors" filter to see if any visitors are blocked. If you're among them, you can unblock yourself.
Chat code missing or inserted incorrectly
Open your website's page source (in Chrome press Ctrl + U) and search (Ctrl + F) for smartsupp. If there are no results, the chat code isn't in your website's code — you'll need your developer to insert it.
If you use a tag manager (e.g. Google Tag Manager), make sure it's working correctly. In most cases you can find the chat code in your website's elements: press Ctrl + Shift + J, open the Elements tab, and search for smartsupp.
Also make sure you aren't using more than one chat code on your website.
Mistake in the code
Make sure no characters are missing from the chat code. Ideally, copy the code directly from Settings. You can use a tool like Diffchecker to compare the code on your website with the original. The most common issue is a missing underscore (_), which usually shows an error in the browser console (Ctrl + Shift + J).
Problem with your website's CSS
A typical reason the chat doesn't display — even with the code inserted correctly — is that the display property for the iframe is set to display: none (see the example below). If that's the case, your developer will need to update the website's CSS.
Z-index over 1,000,000
The z-index property sets the stacking order of an element — an element with a higher z-index always appears in front of one with a lower z-index. So if you have an element with a z-index higher than 1,000,000, it can cover the chat widget.
JavaScript disabled in the browser
JavaScript is enabled by default in all browsers, but if you've disabled it you'll need to turn it back on. You can read how to enable JavaScript in different browsers in this tutorial.
Testing environment
Your website is in a test environment (localhost), a restricted website, an intranet, or behind a private VPN. The website must be fully accessible from the internet for Smartsupp to work 100%.
Widget offset
If you use a custom chat box position via API and changed the widget's offset, make sure it stays visible on smaller screens too. If the offset is too large or too small, the chat may be partially or completely off-screen.
Content Security Policy
If you use a Content Security Policy on your website, make sure all of our domains are whitelisted in your CSP:
smartsupp.com
smartsuppchat.com
cdn77.org
smartsuppcdn.com
If there's a CSP problem, the Chrome console (Ctrl + Shift + J) will show that the script violates the Content Security Policy directive.
What's next?
Basic chat box settings — customize the appearance, language, and behavior of your chat box.
Chat box status — control when your chat box appears online or offline.
Chat box in your mobile app — let your app users reach you in chat.
💡 Still stuck? If you've worked through all the checks and the chat still won't appear, contact us via the chat box in your dashboard or our support team. Please include your website address and your Smartsupp registration email so we can investigate.