How to Make Your GPT Chatbot Button More Interactive with Popups

Learn how to implement engaging popup messages and interactive features for your gpt chatbot button to improve user engagement

Why Interactive Chatbots Matter

In today's digital landscape, user engagement is everything. While having an AI chatbot on your website is a great first step, a static chatbot button that sits quietly in the corner might go unnoticed by many visitors. This is where interactive chatbot features become game-changers.

Benefits of Interactive Chatbots

Interactive chatbots that proactively engage with users offer several significant advantages:

Increased Engagement: Animations, timed messages, and interactive elements catch users' attention, driving more conversations and interactions.
Higher Conversion Rates: Studies show that websites with proactive chat features convert up to 82% more visitors than static implementations.
Better User Guidance: Interactive prompts can guide users to ask specific questions or explore features they might have overlooked.
Reduced Bounce Rates: Engaging visitors with timely popup messages can keep them on your site longer, reducing bounce rates significantly.
Personalized Experience: Interactive elements allow for more personalized interactions based on user behavior, time on page, or navigation patterns.
Enhanced Brand Perception: A chatbot that feels "alive" and responsive creates a more positive impression of your brand's technological sophistication.

Adding interactive features like animated entrances, timed prompts, and responsive behavior transforms your chatbot from a passive tool into an active part of your user experience.

Making Your GPT Chatbot Button More Interactive with Popups

Adding interactive elements and popup messages to your ai chatbot can significantly enhance user engagement. This guide walks you through implementing an interactive chatbot button with popup notifications, timing controls, and responsive behavior based on our implementation.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

A React-based web application
Basic knowledge of React hooks and state management
Understanding of CSS positioning and animations

Implementation Overview

Our interactive chatbot solution uses:

Two iframes: one for the chatbot button and one for the chat window
Post message communication between frames
Timed popup messages to engage users
Responsive design for different screen sizes

Step 1: Create the Basic Chatbot Component Structure

Start by setting up your chatbot component with the main iframe elements:

import { Suspense, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
import { useSearchParams, usePathname } from "next/navigation";
 
export default function Chatbot() {
  // Component structure
  return (
    <div>
      <Suspense>
        <Chatbox />
      </Suspense>
    </div>
  );
}

Step 2: Define Chat Window Styling

Set up the chat window with initial hidden state and proper positioning:

const customStyle = {
    marginRight: '1rem',
    marginBottom: '6rem',
    display: 'none', // Initially hidden
    position: 'fixed',
    right: 0,
    bottom: 0,
    pointerEvents: 'none', // Prevents interaction when hidden
    overflow: 'hidden',
    height: '65vh',
    border: '2px solid #e2e8f0',
    borderRadius: '0.375rem',
    boxShadow: '0 4px 6px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1), 0 2px 4px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06)',
    width: '30rem'
};

Step 3: Implement Message Communication

Set up an event listener to handle communication between your application and the iframe:

useEffect(() => {
    window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {
        var iframe = document.getElementById('openassistantgpt-chatbot-iframe');
        var buttonIframe = document.getElementById('openassistantgpt-chatbot-button-iframe');
 
        if (event.data === 'openChat') {
            if (iframe && buttonIframe) {
                // Forward the message to both iframes
                iframe.contentWindow.postMessage('openChat', '*');
                buttonIframe.contentWindow.postMessage('openChat', '*');
                
                // Make iframe visible and interactive
                iframe.style.pointerEvents = 'auto';
                iframe.style.display = 'block';
                
                // Responsive positioning
                if (window.innerWidth < 640) {
                    // Full screen on mobile
                    iframe.style.position = 'fixed';
                    iframe.style.width = '100%';
                    iframe.style.height = '100%';
                    iframe.style.top = '0';
                    iframe.style.left = '0';
                    iframe.style.zIndex = '9999';
                } else {
                    // Side panel on desktop
                    iframe.style.position = 'fixed';
                    iframe.style.width = '30rem';
                    iframe.style.height = '65vh';
                    iframe.style.bottom = '0';
                    iframe.style.right = '0';
                    iframe.style.top = '';
                    iframe.style.left = '';
                }
            }
        }
 
        if (event.data === 'closeChat') {
            if (iframe && buttonIframe) {
                // Hide and disable interaction
                iframe.style.display = 'none';
                iframe.style.pointerEvents = 'none';
                
                // Forward close message
                iframe.contentWindow.postMessage('closeChat', '*');
                buttonIframe.contentWindow.postMessage('closeChat', '*');
            }
        }
    });
}, []);

