How do I deploy a chatbot on my website?

Short Answer:
Want to deploy a chatbot? Choose your hosting method (embed snippet, CMS plugin/app, or tag-manager injection), install the chat widget, test it live, and then customise triggers, branding, and privacy settings. With CustomGPT.ai you can do this by creating an agent, copying its embed code, and pasting it into your website — no developer needed.

Install the chatbot using an embed code

One of the most direct ways to deploy a chatbot is the “copy-and-paste” installation method.

Generate your chatbot’s install snippet

Most chatbot platforms give you an HTML/JavaScript snippet under a menu labelled Install on website, Embed code, or Web widget. This snippet will look like a <script> tag (or a set of them) followed by a div placeholder (e.g., <div id=”chat-widget”></div>).
For reference, see vendor examples such as Emlylabs and ChatBuild.io, which illustrate this common approach.

Add the script to your site’s HTML

Once you have the snippet:

• Open your website’s template or layout file (for instance footer.html, or theme.liquid in Shopify).
• Paste the snippet just before the closing </body> tag (or wherever your developer guide says).
• Save and publish your changes.
• Clear your browser cache / hard-reload your page to confirm the chat widget appears.

This method works on pure HTML sites and many CMS themes. If you later want a no-code approach (for non-HTML users), see the plugin/app or tag-manager methods.

Deploy the chatbot using a CMS plugin or app

If you’re using a website builder like WordPress, Shopify, Wix or Webflow, many chatbot vendors offer dedicated plugins or apps.

Install the chatbot plugin or app

• In WordPress: Go to Plugins → Add New, search for your chatbot vendor, install and activate.
• In Shopify: Visit Apps, search the App Store, install the chatbot app and connect your site.
• In Wix/Webflow: Similar “App” or “Integration” marketplaces exist for chatbot widgets.

Connect and publish

• After installation, the plugin will ask for your bot’s account credentials or widget ID.
• Enter these details and save.
• Configure where the widget should display (site-wide or select pages).
• Click Publish.
• Visit your site in incognito mode to check the chat bubble appears as expected.

This route requires less code, and is ideal when you don’t want to edit templates manually.

Add the chatbot via Google Tag Manager

A flexible no-code alternative is injecting the chatbot widget through Google Tag Manager (GTM). This is especially useful if you already use GTM for analytics. Documentation for this method is widely available from vendors like ChatBot.com and Thinkstack, as well as official and third-party GTM resources such as Google’s Custom HTML Tag docs and Analytify’s guide.

Create a Custom HTML tag

• Log in to GTM, select your container (e.g., “Website – Production”).
• Go to Tags → New → Tag Type: Custom HTML.
• Paste the chatbot widget’s embed code into the HTML field.
• Configure any additional script settings (e.g., a delay or cookie-consent wrapper).

Set triggers and publish

• Set the trigger to All Pages (to show on every page), or select specific pages if you only want it on landing pages or support pages.
• Save and Preview the container to test the chat widget loads.
• If it works, Submit → Publish the new version.
• Visit your live site to confirm the chat bubble appears.
  

Using GTM means you don’t need to touch your site’s code directly—just manage everything via GTM’s UI.

Customize behavior, branding & privacy

After installation, your chatbot still needs configuration to match your brand and legal requirements.

Choose where and when the chat bubble appears

• Set triggers: you might show the widget after 5s on page, or only on certain pages like “/support”.
• Decide whether it opens automatically, or waits for user click.

Style the widget and set privacy options

• Many platforms let you change colors, size, position (bottom-right vs bottom-left), and label (e.g., “Chat with us”).
• For compliance (GDPR/CCPA): enable cookie-consent banners or require user opt-in before activating the chat widget—they may need to accept “analytics/tracking” cookies.
• Set an appropriate greeting or welcome message that aligns with your brand voice.

Taking a few minutes for these tweaks ensures the chatbot doesn’t feel generic and supports your branding.

How to do it with CustomGPT.ai

If you’re using CustomGPT.ai, here’s how to deploy an agent on your website.

Create an agent in CustomGPT.ai

• Log in to your dashboard.
• Click Create Agent → Website & Blog → Enter your website URL or upload sitemap.
• Choose sources (FAQ pages, help centre, blog posts) and let the agent crawl your content.
• Configure any additional Q&A or prompts if needed.
  (See the official docs: Agent creation guide.)
  

Embed the CustomGPT.ai widget or live chat on your site

• Once your agent is ready, go to Embed → Widget. Choose “Floating chat bubble” or “Inline embed”.
• Copy the provided embed snippet. (Reference: Widget embed documentation and Floating widget options.)
• For WordPress: follow the integration doc (WordPress plugin guide).
• Paste the snippet just before your site’s closing </body> tag, or drop it into a theme footer script area.
• Save and publish your site changes.
• Visit your site, and you should see the CustomGPT.ai chat widget active.
  (Also see: Embedding CustomGPT.ai agent.)

That’s the full workflow: agent creation → embed code → site update → live widget. You’ve now deployed your chatbot on your website with minimal technical effort.

Example — Deploying a chatbot on WordPress

Let’s walk through a concrete example for a WordPress site:

1. On WordPress, navigate to Plugins → Add New, search “CustomGPT.ai”, install and activate.
2. In your dashboard, create an agent by entering your site URL and selecting content sources.
3. Copy the embed code from the agent’s Embed Widget section.
4. In WordPress admin, go to Appearance → Theme File Editor → footer.php, and paste the snippet just before </body>. Alternatively, use a header/footer script plugin and paste there.
5. Save changes and visit your site in a new browser tab. You’ll see the chat bubble at the bottom-right.
6. In your dashboard, customise the widget colour to match your theme, set the trigger to show only after 10 seconds on page, and enable consent banner for chat tracking.
7. Test: Ask a sample question (“What are your delivery times?”) and confirm the agent replies correctly using your site’s content.
8. You’re live! Monitor chats to see visitor engagement.

This example demonstrates the path from plugin install to live agent, tailored for WordPress but readily adaptable for other CMS.

Conclusion

Deploying a chatbot is ultimately a choice between how fast you want it live and how much control you need over where and how it appears. CustomGPT.ai keeps that decision simple with a copy-and-paste widget, CMS plugins, and GTM support, so you can drop your agent onto any site in minutes and fine-tune its behavior without touching code.

Open your agent’s Embed tab, grab the snippet, and test it on a live page to see it in action.