---
title: "How to create a welcome message for Website widget"
description: "The Website chat widget doesn't have a dedicated welcome-message setting."
canonical_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/website/how-to-create-a-welcome-message-for-website-widget
markdown_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/website/how-to-create-a-welcome-message-for-website-widget.md
last_updated: 2026-08-12
lang: en
site: https://chatfuel.com/docs
llms_txt: https://chatfuel.com/llms.txt
---

# How to create a welcome message for Website widget

The Website chat widget doesn't have a dedicated welcome-message setting.

The Website chat widget doesn't have a dedicated welcome-message setting. The AI replies only after a visitor sends the first message — it can't proactively greet people the moment they open the chat.

What you *can* control is how that first reply greets them. The **Additional instructions** on the **Website widget** [automation](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/automations) shape the AI's opening style — the greeting, the introduction, the tone.

## What this means [#what-this-means]

When a customer opens your [chat widget](https://chatfuel.com/docs/website/set-up-chat-widget-for-website), they see an empty conversation. The AI activates and replies only once the customer types and sends their first message. There is no field for intro text that appears before they type.

## Set it up in Automations [#set-it-up-in-automations]

1. Go to **Fuely AI** → **Automations**.
2. Under **Website**, open the **Website widget** automation.
3. In **Incoming messages**, add **Additional instructions** that describe how to open the conversation — for example: *"Start your first reply with a warm greeting, introduce yourself as our assistant, and offer help in one short sentence before answering the question."*
4. [Test it](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/how-to-test-your-automation) in the **Test chat** to see how the first reply reads.

## Or ask the AI Co-Worker [#or-ask-the-ai-co-worker]

Tell it what you want in chat:

*"When someone writes in the website chat, have the AI greet them warmly and introduce our studio before answering"*

It applies the change and confirms what it set.

## Tips [#tips]

* Add clear information to your [Knowledge Base](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/how-to-set-up-knowledge-base) so the AI gives a useful response to any opening message, not just a friendly one.
* Customize your widget's appearance (company name, logo, accent color) in `Settings` > `Website` to make the chat feel inviting before the conversation starts.