Frequently Asked Questions

What is Engage?
Engage is a sales tool.  It has been designed to help you be available for instant sales engagements with web-based visitors, prospect and customers.  And, it's awesome!

How does Engage work?
Engage has a sales dashboard that you can login to by visiting https://dashboard.engage.co/.  When you are online and available for live sales, customers will be given the option to initiate a conversation with you.  You live status is presented to customers by installing the Engage widgets.  These widgets can be placed in lots of places, like your website, social media, digital documents (like a PDF brochure), and even search engines.  Your dashboard will alert you to new incoming sales conversations.

How do I get an Engage Profile and Dashboard?
If your company is already using Engage, please ask your account administrator to add you.  Or, if you and your company are new to Engage, please sign up for an account.

How much does Engage cost?
Engage is free to create an account.  Unlimited accounts are $15 per person, per month.

Do I have to use Engage in the Browser?
Yes, Engage is a browser-based application. The major trend for cloud-based software like Engage is a browser-based login.  We understand that this is a change from using fixed desktop apps, but Engage is responsively designed, it allows for login from all major browsers, and when we push out updates it no longer requires tedious software updates or administrator approval which can take time and add expense.  Most Engage users create a permanent (pinned) tab in their browser.  They access Engage like they do other websites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, completely from the browser.  However, we also can help you to turn Engage into a desktop app.  Here's how: http://www.engage.co/desktop-app

Help, I'm getting too many incoming customer conversations at once.  What can I do?
Well, that's a great problem to have.  We've built in conversation throttling so we can help you limit the number of concurrent messages to between 1 and an unlimited number.  Please reach out to us if you would like your concurrent conversation limit rate changed.

Can I keyword search my message logs and message history?
Absolutely.  Engage has a full and instant keyword searching for your message history.  You can access your message logs through the dashboard, then type in a keyword to search.

Does Engage work on all devices?
Well, we don't work on a Tandy 1000, that much we're sure of.  Engage has been responsively designed to work on most major browsers (IE, Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Saf,ari, Opera) and most types of web connected devices such as desktops, laptops, smart phones and tablets.  The dashboard and the customer conversation window will change dynamically to fit the device being viewed.  In addition, Engage has been developed for touch as well.  We support the following browser versions: Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) versions 9, 10, and 11, Chrome 30+, Firefox 28+, Safari 5+, Max OS X, Microsoft Edge for WIN10+ and Opera 22+.

Will you have apps available?
Yes, we have had apps available before, but we are currently redesigning new apps to account for new capabilities.  We will be publishing an app for Google Play and iTunes AppStore.  We do not have plans to release an app for windows mobile at this time.

What type of integrations do you have?
Engage works with almost every website builder and template tool.  The vast majority of these utilities allow you to inject HTML code onto your website pages or even your entire site.  Detailed installation information is available for WordPress, Squarespace, and WIX by visiting: http://www.engage.co/integrations

Do you have a program for resellers and partners?
We do a program. We love partnering and we encourage you to drop us a note to hello@engage.co.

Are you opening up the Engage platform for developers to design?
Yes, we have been working on a RESTful API forever.  We can expose this API for development. We also try to make most parts of the platform customizable (in addition to the library of stock widgets we already provide).  If you would like to get an early release of our API, please reach out and we'll give you priority access.  You can also fork us on GitHub.

Does Engage work on an eCommerce website?
Engage works on almost any type of website where you can install embed code.  Engage provides a single line of JavaScript that is implemented on your website.  You can configure different use cases and implement modified embed code on different pages of your website based on how you would like Engage to behave.   Please see the Admin console in the "Embed Code Generator" area to see embed code configuration examples.

Is Engage a secure solution for communications?
Yes.  Engage has been designed as a secure communication tool.  All communications are relayed across HTTPS.  We also have additional security layers available for certain situations (like HIPAA and FINRA) where secure client communications are required, and where data is secured at rest. 

Are you hiring?
We're always looking to hire amazing people.  Most of our people, vendors and contractors were referred to us word-of-mouth.  If you are exceptional, please email over your resume.

If I don't logout, but I close my browser, I still show as "online" on the web, why?
In the relay of chat communications it is possible for users to go in and out of networks which cause temporary connection issues.  So, when you log out of chat, we recommend you click on "logout" rather than closing your browser tab.  If you close the tab you will be logged out, but it can take up to 30 seconds until we're sure you didn't just have a temporary connectivity issue. As a best practice, when closing out the dashboard, always select the "logout" option.

