Heads up: Salesforce Live Agent (later renamed Chat) is legacy. Salesforce has announced that Chat is on a retirement path, and the recommended product for new live chat is Messaging for In-App and Web (MIAW) paired with Einstein Bots / Agentforce. If you are starting a new implementation, do not build on Live Agent. Follow our canonical Salesforce Live Agent to MIAW migration guide instead, and check current Salesforce retirement notices for exact end-of-life dates.
A basic Live Agent implementation is the original Salesforce web-chat feature that connects website visitors with support agents in real time. Setting it up means enabling Live Agent in Setup, flagging support reps as Live Agent users, creating skills, a Live Agent configuration, a deployment, and one or more chat buttons, then embedding the generated deployment and button code on your site and surfacing live chats inside a Salesforce Console app. This page keeps that walkthrough as a historical reference for the many orgs still running Live Agent today.
Key takeaways
- Live Agent = Chat = legacy. The product was renamed Chat and is on a Salesforce retirement path; treat it as maintenance-only.
- Build new chat on MIAW. Messaging for In-App and Web plus Einstein Bots / Agentforce is the supported, future-proof replacement.
- The classic setup still works in orgs that have it: enable Live Agent, add Live Agent users, create skills, a configuration, a deployment, and chat buttons, then embed the code and add it to a Console app.
- Migration is a project, not a toggle. See the migration guide before planning a move.
- Need help moving off Live Agent? Our Salesforce consulting team plans and runs MIAW rollouts.
Live Agent (Chat) vs MIAW: which should you use?
For any new build the answer is MIAW. The table below summarizes why.
| Capability | Live Agent / Chat (legacy) | Messaging for In-App and Web (MIAW) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | On a retirement path; no new feature investment | Current and actively developed |
| Channels | Web chat only | Web, mobile app, and async messaging |
| Conversation style | Synchronous session that ends when the window closes | Persistent and asynchronous; customers can resume later |
| Bots & AI | Limited; older Einstein Bots integration | Native Einstein Bots and Agentforce |
| Recommendation | Maintain existing orgs only | Use for all new live-chat builds |
What does a basic Live Agent implementation involve?
If you are documenting or maintaining an existing org, a basic Live Agent setup is built from these pieces, all under Setup.
- Enable Live Agent. Go to Customize -> Live Agent -> Live Agent Settings, tick Enable Live Agent, and save.
- Create Live Agent users. Under Manage Users -> Users, edit each support rep and enable the Live Agent User checkbox. These reps need the right Service Cloud and Live Agent permissions to chat with customers.
- Create skills. Under Customize -> Live Agent -> Skills, name the skill, add a developer name and description, and assign the users and profiles with that expertise. Skills route incoming chats to the right agents.
- Create a Live Agent configuration. Under Customize -> Live Agent -> Live Agent Configurations, control what agents and supervisors can do: concurrent chat limits, sneak peek, file transfer, transfer and conference, and more.
- Create a deployment. Under Customize -> Live Agent -> Deployments, define a deployment (one per place chat is offered). Saving it generates a deployment code snippet.
- Create chat buttons. Under Customize -> Live Agent -> Chat Buttons & Invitations, choose the type, language, routing type, and skills, and set online/offline images via static resources. Saving generates a button code snippet.
How do you embed Live Agent on a page?
Live Agent is deployed by pasting the generated code onto the pages where chat should appear.
- Copy the deployment code and paste it on every web page where Live Agent should run.
- Copy each chat button code and place it where you want the online/offline button to render.
- For Salesforce-hosted pages, host the chat on a Force.com site or Experience Cloud page and use static resources for the button images.
After the code is live, visitors who click an online button are routed to an available agent that matches the button's skill.
How do agents handle chats in the Console?
Live Agent becomes usable to agents only after it is added to a Salesforce Console app.
- Go to Setup -> Create -> Apps and create a new app of type Console.
- Name the app, set its logo, and choose the objects (such as Cases and Contacts) shown in the navigation tab.
- Choose the display options, then tick Include Live Agent in this App and configure the related settings.
- Assign the user profiles that can access the console and save.
From the console, agents can run multiple concurrent chats, see customer details alongside the conversation, and create a Case from a chat. You can also wire up Salesforce Knowledge so agents surface answers from knowledge articles during a chat.
Useful options worth enabling in the configuration or deployment:
- Allow Visitors to Save the Transcript (Deployments) lets customers keep a copy of the chat.
- Sneak Peek lets agents see what a customer is typing before they hit send.
- Agent File Transfer allows file sharing between customers and agents (up to 25 MB).
- Transfer and Conference lets an agent bring in a colleague or supervisor.
- Quick Text stores reusable canned messages so agents avoid retyping common replies.
How do you move from Live Agent to MIAW?
Moving off Live Agent is a migration, not a setting. At a high level you stand up a Messaging for In-App and Web channel, recreate routing with Omni-Channel, rebuild buttons/snap-ins as the modern Embedded Service deployment, and shift bot logic to Einstein Bots or Agentforce. Because the conversation model changes from synchronous sessions to persistent async messaging, agent training and reporting change too.
This page is only a legacy reference, so we will not repeat the full process here. For the complete, current walkthrough see our Salesforce Live Agent to MIAW migration guide. If your support stack also handles inbound email, pair it with on-demand Email-to-Case setup so chat and email cases land in the same place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Salesforce Live Agent still supported?
Live Agent, which Salesforce renamed Chat, is on a retirement path. Existing orgs can keep running it for now, but Salesforce is not adding new investment, so treat it as maintenance-only and check current Salesforce retirement notices for exact end-of-life dates.
What replaced Salesforce Live Agent?
Messaging for In-App and Web (MIAW), combined with Einstein Bots and Agentforce, is the supported replacement. MIAW supports web, mobile, and asynchronous messaging, where Live Agent only supported synchronous web chat.
Can I still set up a new Live Agent deployment?
In orgs that already have Live Agent enabled it is technically possible, but it is not recommended for new work. Any new live-chat build should be done on MIAW so you are not investing in a feature that is being retired.
What is the difference between Live Agent and MIAW?
Live Agent is a synchronous web-chat session that ends when the window closes, with limited bot support. MIAW is persistent and asynchronous across web and mobile, lets customers resume conversations, and natively supports Einstein Bots and Agentforce.
How many chats can one agent handle in Live Agent?
The concurrent chat limit is set by an administrator in the Live Agent configuration assigned to that agent. A single agent can handle several chats at once, with the exact number controlled by the configuration.
How do I migrate from Live Agent to MIAW?
Stand up a MIAW channel, recreate routing with Omni-Channel, rebuild your chat entry points as a modern Embedded Service deployment, and move bot logic to Einstein Bots or Agentforce. Follow our Live Agent to MIAW migration guide for the full steps, and bring in our Salesforce team if you want it run for you.