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Admin Configuration

This page explains how to configure PulseChat as an administrator: transport, permissions, limits, omnichannel channels, AI, and other options exposed in views/admin/settings.php.

All options below are found in Setup -> Modules -> PulseChat -> Settings (which opens admin/pulsechat/settings).

1. Generalโ€‹

These options control global module behavior.

  • Enable PulseChat

    • Option: pulsechat_enabled
    • When Yes, PulseChat is active and the chat menu item appears for staff with permission.

  • Enable Client Chat

    • Option: pulsechat_clients_enabled
    • When Yes, a chat widget is injected into the client portal, allowing staff-to-client conversations.

  • Default User Status on Login

    • Option: pulsechat_default_status
    • Values: online, away, busy, offline
    • Determines the initial presence status when staff open the admin area.

2. Notificationsโ€‹

  • Desktop Notifications

    • Option: pulsechat_desktop_notifications
    • Enables browser desktop notifications for new messages (staff must allow notifications in the browser).

  • Sound Notifications

    • Option: pulsechat_sound_notifications
    • Plays a sound (assets/audio/notification.mp3) when new messages arrive.

  • Toast Notifications

    • Option: pulsechat_toast_notifications
    • Shows small pop-up notifications inside the admin UI for key events.

3. Permissions & Accessโ€‹

These options and staff capabilities control who can use what.

3.1 Staff Capabilities (role-based)โ€‹

Defined in pulsechat.php via pulsechat_register_permissions():

  • view --- can see PulseChat UI.
  • send --- can send messages.
  • delete --- can delete messages (subject to additional settings).
  • create_groups --- can create group conversations.
  • manage_channels --- can configure omnichannel connections.
  • manage_automation --- can manage automation rules.
  • view_analytics --- can view analytics & reports.
  • use_ai --- can access AI tools (draft, suggestions, rewrite, translate, etc.).
  • assign --- can assign / reassign conversations.
  • view_all_channels --- can see all omnichannel conversations, not only assigned/own.

Assign these capabilities to roles in Setup -> Staff -> Roles.

3.2 Settings Tab Permissionsโ€‹

  • Allow Staff to Delete Messages

    • Option: pulsechat_staff_can_delete

  • Allow Staff to Create Groups

    • Option: pulsechat_staff_can_create_groups

  • Allow Leaving Groups

    • Option: pulsechat_allow_leave_groups
    • If No, only admins can remove members or dissolve groups.

  • New Members See History

    • Option: pulsechat_new_members_see_history
    • When Yes, newly added members see full group history.
    • When No, they see only messages sent after they joined.

  • Only Permitted Users

    • Option: pulsechat_only_permitted_users
    • When Yes, only staff with the view capability (or admins) appear in staff lists and can use PulseChat.

4. Featuresโ€‹

Toggle optional functionality:

  • File Sharing

    • pulsechat_allow_file_sharing
    • Enables upload of attachments via the paperclip button.

  • Audio Messages

    • pulsechat_allow_audio_messages
    • Enables voice message recording and sending.

  • Reactions

    • pulsechat_allow_reactions
    • Enables emoji reactions on messages.

  • Forwarding

    • pulsechat_allow_message_forwarding

  • Pinning

    • pulsechat_allow_message_pinning

  • Ticket Conversion

    • pulsechat_allow_ticket_conversion
    • Enables "Convert to Ticket" button in chat header.

  • Typing Indicators

    • pulsechat_show_typing_indicators

  • Read Receipts

    • pulsechat_show_read_receipts

  • Online Status

    • pulsechat_show_online_status

5. Limits & Data Managementโ€‹

5.1 Limitsโ€‹

  • Max File Size

    • pulsechat_max_file_size_mb
    • Maximum upload size for attachments (in MB).

  • Message Edit Window

    • pulsechat_edit_window_minutes
    • How long after sending a message can be edited (0 = never allowed).

