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Integrations

Connect Hay to the tools and platforms you already use. Integrations let your AI agent work where your customers are - from your website to WhatsApp to your e-commerce platform.

What Are Integrations? #

Integrations connect Hay with:

  • Communication channels - Where customers reach you (WhatsApp, web chat, email)
  • Business tools - Your e-commerce, CRM, help desk systems
  • Data sources - Access to order info, customer data, inventory

Available Integrations #

Web Chat (Webchat Plugin) #

Add a live chat widget to your website.

What it does:

  • Embeds a chat button on your site
  • Customers click and start chatting instantly
  • Conversations go straight to your Hay dashboard
  • Fully customizable appearance

How to set up:

  1. Go to Integrations → Marketplace
  2. Find Web Chat
  3. Click Install
  4. Copy the embed code
  5. Paste it into your website (usually before closing </body> tag)
  6. Customize colors and position
  7. Save and test!

Customization options:

  • Button position (bottom-right, bottom-left, etc.)
  • Brand colors
  • Welcome message
  • Chat window size

WhatsApp Business #

Handle WhatsApp messages with your AI agent.

What it does:

  • Customers message your WhatsApp Business number
  • Hay responds automatically
  • Full conversation history in dashboard
  • Works 24/7

How to set up:

  1. Go to Integrations → Marketplace
  2. Find WhatsApp
  3. Click Connect
  4. Sign in with Facebook Business account
  5. Select your WhatsApp Business number
  6. Authorize Hay
  7. Done!

Requirements:

  • WhatsApp Business account
  • Facebook Business Manager account
  • Phone number verified with WhatsApp

Perfect for:

  • International customers
  • Mobile-first audiences
  • Markets where WhatsApp is popular
  • Quick, informal support

Shopify #

Connect your Shopify store for e-commerce support.

What it does:

  • Look up order information
  • Check product availability
  • Access customer purchase history
  • Provide tracking numbers

How to set up:

  1. Go to Integrations → Marketplace
  2. Find Shopify
  3. Click Install
  4. You'll be redirected to Shopify
  5. Click Install app in your Shopify admin
  6. Authorize permissions
  7. Return to Hay - connection confirmed!

What your agent can do:

  • "Where is my order?" → Look up order status
  • "When will it arrive?" → Provide tracking info
  • "I want to return this" → Check return eligibility
  • "Is this in stock?" → Check inventory

Permissions needed:

  • Read orders
  • Read products
  • Read customers

Zendesk #

Sync with your Zendesk help desk.

What it does:

  • Import existing tickets into Hay
  • Create tickets from Hay conversations
  • Sync conversation history
  • Unified customer view

How to set up:

  1. Go to Integrations → Marketplace
  2. Find Zendesk
  3. Click Connect
  4. Enter your Zendesk subdomain
  5. Enter API token (generate in Zendesk settings)
  6. Test connection
  7. Choose sync preferences

Sync options:

  • Import all tickets → Hay learns from ticket history
  • Two-way sync → Updates flow both ways
  • One-way sync → Hay creates tickets in Zendesk

Email Integration #

Handle email support with AI.

What it does:

  • Monitor support email inbox
  • AI responds to emails automatically
  • Escalate when needed
  • Maintain email thread history

How to set up:

  1. Go to Integrations → Email
  2. Choose method:
    • Forwarding - Forward emails to a Hay address
    • IMAP - Connect directly to your mailbox
  3. Configure settings
  4. Test with a sample email

Best for:

  • Existing support email addresses
  • Customers who prefer email
  • Detailed, non-urgent questions

Managing Integrations #

Viewing Installed Integrations #

Go to Integrations in the sidebar to see:

  • All installed integrations
  • Connection status (✅ Connected or ⚠️ Issue)
  • Last sync time
  • Usage statistics

Configuring an Integration #

To adjust settings:

  1. Click on the integration
  2. Click Settings or Configure
  3. Make your changes
  4. Test the connection
  5. Save

Disconnecting an Integration #

To remove an integration:

  1. Go to the integration
  2. Click Disconnect or Uninstall
  3. Confirm the action
  4. Integration is removed

⚠️ Note: Active conversations on that channel may need to be handled manually after disconnection.

Integration Marketplace #

Browsing Available Integrations #

  1. Go to Integrations → Marketplace
  2. Browse categories:
    • Communication Channels
    • E-commerce
    • CRM & Support
    • Productivity Tools
  3. Click any integration to learn more

Installing from Marketplace #

  1. Find the integration you want
  2. Click Install or Connect
  3. Follow the setup wizard
  4. Authorize necessary permissions
  5. Test the integration
  6. Start using it!

Suggesting New Integrations #

Don't see what you need?