Implement timed popup messages to engage users:

function Chatbox() {
    const [isButtonVisible, setIsButtonVisible] = useState([false, false]);
    
    useEffect(() => {
        // Show the first popup after 3 seconds
        setTimeout(() => {
            setIsButtonVisible([true, false]);
        }, 3000);
 
        // Show the second popup after 5 seconds
        setTimeout(() => {
            setIsButtonVisible([true, true]);
        }, 5000);
    }, []);
    
    // Rest of the component...
}

Create the UI elements for your popups and chatbot:

return (
    <>
        {/* Popup messages */}
        <div className="hidden md:flex fixed bottom-24 right-4 flex-col items-end space-y-4 z-50">
            {isButtonVisible[0] && (
                <Button
                    variant="outline"
                    className="relative bg-white animate-slide-in-bottom"
                >
                    <Icons.bot className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />
                    <div
                        onClick={() => setIsButtonVisible([false, isButtonVisible[1]])}
                        className="bg-zinc-100 shadow hover:bg-zinc-200 border rounded absolute top-0 right-0 -mt-1 -mr-1"
                    >
                        <Icons.close className="h-3 w-3" />
                    </div>
                    Try me now!
                </Button>
            )}
            
            {isButtonVisible[1] && (
                <Button
                    variant="outline"
                    className="relative bg-white animate-slide-in-bottom"
                >
                    <Icons.help className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />
                    <div
                        onClick={() => setIsButtonVisible([isButtonVisible[0], false])}
                        className="bg-zinc-100 shadow hover:bg-zinc-200 border rounded absolute top-0 right-0 -mt-1 -mr-1"
                    >
                        <Icons.close className="h-3 w-3" />
                    </div>
                    Ask me anything about this app!
                </Button>
            )}
        </div>
        
        {/* Chatbot button iframe */}
        <iframe
            src="https://your-chatbot-service.com/embed/button?chatbox=false"
            scrolling='no'
            title='Chatbot Button'
            id="chatbot-button-iframe"
            className="fixed bottom-0 right-0 mb-4 z-50 flex items-end inline-block mr-4 w-14 h-14 border border-gray-300 rounded-full shadow-md"
        ></iframe>
        
        {/* Chatbot window iframe */}
        <iframe
            src="https://your-chatbot-service.com/embed/window?chatbox=false&withExitX=true"
            style={customStyle}
            allowFullScreen
            title='Chatbot Window'
            className='z-50'
            id="chatbot-iframe"
        ></iframe>
    </>
);

Step 6: Add Animation CSS

Make sure you have the necessary CSS animations defined in your stylesheet:

@keyframes slide-in-bottom {
  0% {
    transform: translateY(20px);
    opacity: 0;
  }
  100% {
    transform: translateY(0);
    opacity: 1;
  }
}
 
.animate-slide-in-bottom {
  animation: slide-in-bottom 0.5s ease-out;
}

Step 7: Implement Responsive Behavior

Ensure your chatbot works on all devices by adding responsive styles:

// Inside the message event handler
if (window.innerWidth < 640) {
    // Mobile fullscreen
    iframe.style.position = 'fixed';
    iframe.style.width = '100%';
    iframe.style.height = '100%';
    iframe.style.top = '0';
    iframe.style.left = '0';
    iframe.style.zIndex = '9999';
} else {
    // Desktop side panel
    iframe.style.position = 'fixed';
    iframe.style.width = '30rem';
    iframe.style.height = '65vh';
    iframe.style.bottom = '0';
    iframe.style.right = '0';
}

Adding URL Parameter Control

Enable or disable the chatbot based on URL parameters:

const params = useSearchParams();
 
if ((params.get('chatbox') || '').match('false')) {
    return <></>;  // Don't render if chatbox=false in URL
} else {
    // Render chatbot
}

Best Practices

Timing: Space out your popup messages to avoid overwhelming users
Dismissable: Always provide a way to dismiss popup messages
Responsive: Ensure your chatbot works on all screen sizes
Performance: Use Suspense for better loading performance
Accessibility: Add proper ARIA attributes for screen readers

HTML-Only Implementation

If you're not using React or Next.js, you can still implement a similar interactive chatbot using vanilla JavaScript:

Basic HTML Structure

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Interactive Chatbot</title>
  <style>
    /* Styles for chatbot elements */
    #chatbot-container {
      position: fixed;
      bottom: 0;
      right: 0;
      z-index: 1000;
    }
    
