Live Chat Channel Doesn’t Appear When Starting Chat via API

[scott7414]

When creating a live chat inbound message via the API, the live chat channel does not appear in the conversation view—so the user has no way to reply through the HighLevel UI. The channel only shows if the conversation is initiated through the actual chat widget. This seems to be a bug.

Ticket number: #3636096

Loom

[balaji-ghl]

@scott7414 This is expected behavior. The visitor ID is essential to link the message to a live chat session. It gets generated only when the user initiates the conversation through the actual chat widget, and it's cached in the user's browser for reuse. When a live chat message is created via the API without this context, the channel doesn’t appear in the conversation view — which is why it seems like a bug, but it's due to the missing visitor session data.

[scott7414]

So the high level user can’t reply back to live chats that were sent thru the API ? And this is just meant to log the chat happening thru an external source both ways ? All other channels the user can reply within GHl Scott Heliker814 Media ***@***.*** Jun 22, 2025, at 7:10 AM, balaji-ghl ***@***.***> wrote:balaji-ghl left a comment (GoHighLevel/highlevel-api-docs#36) @scott7414 This is expected behavior. The visitor ID is essential to link the message to a live chat session. It gets generated only when the user initiates the conversation through the actual chat widget, and it's cached in the user's browser for reuse. When a live chat message is created via the API without this context, the channel doesn’t appear in the conversation view — which is why it seems like a bug, but it's due to the missing visitor session data. —Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[balaji-ghl]

@scott7414 Yes, that's correct — for the widget, a user-initiated message is required because we don't have a predefined user identifier. In contrast, other channels like email or SMS work since we already have a userId (e.g., email address, phone number).

[scott7414]

So there is no way for a user to reply back to a live chat thru the UI that was first iniatied thru the API then. Can you clarify this?

[balaji-ghl]

@scott7414 Yes, you're right.