You install WP Live Chat. You are logged in as admin. Chat widget says “Offline.” Visitors cannot chat. That is frustrating because you lose customers.
A common issue is that the plugin checks operator status via AJAX. Cache plugin may block AJAX. Or operator not marked online. The plugin is not broken. Status detection is failing.
Why WP Live Chat Shows Offline When You Are Online
WP Live Chat checks if any operator is logged in and marked as available. If you are logged in but not marked “available” in plugin settings, status shows offline. Also, AJAX request to check status may be cached or blocked.
This is not WP Live Chat being bad. Operator must mark themselves available.
The Most Common Offline Status Causes
- Operator not marked as “Available” in plugin settings
- Cache plugin caches “offline” status response
- AJAX URL blocked by security plugin
- Operator logged out or session expired
- Multiple operators, none available
Check operator availability first.
How to Fix WP Live Chat Offline Status
- Log into WordPress admin
- Go to WP Live Chat → Operators
- Set your status to “Available” (green dot)
- Enable “Auto-available when logged in” option
- Exclude AJAX URL from cache
- Clear all cache and test
Setting available status enables chat.
How to Exclude Chat AJAX from Cache
Add this to cache plugin settings:
WP Rocket: Never Cache URLs → /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
LiteSpeed: Do Not Cache URIs → admin-ajax.php
Cloudflare: Page Rule → Disable cache for /wp-admin/*
AJAX must never be cached.
Alternative: Use Facebook Messenger Chat (No Status Issues)
Switch to Facebook Messenger chat plugin. Always online (via Facebook). No status detection. No cache issues. Visitors always can message.
Facebook chat is more reliable.
People Also Ask About Live Chat Problems
Why does my chat widget show offline when I am online?
Operator not marked available. Set status to available.
Should I stop using WP Live Chat?
Mark yourself available. Chat will work.
Is WP Live Chat worse than Tidio for status detection?
Tidio has better status handling. Consider switching.
Final Thoughts
If WP Live Chat shows offline, mark yourself available in operator settings. Exclude AJAX from cache. Visitors will see online status and start chatting.