    #chatbot-window {
      display: none;
      margin-right: 1rem;
      margin-bottom: 6rem;
      position: fixed;
      right: 0;
      bottom: 0;
      pointer-events: none;
      overflow: hidden;
      height: 65vh;
      border: 2px solid #e2e8f0;
      border-radius: 0.375rem;
      box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1), 0 2px 4px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06);
      width: 30rem;
    }
    
    #chat-popups {
      position: fixed;
      bottom: 6rem;
      right: 1rem;
      display: flex;
      flex-direction: column;
      align-items: flex-end;
      gap: 0.5rem;
      z-index: 1001;
    }
    
    .popup-message {
      background: white;
      padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
      border-radius: 0.375rem;
      border: 1px solid #e2e8f0;
      box-shadow: 0 1px 3px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
      position: relative;
      animation: slideInBottom 0.5s ease-out;
    }
    
    .close-button {
      position: absolute;
      top: -5px;
      right: -5px;
      background: #f1f5f9;
      border: 1px solid #e2e8f0;
      border-radius: 50%;
      width: 18px;
      height: 18px;
      font-size: 10px;
      display: flex;
      align-items: center;
      justify-content: center;
      cursor: pointer;
    }
    
    #chatbot-button {
      position: fixed;
      bottom: 1rem;
      right: 1rem;
      width: 3.5rem;
      height: 3.5rem;
      border-radius: 50%;
      border: 1px solid #e2e8f0;
      background: white;
      box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
      cursor: pointer;
      z-index: 1000;
    }
    
    @keyframes slideInBottom {
      0% {
        transform: translateY(20px);
        opacity: 0;
      }
      100% {
        transform: translateY(0);
        opacity: 1;
      }
    }
    
    @media (max-width: 640px) {
      #chatbot-window.open {
        width: 100%;
        height: 100%;
        top: 0;
        left: 0;
        right: 0;
        bottom: 0;
      }
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Main website content -->
  <div id="main-content">
    <h1>My Website</h1>
    <!-- Your website content here -->
  </div>
  
  <!-- Chatbot elements -->
  <div id="chatbot-container">
    <!-- Popup messages -->
    <div id="chat-popups"></div>
    
    <!-- Chatbot button -->
    <button id="chatbot-button">
      <img src="/chat-icon.svg" alt="Chat" width="24" height="24">
    </button>
    
    <!-- Chatbot window -->
    <iframe 
      id="chatbot-window"
      src="https://your-chatbot-service.com/embed/window?chatbox=false&withExitX=true"
      frameborder="0"
      allowfullscreen
      title="Chatbot Window">
    </iframe>
  </div>
 
  <script>
    // JavaScript implementation will be added here
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Vanilla JavaScript Implementation

document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
  const chatbotButton = document.getElementById('chatbot-button');
  const chatbotWindow = document.getElementById('chatbot-window');
  const chatPopups = document.getElementById('chat-popups');
  
  // Show popup messages with a delay
  setTimeout(function() {
    addPopupMessage('Try me now!', 'bot-icon.svg');
  }, 3000);
  
  setTimeout(function() {
    addPopupMessage('Ask me anything about this app!', 'help-icon.svg');
  }, 5000);
  
  // Handle chatbot button click
  chatbotButton.addEventListener('click', function() {
    toggleChatWindow(true);
  });
  
  // Function to create popup messages
  function addPopupMessage(text, iconSrc) {
    const popup = document.createElement('div');
    popup.className = 'popup-message';
    
    const content = document.createElement('div');
    content.style.display = 'flex';
    content.style.alignItems = 'center';
    
    const icon = document.createElement('img');
    icon.src = iconSrc;
    icon.alt = '';
    icon.width = 16;
    icon.height = 16;
    icon.style.marginRight = '8px';
    
    const message = document.createTextNode(text);
    
    const closeBtn = document.createElement('div');
    closeBtn.className = 'close-button';
    closeBtn.innerHTML = '×';
    closeBtn.addEventListener('click', function(e) {
      e.stopPropagation();
      popup.remove();
    });
    
    content.appendChild(icon);
    content.appendChild(message);
    popup.appendChild(content);
    popup.appendChild(closeBtn);
    
    // Make the popup clickable to open chat
    popup.addEventListener('click', function() {
      toggleChatWindow(true);
    });
    
    chatPopups.appendChild(popup);
  }
  
  // Function to toggle chat window
  function toggleChatWindow(isOpen) {
    if (isOpen) {
      chatbotWindow.style.display = 'block';
      chatbotWindow.style.pointerEvents = 'auto';
      
