Hi there!
We're currently using the classic Web Widget embedded within a Help Centre, the widget script has been rolled out and is working fine. We've customised some of the CSS so the button is more on-brand.
My question is, if we upgrade our widget to support Messaging by ticking 'Turn on messaging for this web widget', will the widget script need to be deployed again or will it remain the same? Will any of the associated classes etc change within the widget?
Best answer by Amie11
Hey Tristan,
There's no way to customize the new messaging widget with CSS like you could with the Class version you're currently using. If you upgrade to the new version, your custom CSS from the classic widget will no longer work with the new one.
If you have a sandbox available, I would recommend you to to do some testing of this inside your sandbox before moving to the new messaging widget in your production account.
The only types of customisation you can do for the new messaging widget are those available within the Zendesk admin centre UI. There are no CSS styling options anymore. You can only customise the authentication or some core functions of the widget using the API on the new widget. See here: https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/widget-messaging/web/authentication/
Hope this helps. :)
Hey Tristan,
There's no way to customize the new messaging widget with CSS like you could with the Class version you're currently using. If you upgrade to the new version, your custom CSS from the classic widget will no longer work with the new one.
If you have a sandbox available, I would recommend you to to do some testing of this inside your sandbox before moving to the new messaging widget in your production account.
The only types of customisation you can do for the new messaging widget are those available within the Zendesk admin centre UI. There are no CSS styling options anymore. You can only customise the authentication or some core functions of the widget using the API on the new widget. See here: https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/widget-messaging/web/authentication/
Hope this helps. :)
Hi @amie11!
Thanks for your answer, although I'm a little confused - in our Help Centre template, we've got the ability to add in custom CSS or JavaScript and I don't believe this part in particular changes at all with Messaging enabled. Is there another reason we won't be able to target the widget following a switch to Messaging?
Thanks!
Heya,
Yep am aware you have the ability for CSS or JS inside your HC template, the same as an external website, however, any existing custom code you have in there that is styling the classic web widget... will not work with the new messaging widget.
What I mean is... if you're using any of the classic web widget CSS/JS styling options from here: https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/widget/introduction/ - they will not work on the new messaging widget once you switch over to it.
Zendesk is not allowing customers to custom style the new messaging widget using CSS/JS - yet.
Does that make better sense? :)
Thanks Amie, that makes more sense :)
Most welcome. Happy to help any time. :)
Hopefully in the future Zendesk will start to allow us to further customize the new widget how we'd like too. One step at a time I guess. Fingers crossed!
Amie's right — switching to Messaging means losing all your Classic CSS customization, and Zendesk's Messaging widget gives you very little back in terms of design control.
If branding and on-site look-and-feel matter to you, Enhanced Zendesk Widget (Zendesk Marketplace) runs on Messaging but gives you proper design flexibility back — custom colors, logo, icons, layout, and more, all configured without touching CSS. You get to move to Messaging without sacrificing the branded experience you had in Classic.
🌐 https://ibamsolutions.com/apps
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