Setup
How to set up website widget for simplepractice website c…
How to set up website widget for simplepractice website chat companion — answered from your own docs. How Mental Health Services teams use Chatref (website widg
You embed the Chatref widget on your SimplePractice website by pasting one snippet into your site's custom HTML area. Once placed, the widget answers routine patient questions from your practice's own details and can capture lead information right in the chat—no coding, per-bot fees, or monthly commitments.
Before you start
You need an active Chatref account and a trained agent. Log into your account, upload your practice details (services, hours, accepted plans, scheduling steps), and verify that the agent answers test questions correctly in the playground. The agent must be trained before the widget goes live; an untrained agent returns generic responses that won't help patients.
Confirm that your SimplePractice website plan supports custom HTML. SimplePractice typically lets you add code through a custom code block or a site-wide header/footer injection. If you're unsure, check with SimplePractice support or your website administrator.
Step-by-step setup
1. Get the widget snippet from Chatref
Inside your Chatref dashboard, open the agent you want to deploy. Click Widget in the left menu. You'll see a code snippet—a single <script> tag. Copy the entire snippet.
The snippet is unique to your agent and includes your tenant identifier. It loads the widget asynchronously, so it won't slow down your SimplePractice site.
2. Add the snippet to your SimplePractice website
Log into your SimplePractice account and navigate to the website editor. Look for a section labeled "Custom Code", "Header/Footer Scripts", or a similar name. Paste the snippet just before the closing </body> tag.
If your SimplePractice site uses a page builder, add a custom HTML block to the footer area of the template that controls every page. Placing the widget in the site-wide footer ensures it appears on all public-facing pages where patients commonly land—your home page, services list, and contact section.
Note: Some SimplePractice website plans restrict custom scripts to specific zones. If your plan doesn't allow footer injection, use the "Custom Code" block on the home page only. The widget will then appear only on that page, which still covers most visitor questions.
3. Configure the widget in Chatref
Return to the Widget settings in Chatref. Enable Lead Capture if you want the agent to ask for a visitor's name, email, or phone—useful for new patient inquiries. You can customize the greeting message ("Hi! Ask me anything about our services or scheduling") and the widget's primary color to match your practice branding.
Set the origin allowlist to your SimplePractice domain (e.g., yourpractice.simplepractice.com). This stops the widget from loading on other sites and protects against unauthorized usage. Enter the full domain without https:// or a trailing slash.
Save your changes. The widget updates instantly; no need to re-paste the snippet.
Check it works
Open your SimplePractice website in a new browser tab (an incognito window is best to avoid caching issues). The Chatref widget should appear as a chat bubble in the bottom-right corner. Click it and type a common patient question—one about scheduling, insurance, or hours. Confirm the agent replies accurately from your uploaded practice details.
Test lead capture by triggering a question that asks for contact info, such as "I'm a new patient, how do I book?" The agent should prompt for details according to your lead capture settings. Check your Chatref inbox to ensure the captured lead appears with the visitor's questions.
If the widget doesn't show, see the troubleshooting steps below.
Common issues
Widget not appearing on the site
Verify the snippet is placed before the closing </body> tag, not inside a <head> element. Clear your browser cache or try a private window. Also confirm your origin allowlist in Chatref matches the exact domain you're testing (including any subdomain). A mismatch—even www.yourpractice.simplepractice.com vs yourpractice.simplepractice.com—blocks the widget.
Chat widget shows but answers feel generic Your agent's training documents might be incomplete. Go back to the agent's Training tab and add more practice-specific content: a PDF of your intake forms, a plain-text document detailing your scheduling process, or a URL to your insurance page. Re-test in the playground; the widget pulls from the same source the moment you retrain.
Lead capture isn't working In the Widget settings, confirm the lead capture toggle is on. If it's on but visitors still don't see the prompt, the agent may need a clear trigger word like "new patient" or "book an appointment" to activate the lead capture flow. You can adjust the agent's behavior prompt (in the Agent settings) to proactively ask for contact details on new patient queries.
The widget slows down your SimplePractice page The Chatref snippet loads asynchronously, so it rarely causes performance issues. If you notice a lag, check that you haven't placed multiple snippets from different agents on the same page. One snippet calls one agent at a time.
FAQ
What causes simplepractice website chat companion problems for Mental Health Services?
Most problems stem from incomplete agent training or a domain mismatch. If the agent only sees a sparse page about your services, it can't answer scheduling, insurance, or refill questions accurately. Also, if your SimplePractice domain changes after setup (e.g., you switch to a custom domain), the allowlist blocks the widget until you update it.
How do I improve simplepractice website chat companion for Mental Health Services?
Upload detailed practice documents: intake procedures, accepted insurance lists, fee structures, and common FAQ answers. Keep these documents updated whenever your practice policies change. Also, review the Chatref insights panel regularly to see which questions the agent couldn't answer well, and add that missing content to the training set.
Related guides
Put this into practice
Chatref answers your customers from your own content, day and night. Add it to your site and go live in minutes – free to start.