      // Responsive behavior
      if (window.innerWidth < 640) {
        chatbotWindow.style.position = 'fixed';
        chatbotWindow.style.width = '100%';
        chatbotWindow.style.height = '100%';
        chatbotWindow.style.top = '0';
        chatbotWindow.style.left = '0';
        chatbotWindow.style.right = '0';
        chatbotWindow.style.bottom = '0';
        chatbotWindow.style.zIndex = '9999';
      } else {
        chatbotWindow.style.position = 'fixed';
        chatbotWindow.style.width = '30rem';
        chatbotWindow.style.height = '65vh';
        chatbotWindow.style.bottom = '0';
        chatbotWindow.style.right = '0';
      }
      
      // If using real iframes with postMessage
      if (chatbotWindow.contentWindow) {
        chatbotWindow.contentWindow.postMessage('openChat', '*');
      }
    } else {
      chatbotWindow.style.display = 'none';
      chatbotWindow.style.pointerEvents = 'none';
      
      // If using real iframes with postMessage
      if (chatbotWindow.contentWindow) {
        chatbotWindow.contentWindow.postMessage('closeChat', '*');
      }
    }
  }
  
  // Listen for messages from iframe (if applicable)
  window.addEventListener('message', function(event) {
    if (event.data === 'closeChat') {
      toggleChatWindow(false);
    }
  });
  
  // Listen for escape key to close chat
  document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {
    if (e.key === 'Escape' && chatbotWindow.style.display === 'block') {
      toggleChatWindow(false);
    }
  });
  
  // Handle window resize for responsive behavior
  window.addEventListener('resize', function() {
    if (chatbotWindow.style.display === 'block') {
      if (window.innerWidth < 640) {
        chatbotWindow.style.width = '100%';
        chatbotWindow.style.height = '100%';
        chatbotWindow.style.top = '0';
        chatbotWindow.style.left = '0';
      } else {
        chatbotWindow.style.width = '30rem';
        chatbotWindow.style.height = '65vh';
        chatbotWindow.style.top = '';
        chatbotWindow.style.left = '';
        chatbotWindow.style.right = '0';
        chatbotWindow.style.bottom = '0';
      }
    }
  });
});

Integrating with OpenAssistantGPT

If you're using OpenAssistantGPT for your chatbot, here's how to connect your interactive UI:

Get your chatbot embed code from the OpenAssistantGPT dashboard
Replace the iframe src URLs with your specific chatbot URLs:

<iframe
    src={`https://chatbots.openassistantgpt.io/embed/YOUR_CHATBOT_ID/button?chatbox=false`}
    scrolling='no'
    title='OpenAssistantGPT Button'
    id="openassistantgpt-chatbot-button-iframe"
    className="fixed bottom-0 right-0 mb-4 z-50 flex items-end inline-block mr-4 w-14 h-14 border border-gray-300 rounded-full shadow-md"
></iframe>
 
<iframe
    src={`https://chatbots.openassistantgpt.io/embed/YOUR_CHATBOT_ID/window?chatbox=false&withExitX=true`}
    style={customStyle}
    allowFullScreen
    title='OpenAssistantGPT Window'
    className='z-50'
    id="openassistantgpt-chatbot-iframe"
></iframe>

Ensure the message communication works with OpenAssistantGPT's expected format

Conclusion

By implementing these interactive features for your chatbot button, you can create a more engaging user experience that encourages visitors to interact with your chatbot. The timed popup messages serve as gentle reminders and prompts without being intrusive, and the responsive design ensures a good experience across all devices.

Remember to test your implementation thoroughly on different devices and browsers to ensure consistent behavior.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with your interactive chatbot implementation:

Iframe not showing: Ensure z-index values are high enough to display above other elements
Message communication fails: Verify the target origin in postMessage calls
Mobile display issues: Check responsive styling and test on multiple devices
Animations not working: Ensure your CSS animations are properly defined and supported

Remember that browser security policies may affect iframe communication, so ensure you're following best practices for cross-origin communication.

To further enhance your chatbot implementation, check out these related guides:

Build a GPT Chatbot for Your Website - Learn the fundamentals of creating your first GPT-powered chatbot.
How to Build a Smart Chatbot for Your Website - Advanced techniques for making your chatbot more intelligent.
How to Use Message Exports Correctly - Export and analyze conversations from your chatbot.

See all guides