Installing the text widget on your website
One script tag adds a Text Us button, alert subscriptions, and quick keywords.
Updated
The HelloCivic Text widget is a small floating button on your website. Residents click it to see your texting number, subscribe to alert topics, or open their SMS app with a prefilled keyword — no app download required.
Get the embed code
- Open HelloCivic Text → Installation.
- Copy the
<script>snippet shown in the Website widget card. - Paste it just before
</body>on every page where you want the widget (usually your global site template or footer include).
The snippet includes your workspace's embed token — don't share it publicly outside your site.
Configure the widget
Open HelloCivic Text → Settings → Website widget to customize:
- Title and intro — headline and short description in the panel.
- Button label — text on the floating launcher (default: "Text us").
- Position — bottom-left or bottom-right.
- Theme color — matches your brand hex color.
- Quick actions — which keyword buttons appear (ALERTS, TRASH, REPORT, etc.).
- Allowed domains — restrict which hostnames can load the widget (recommended for production).
What residents see
- Text us — your active civic number + an
sms:link with your default keyword. - Get alerts — phone number field, topic checkboxes, and a required consent checkbox.
- Quick actions — one-tap shortcuts to open Messages with common keywords.
- Ask a question / Report an issue — open SMS with prefilled text (staff handles replies in the inbox; AI answers coming in a later phase).
Live preview
On the Installation page, click Live preview to inject the widget into your current browser session without publishing to your public site.
Verify it's working
After embedding, visit your site and look for the launcher in the configured corner. Open the panel, confirm your number appears, and try the subscribe flow with your own phone.
Troubleshooting
- Widget doesn't appear — check allowed domains, confirm the embed token is correct, and hard-refresh.
- No phone number shown — your workspace needs an ACTIVE assigned number.
- Subscribe fails — topic may be inactive, or platform ops may have paused widget subscriptions temporarily.
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