How to add Tawk.to to your website
Tawk.to is a free live chat widget for websites, used by small businesses wanting live chat without a subscription. Here's how to put it on your own website, which embed option to pick, and what goes wrong.
Quick answer
Get the code from your Tawk.to dashboard under Administration then Chat Widget, where the widget code is provided. For most people the right choice is the standard widget — a floating chat bubble. Paste it into a code or embed block on your site — not a plain text field — then place it beside your main call to action and test the whole flow on a phone before relying on it.
Tawk.to: which option to use
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Standard widget | A floating chat bubble. |
| Offline form | Collects messages when nobody is available, which is most of the time for a small business. |
| Custom trigger | A chat opened from your own button rather than a persistent bubble. |
Step-by-step
- 1
Find the code or link in your account
Tawk.to keeps this in your Tawk.to dashboard under Administration then Chat Widget, where the widget code is provided. Copy what you need before touching your website — most of the time people lose is spent hunting for the snippet, not installing it.
- 2
Pick the right option for the job
The table above is the decision. Standard widget: A floating chat bubble. Offline form: Collects messages when nobody is available, which is most of the time for a small business. Choosing before you paste saves rebuilding the section later.
- 3
Paste it into a code or embed block
This needs an HTML, code or embed block — not a plain text field, where the code will simply appear as text on your page. On Adviita, ask the AI editor to add an embed section and drop the code in. On WordPress use a Custom HTML block, on Squarespace a Code block (Business plan or above), and on Wix an Embed HTML element.
- 4
Put it where the decision happens
A messaging option is only an asset if someone answers it. An ignored chat is worse than none. A widget three scrolls down does a fraction of the work of the same widget beside your main call to action. Decide what the page is for, then place it at the point the visitor is deciding.
- 5
Check it on an actual phone
Most visitors to a small business website arrive on a phone, and embeds are where mobile layouts break. Open your live site on your own phone and confirm it loads, fits the screen without sideways scrolling, and does not push your contact button out of view. Third-party embeds are also the most common cause of a slow page, so if it noticeably delays loading, consider a plain link instead.
- 6
Test it end to end before you rely on it
Run through the whole flow yourself as a customer would — send a real message — and confirm what should happen actually happens. Broken embeds fail silently, and the first person to notice is usually a customer who has already given up.
Tips & best practices
- ▸It is genuinely free, funded by optional paid add-ons and branding removal. The catch is the branding, not hidden fees.
- ▸Live chat sets an expectation of a fast reply. An unanswered chat is worse than no chat at all — configure the offline form properly.
- ▸The widget adds weight to every page. If you are rarely available to answer, a WhatsApp button is a better fit.
- ▸Re-test the embed after any change to your site, your plan, or the connected account — third-party widgets break quietly and nothing tells you.
Common questions
Is Tawk.to really free?
+−
Yes. The core live chat product is free with Tawk.to branding on the widget, monetised through optional paid add-ons and a fee to remove branding. There is no subscriber cap or trial period, which makes it the usual choice for small businesses wanting chat without a monthly cost.
Should a small business use live chat?
+−
Only if you can actually answer. Live chat sets an expectation of a response within a minute or two, and an ignored chat damages trust more than having no chat at all. If you cannot staff it, a WhatsApp button sets a more forgiving expectation and gets used more.
Do I need a developer to add Tawk.to to my site?
+−
No. Every option here is copy and paste into a code or embed block, which every mainstream website builder provides. The only genuine blocker is a builder or plan that does not allow custom code at all — Squarespace, for instance, requires a Business plan or above for code blocks.
Will adding Tawk.to slow down my website?
+−
Any third-party embed has some cost, because it loads code from another company's servers. One is usually unnoticeable; four or five on the same page is where small business sites become visibly slow. If page speed matters to you, prefer a plain link over a script wherever the option exists, and keep embeds to the pages that genuinely need them.