AI chat that opens at the right moment on a Shopify store

What is AI chat that opens at the right moment on a Shopify store?

It is a chat invitation that reacts to what the shopper does on the page, not to a clock. In Chat Squeeze this is Smart timing, a popup mode on the Proactive popups page. It shows a short message above the chat button while a shopper switches between a product's options, or after they have browsed for a while. You set no delay. Chat Squeeze picks the moment.

A timed popup treats every shopper the same. It interrupts the shopper who already knows what to buy, and it can miss the shopper who is stuck between two sizes. An AI sales agent for Shopify can only help shoppers who open the chat, so the moment of the invitation decides how many conversations start. The guide to proactive AI chat on Shopify covers timed popups, and exit-intent AI chat for Shopify covers the shopper who is about to leave.

Which shopper moments open the popup?

Smart timing reacts to two moments. Comparing shows while a shopper switches between a product's options, such as sizes or colors. Still browsing shows after a shopper has browsed for a while on any page. When a shopper fits both, Comparing goes first. Each moment has its own switch, message and button, and a shopper sees at most one popup.

The default text follows your store language. In English it reads like this.

• Comparing shows "Need help choosing?" with the button "Which option suits me?"
• Still browsing shows "Need help? I'm here" with the button "Help me find a product".

You can edit both texts, up to 30 characters each. Leave the button empty to show the message alone. Both fields accept the {pageName} placeholder, which becomes the product name on a product page. This makes Comparing a proactive AI chat popup for Shopify product pages that names the product the shopper is looking at.

What happens after the shopper taps the popup button?

The chat opens with the button's words, written as the shopper's own question. In most regions the chat sends those words as the shopper's first message, and the agent replies right away. Where privacy rules ask for the shopper's consent first, such as in the EU and the UK, the words wait in the message box until the shopper sends them. They also wait when your lead form has to come first.

The shopper skips the empty message box, and the agent starts from a buying question. From there, the agent gives AI product recommendations in chat as product cards. Each card shows the product image, its options, the price, a View on store button and an Add to Cart button. A shopper who asks for a size gets a product card set to that variant, and can add the product to the cart from the chat without leaving the page.

When does Smart timing stay quiet?

Smart timing holds the popup back when it would get in the way. A shopper who has not touched the page never sees it, so idle tabs and bots get nothing. The popup stops for a shopper who added something to the cart on that page, and for a shopper who already opened the chat during the visit. It also waits while the shopper types, or while a drawer, menu or another popup covers the page.

After any proactive popup appears, the same shopper sees no other popup from your store for 24 hours. Generic, Product, Collection and Smart timing popups share that window. If you switch both Smart timing moments off, no popup shows, and the Generic popup stays paused.

How do you turn on Smart timing?

Open Proactive popups in the Chat Squeeze dashboard, click the Smart timing card and save. The card then shows Live. These are the steps.

1. Open Proactive popups and click the Smart timing card.
2. Check that the moments you want are on.
3. Click a moment's tile to edit its message and button.
4. Set Hide if ignored, or choose Off to keep the popup until the shopper acts.
5. Click Save changes.

The mode you pick runs for every shopper in your store. The Generic popup pauses while Smart timing is picked, and its settings stay saved. To go back, click the Generic card and save. On Starter, Growth and Playground the Smart timing card shows Locked. You can compare plans on the Chat Squeeze pricing page. If your store moves to a plan without Smart timing, it goes back to the Generic popup.

To test it, open an incognito window and use the page like a shopper. Scroll, click and switch a product's options. A tab left open without any action never shows the popup, and a popup from the last 24 hours in that browser blocks the next one.

How does better timing help you sell more?

The agent can only recommend products to a shopper who starts a chat. Smart timing starts that chat on the product page, while the options are open, with a question the shopper was about to ask. The agent answers it and puts the matching product in a card with an Add to Cart button.

Sales that begin with a popup click show as a Proactive popup row on Sales & analytics, so you can see what the popup brings in. The row appears when at least one matched order falls in the dates you picked. Start with both moments on, read that row after a few weeks, and edit any message that does not sound like your brand.

If you are new to the app, the first-time Chat Squeeze setup guide covers install, product sync and going live. You can install Chat Squeeze from the Shopify App Store and turn on Smart timing on a Pro, Premium or Ultra plan.

Smart timing FAQ

What is Smart timing in Chat Squeeze?

Smart timing is a popup mode that gives you AI chat that opens at the right moment on a Shopify store. The popup appears above the chat button while a shopper switches between a product's options, or after they have browsed for a while. There is no delay to set.

Which Chat Squeeze plans include Smart timing?

Pro, Premium and Ultra include Smart timing. On Starter, Growth and Playground the Smart timing card on the Proactive popups page shows Locked, with an Upgrade to Pro button.

Can Smart timing and the Generic popup run at the same time?

No. A store runs one popup mode, and every shopper gets that mode. While Smart timing is picked, the Generic popup pauses. Your Generic settings stay saved, and you can pick the Generic card and save to bring it back.

How often does a shopper see the Smart timing popup?

A shopper sees at most one proactive popup from your store in 24 hours. Generic and Smart timing popups share that window, whether the shopper closes the popup, ignores it or opens chat from it.