  • Max Group Members

    • pulsechat_max_group_members

  • Allowed File Types

    • pulsechat_allowed_file_types
    • Comma-separated list of extensions (e.g. .jpg,.png,.pdf,.docx).

5.2 Data Retentionโ€‹

Defined in the same Settings page:

  • Auto-Purge After (months)
    • pulsechat_auto_purge_months
    • 0 = never purge.
    • Otherwise, messages older than the specified number of months can be purged by the cleanup logic.

6. Appearanceโ€‹

PulseChat inherits Perfex styling and adds its own.

Key options:

  • Brand Color

    • pulsechat_brand_color
    • Used for primary accents in the chat UI.

  • Chat Background

    • pulsechat_chat_bg
    • Select from predefined backgrounds/themes.

There are also user-level preferences (dark/light theme) stored per staff and applied via data-theme attributes in chat_view.php.

7. Transport (Real-time)โ€‹

PulseChat supports:

  • Built-in Polling --- Periodic AJAX calls to fetch new messages (no external services).
  • Pusher WebSockets --- Real-time delivery via Pusher Channels.
  • Auto --- Use Pusher when properly configured; else fall back to polling.

Relevant settings in the "Real-time Transport" section:

  • pulsechat_transport --- auto, pusher, or polling
  • Additional Pusher settings pulled from Perfex core settings (App ID, Key, Secret, Cluster).

You can change these at any time in the PulseChat settings; the UI indicates the active mode via the transport bar at the top of the chat.

8. Omnichannel Channelsโ€‹

To enable the omnichannel inbox:

  • Toggle Enable Omnichannel Channels
    • Option: pulsechat_channels_enabled
    • When Yes, a Channels tab appears in the left sidebar and the omnichannel backend is active.

Each channel (WhatsApp, Telegram, Email, etc.) is configured in the Channels UI (gear icon in the Channels tab) and stored in pc_channels as encrypted JSON config.

See Omnichannel & Channels for per-channel details.

9. AI Assistantโ€‹

PulseChat can use OpenAI (ChatGPT) or Anthropic (Claude) for:

  • Draft replies
  • Smart suggestions (chips)
  • Message rewriting
  • Spelling/grammar
  • Summaries
  • Translation
  • Sentiment analysis

In the AI Assistant --- Multi-Provider section you will find:

  • Enable AI Features

    • pulsechat_ai_enabled

  • AI Provider

    • pulsechat_ai_provider --- openai or anthropic

  • OpenAI API Key

    • pulsechat_ai_api_key

  • Anthropic API Key

    • pulsechat_ai_anthropic_api_key

  • AI Model

    • pulsechat_ai_model --- options include:
      • OpenAI: gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini, gpt-3.5-turbo
      • Anthropic: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022, claude-3-5-haiku-20241022, claude-3-opus-20240229

  • System Prompt

    • pulsechat_ai_system_prompt
    • Global instruction used by all AI calls (e.g. "You are a helpful customer support assistant...").

  • Temperature

    • pulsechat_ai_temperature

  • Max Tokens

    • pulsechat_ai_max_tokens

  • Feature Toggles

    • pulsechat_ai_auto_reply --- show Draft button (AI reply draft).
    • pulsechat_ai_suggestions --- show suggestion chips.
    • pulsechat_ai_rewrite --- enable rewrite button.
    • pulsechat_ai_translate --- enable translation button.
    • pulsechat_ai_sentiment --- sentiment analysis helpers.

See AI Assistant for how these appear in the UI and how they behave in conversations.

10. Licensingโ€‹

PulseChat's licensing is configured via:

  • pulsechat_verification_id
  • pulsechat_product_token
  • pulsechat_last_verification
  • pulsechat_heartbeat

These are managed automatically by the licensing flow and should not be edited manually. To change license:

  • Deactivate PulseChat in Setup -> Modules.
  • Activate it again; the activation screen will re-appear, letting you enter a new purchase key.