Custom launch messages
The launch message is the first thing a customer sees when they open chat, and ShopGuide gives you real control over it — scoped by page type, with placeholders and merge tags for personalizing it without writing any code.
How it's structured
The Global Custom Launch Message is the main setting. It is always on: there is no switch to enable it, and if you leave it blank the chat opens with a real default instead of an AI-generated greeting. The default shows your store name in bold, one line on what the assistant can do, and a bold "How can I help you?", with buttons such as "Help me, I'm looking for ...", "I already have an order I need help with", and "What are your shipping costs and delivery times?" (plus "I'd like to sign up for your newsletter" if Klaviyo is connected). Replace the message and up to six buttons with your own on Settings → Essentials, with a separate version for each storefront language.
Two more levels are opt-in: tick Enable custom launch message for collection pages or Enable custom launch message for product pages and write a message and buttons for that page type, again per storefront language.
A further option lives in the theme editor: any individual ShopGuide Chat block can turn on "Use custom launch message" to override everything above for that one page, with its own richtext message and buttons.
Priority when a page loads, most specific wins: block-level override, then the product-page message on product pages, then the collection-page message on collection pages, then the global message (or its default).
Empty fields
Ticking a page-type checkbox is the only switch. If you leave that message empty, the built-in text shown in the field is used ("Welcome to {{collection_title}}…" or "Welcome to {{product_title}}…"). If you leave a button empty, the global message's button in the same slot is used.
Auto-Scroll is separate
Auto-Scroll is a different feature, set under Settings → AI Behavior → Auto-Scroll Settings ("Enable automatic scrolling to chat", "Enable on all pages (global)", and "Delay (in seconds)", 120 by default). After the idle delay with no interaction, the page scrolls to the chat. It is not tied to your launch message, and idle time is its only signal; there's no exit-intent, scroll-depth, or cart-abandonment trigger. It applies to product pages unless you tick Enable on all pages (global).
The proactive message next to the bubble is also separate from launch messages; see Global settings. To make the greeting text shimmer, turn on Shimmer greeting text on the Customize page (off by default).
Placeholders and merge tags
In the Settings messages, type these literally; they are filled in when the chat opens:
| Placeholder | Works in | Resolves to |
|---|---|---|
{{shop_name}} | Global message (not its buttons) | Your store name |
{{collection_title}} | Collection-page message | The current collection's title |
{{product_title}} | Product-page message | The current product's title |
For example: Welcome to {{collection_title}}. What are you looking for?
In the theme-editor block's launch message or its buttons, a different syntax is used, with double square brackets:
| Merge tag | Resolves to |
|---|---|
[[product.title]] | Current product's title (product pages) |
[[product.vendor]] | Current product's vendor |
[[product.type]] | Current product's type |
[[collection.title]] | Current collection's title (collection pages only) |
[[page.title]] | The page's title — product name, collection name, or shop name, depending on the template |
[[shop.name]] | Your store name |
For example: Interested in [[product.title]]? I can help with sizing, shipping, and more.
The [[ ]] tags are for theme-editor blocks only; {{ }} placeholders are for the Settings page only. There's no {customer_name} or other variable.
Setting one up
For a global, collection, or product-page message: open Settings → Essentials, find the launch-message section for the scope you want (for collection and product pages, tick the checkbox first), and write your message plus up to six buttons. If your store runs multiple languages, add a message per language — the widget resolves the customer's locale on its own.
For a page-specific override: open that page in the theme editor, select the ShopGuide Chat block, turn on "Use custom launch message," and write your richtext message and buttons — merge tags ([[ ]]) work here too.
Writing one that actually works
Keep it short — a sentence or two plus buttons, not a paragraph. Lead with how you can help, not a sales pitch. Use the buttons for the two to four questions customers actually ask most on that page type. And keep the tone conversational; it's a chat, not a banner ad, even if it matches your brand voice.