How exact is the map showing where my customer is?
It is as close or closer technologically than anything done before.  As a backup, we use standard IP Geolocation which maps your customer against a database and surfaces a location.  Traditional IP Geolocation services are not always reliable as they can yield inexact results, get stopped at data centers, by ISPs, and corporate networks.  Generally speaking, about 88% of traditional IP Geolocation results are accurate within a 40-mile radius.  As a primary methodology, Engage uses proprietary IP Geolocation technology that provides an R1 and R2 radius that can yield results as high as 99% to a radius as small as 100 yards.  That's better then ever, but still not always 100% accurate.  Yes, when a customer shares their mobile device location or they are prompted in a browser for their location, that information can help locate them to a high level of granularity, but Engage never asks your customer to self-identify their geolocation, so everything we do is automated in order to being intrusive to your customer.

How do the "Away," "Busy" and "Auto-Away" Functions Work?
For functional purposes, the concept of "away" and "busy" are the same.  In our backend system the distinction between the two is that if you are "away" we assume no chats should be sent to you.  If you are "busy" you remain at your desk, but you want to stay connected.  When you change from "online" to "away" or "busy" within 5-9 seconds we will validate the choice.  Then in the widget you will no longer show as "online" and available for chats.  When you then switch from "away" or "busy" to "online" again, the widget will update in 6-8 seconds showing you are online and available.  It is important to note that this is not the behavior on the profile page.  On the profile page we maintain your (true) status if you are interacting with your device, regardless of "away" or "busy" settings.  Initially this can be somewhat confusing, but the reason for that is simple. All customer and anonymous chats are instigated from the profile page.  We don't show someone as offline unless they are actually offline.  Unlike other legacy chat solutions in the market, Engage has been designed for omni-channel points of entry for new incoming chats.  They can come from websites, social media, digital documents, rich interactive advertising, search engine results, IoT (Internet of Things), and beyond.  If you want to appear as "offline" on your fixed chat (profile) URL, please change your status to "offline" in the dashboard, which will log you out.  Your status will then universally change everywhere on the internet that your status is positioned.

There have been questions about latency (several seconds increments of time) between a manual status change, and that change updating in widgets, links and the profile page.  Users have asked why this is.  There are several reasons (or conditions) under which there are delays.  The first is that there is a validation of the change-state of status.  This can be milliseconds and up to two seconds.  The second reason is that certain digital elements, like widgets and web containers, are not perpetually checking for status, but rather do so on set increments, ever 15 seconds for example.  The third reason is for changes in network status.  In some cases, like a brief network outage or moving from one wifi network to another, you Internet connection may be broken.  If you're in a chat with someone, that wouldn't be a great user experience.  So, we keep the chat channel open to look for a re-connection up to 45 seconds later. If we find it during this time, the chat session is re-established without any noticeable issues.  For this reason, when you "logout" of Engage your status will change everywhere on the Internet almost immediately.  However, if you close your window or browser without logging out, you may still show as "online" for up to 45 seconds.  Don't worry though, if someone tried to connect with you in that period it force them to send you an email message instead.

Regarding the Engage dashboard "Chat Settings" for "Auto-Away," that feature only currently works on Google Chrome browser.  There is an extension that enables Engage to determine when you are active on your computer with things like hitting your keyboard or moving your mouse.  If we detect inactivity and you have this feature set, we will change your status to "away" after the per-determined period of time.  Similar auto-away settings are planned for IE / Edge, Safari and Firefox.

Can I use Engage with Google Tag Manager?
Yes, and you can read all about it by clicking here.

How do I utilize browser and desktop notifications with Engage?
Since Engage is a browser-based application, it is essential to your workflow that you are alerted to new incoming chat messages without the requirement of having an Engage browser in focus.  Or, for that matter, you may not even want to have your browser in focus.  Nevertheless, you want to have notifications of incoming chats so you don’t miss them.  Please click here for full instructions to using Engage notifications for ever major browser.

Can I be set to "away" automatically if I leave to go to a meeting or the bathroom and I forget to logout [also Engage Chrome Plugin]?
Engage has a really slick plug-in for Chrome.  With this plugin we can detect your idle state and change your status automatically based on your preference settings, and we can even give you a more "IN YOUR FACE" desktop alert system for new incoming chats.  Please click here to learn more about the Engage plug-in for Chrome.

How do I connect Engage to my CRM?
Data created by Engage, such as your chat logs, can be ported to your preferred CRM system.  Please click here for more info on how to integrate Engage with your CRM.

How do I create a URL that take the customer into a chat with the next available chat agent?
Engage has built a URL utility called LIVE LINK that enables you to publish a single URL (hyperlink) that, when clicked, will take your customer into a chat with the next available chat agent in your organization. Please click here for more information about how to construct a live link.