How to Set Live Chat Office Hours in Sparkforge

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

Set business office hours on the Sparkforge Live Chat widget so visitors see a real-time welcome during open hours and a contact form (with a custom outside-hours message) the rest of the time.

Office hours on the Sparkforge Live Chat widget tell visitors when a real agent is available. Inside business hours, visitors see a live welcome. Outside hours, they see a custom message and a contact form that closes the chat after submission.

How to configure office hours

  1. Go to Sites → Chat Widget.
  2. Pick Live Chat as the chat type.
  3. Open the Chat Window tab.
  4. Find Business Office Hour Setup.
  5. Set time ranges Sunday through Saturday. Overlaps are not allowed.
  6. Customize the Outside Office Hours Welcome Message. Default: "We are currently offline."
  7. Save.

How it behaves

  • Timezone uses the business location timezone.
  • Inside hours, the Live Chat Welcome Message displays.
  • Outside hours, the contact form appears and the chat closes once the visitor submits.
  • Notification Sound (if enabled) plays on the outside-hours message too.

Time copy controls

You can copy a day’s time settings to other days, including multiple selections at once — the same pattern as Calendar availability. This speeds up identical weekday setups without retyping each row.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can office hours overlap on the same day?
No. Sparkforge blocks overlapping ranges Sunday through Saturday. Split the day into clean, non-overlapping windows.
What timezone do office hours follow?
The business location timezone set on the sub-account. Confirm that’s correct before publishing the widget.
What happens after a visitor submits the contact form outside hours?
The chat closes automatically. The form submission lands in your Sparkforge inbox so you can reply by email or SMS.
Can I copy a day’s schedule to other days?
Yes. Use the copy control to paste a time range to one or more other days at once — the same workflow as Calendar availability.

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