A pre-chat form in Zoho SalesIQ appears to visitors before the chat window opens, asking them to provide information such as their name, email address, company, and the nature of their query. This data is used to identify the visitor, route them to the right department, and populate their CRM record after the chat.
Pre-chat forms increase data capture but reduce chat start rates. A form with too many fields discourages visitors from starting a chat. Best practice is to require only email and name (for CRM sync), make other fields optional, and use the department selector to enable smart routing without adding friction.
With a pre-chat form, chats start with the visitor already identified. Without one (anonymous chat), you rely on the bot or operator to collect details during the conversation. Pre-chat forms are better for B2B contexts where lead data quality is critical; anonymous chat is better for high-volume consumer support where speed matters more.
No. The Pre-Chat Form can be set as required (visitors must submit it to start chatting), optional (visitors can skip it), or disabled entirely. Making it required ensures you always capture contact details but may reduce chat initiation rates. Optional forms balance lead capture with low friction for visitors just wanting quick answers.
Yes. A department selection field in the Pre-Chat Form lets visitors choose which team they need, and SalesIQ routes the chat to that department automatically. Fields like company size or product interest can also feed into routing rules or be passed to CRM when the conversation is pushed.
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