  1. Click Suggest an Integration
  2. Tell us what tool you want to connect
  3. Explain your use case
  4. We'll consider it for future development

Channel-Specific Features #

Web Chat Features #

  • ✅ Typing indicators
  • ✅ Read receipts
  • ✅ File uploads
  • ✅ Emoji support
  • ✅ Conversation history
  • ✅ Proactive chat (trigger by page, time on site, etc.)

WhatsApp Features #

  • ✅ Rich media (images, videos, documents)
  • ✅ Quick reply buttons
  • ✅ Message templates (for notifications)
  • ✅ Read receipts
  • ✅ Delivered status

Email Features #

  • ✅ HTML emails
  • ✅ Attachments
  • ✅ CC/BCC support
  • ✅ Thread continuity
  • ✅ Signature management

Best Practices #

Start with One Channel #

Don't connect everything at once:

  1. Start with your primary support channel
  2. Train your agent
  3. Monitor performance
  4. Add more channels gradually

Test Before Going Live #

After connecting an integration:

  1. Send test messages
  2. Verify responses are correct
  3. Check data access (orders, customers, etc.)
  4. Ensure escalations work
  5. Test on different devices

Monitor Channel Performance #

Different channels may have different needs:

  • Email: More detailed, patient responses
  • WhatsApp: Quick, concise messages
  • Web Chat: Balance of speed and detail

Customize Per Channel #

You can assign different:

  • Agents to different channels
  • Playbooks based on channel
  • Response styles (formal on email, casual on WhatsApp)

Troubleshooting Integrations #

Integration Shows "Disconnected" #

Common causes:

  • Expired authentication token
  • Changed password on the connected account
  • Permissions revoked
  • Service outage

Solutions:

  1. Try reconnecting
  2. Re-authorize permissions
  3. Check integration status page
  4. Contact support if issue persists

Messages Not Appearing #

Check:

  • Integration is enabled
  • Correct account/channel connected
  • No filters blocking messages
  • Webhook URL is correct (if applicable)

Solutions:

  1. Send a test message
  2. Check integration logs
  3. Verify webhook configuration
  4. Re-sync if needed

Slow Message Delivery #

Possible causes:

  • High message volume
  • External service delays
  • Network issues

Solutions:

  1. Check system status
  2. Verify API rate limits
  3. Contact support for optimization

Data Not Syncing #

For integrations like Shopify or Zendesk:

Check:

  • Permissions are granted
  • API credentials are correct
  • Sync is enabled
  • No data conflicts

Solutions:

  1. Re-authorize the integration
  2. Force a manual sync
  3. Check error logs
  4. Verify data format compatibility

Security & Permissions #

What Permissions Do Integrations Need? #

Each integration requests only what it needs:

Web Chat:

  • Access to your domain
  • Ability to load chat widget

WhatsApp:

  • Access to WhatsApp Business account
  • Send and receive messages

Shopify:

  • Read orders
  • Read products
  • Read customer info (name, email only)

Zendesk:

  • Read and create tickets
  • Read customer data
  • Update ticket status

Keeping Integrations Secure #

Best practices:

  • ✅ Use separate credentials for integrations
  • ✅ Grant minimum necessary permissions
  • ✅ Review connected apps regularly
  • ✅ Revoke unused integrations
  • ✅ Monitor integration logs
  • ✅ Update authentication when passwords change

Multi-Channel Strategy #

When to Use Multiple Channels #

Good reasons:

  • Reach customers where they prefer
  • Different regions prefer different channels
  • Some questions better suited to specific channels
  • 24/7 coverage across time zones

Example setup:

  • Website chat - Quick questions during business hours
  • WhatsApp - After-hours and international
  • Email - Detailed inquiries and formal requests
  • Zendesk - Internal team collaboration

Maintaining Consistency #

Across all channels:

  • Use same agent instructions
  • Same tone and style
  • Same documentation
  • Same escalation procedures

But adapt message length:

  • WhatsApp - Brief, mobile-friendly
  • Email - More detailed, formatted
  • Web Chat - Balanced, moderate length

Common Questions #

Can I connect multiple channels at once? #

Yes! Connect as many as you need. Each channel works independently.

Will customers know they're talking to AI? #

Best practice is to be transparent. Most integrations let you customize the greeting to mention AI assistance.

Can I use the same agent across all channels? #

Yes, or you can assign different agents to different channels based on your needs.

What happens if an integration fails? #

You'll be notified immediately. Hay continues working, but new messages on that channel won't come through until reconnected.

Are there limits on message volume? #

Depends on the integration. Hay itself has no limits, but some platforms (like WhatsApp) have their own rate limits.

Can I build my own integration? #

Yes! Hay supports custom integrations via API. See the Developer documentation or contact support.

Next Steps #

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