If your website chat box looks like it could belong to anyone, you're missing a trick. People notice details, and the default style screams “off-the-shelf.” This guide is for anyone using Olark who wants their chat box to actually feel like part of their brand—not just an afterthought.

Let’s get your Olark chat box looking like it belongs.

Step 1: Know What You Can (and Can’t) Change

Before you start tweaking, you need to know what’s possible. Olark is flexible, but it’s not a blank canvas. Out of the box, you can adjust:

Colors (main, accent, button, text)
Chat box position (side, corner, mobile)
Greeting and button text
Agent avatar and company logo
Custom CSS for deeper changes

But you can’t completely redesign the UI or add wild animations unless you’re willing to hack things with heavy custom CSS (which is risky and unsupported). If you want a chat box that looks nothing like Olark’s, you’ll need a different tool.

For most brands, though, you can make Olark feel right at home.

Step 2: Start With the Built-In Appearance Settings

Olark’s dashboard is where the basics happen. No code needed here.

Log in to your Olark account.
Head to the Settings section, then look for Appearance or Chat Box Appearance (naming may vary).
Here’s what you can tweak:
- Theme color: Sets the main color. Match it to your brand’s primary color (use a hex code for precision).
- Button color: The color of the “Chat” or “Send” button.
- Text color: Make sure it contrasts with your background—good for accessibility.
- Chat box position: Left or right, bottom corner or edge. Pick what works for your site layout.
- Avatar and logo: Upload your team photo or company logo for a personal touch.
- Greeting/message text: Use your brand voice. “Got questions? Let’s chat!” beats “How can we assist you?”

Pro tip: Don’t overthink colors. Stick to your official palette. If your site is mostly white, don’t go wild with neon chat boxes—it’ll just look out of place.

Step 3: Customize With CSS (If You Need More)

The built-in options cover 90% of use cases, but maybe you want the chat box font to match your site, or the corners to be a little more rounded. That’s where custom CSS comes in.

How to add custom CSS in Olark:

In the Olark dashboard, go to Settings > Advanced > Custom CSS.
Paste your CSS code into the box.

Example: Change the font to match your brand

css .olark-form, .olark-message { font-family: 'YourBrandFont', Arial, sans-serif !important; }

Example: Make the chat box corners more rounded

css

olark-box {

border-radius: 16px !important;

}

What works: - Simple tweaks like fonts, border radius, or hiding Olark’s branding. - Minor layout fixes (e.g., making the chat box a tad wider on desktop).

What to avoid: - Trying to overhaul the whole chat UI. Olark updates can break your CSS hacks without warning. - Animations or major layout shifts—these can cause bugs, especially on mobile.

Heads-up: Always check your changes on mobile. Just because it looks good on your laptop doesn’t mean it’ll work on a phone.

Step 4: Change Text and Language to Match Your Brand Voice

People notice the little things—like whether your chat greeting sounds like a real person. Default text is bland, so make it yours.

Greeting text: “Hi there! Need help?” works for some brands, but don’t be afraid to show some personality or keep it simple.
Agent names and avatars: Use real names and photos if you can. Stock photos feel fake, and “Support Agent” is generic.
Away/offline messages: Set clear expectations. “We’ll reply as soon as we can!” is better than silence.

Olark lets you edit these in the Appearance or Behavior section of the dashboard. If you serve multiple languages, look for the language/localization settings.

Pro tip: Keep it short. Long greetings get ignored or clipped on mobile.

Step 5: Integrate Your Brand’s Assets

This goes beyond color. Make sure the chat box feels like it fits right in:

Logo: Upload your logo (square versions work best). Don’t use a tiny, illegible logo—clarity beats detail here.
Favicon: Some plans let you show your site’s favicon in the chat window or tab.
Custom icons (advanced): If you’re handy with CSS, you can sometimes swap out Olark’s default icons for your own SVGs, but this can be fiddly and may break with updates.

If your Olark plan supports it, upload high-res images. Blurry logos look sloppy.

Step 6: Test and Iterate—Don’t Go Live Blind

Once you’ve made your changes, actually use your chat box on your own site.

Open your site in a private/incognito window and see what new visitors see.
Test on mobile and desktop. Small screens reveal issues fast.
Check contrast and legibility. If you can’t read chat text quickly, fix it.
Ask a coworker or friend for honest feedback. “Does this chat box feel like us?”

Don’t be afraid to tweak again. Branding is about details, and small changes can help the chat box feel like a real part of your site.

What to Ignore (Seriously)

You don’t need to:

Match every micro-element of your brand guidelines. No one cares if the chat box border is exactly your secondary color.
Add fancy animations or pop-ups. They annoy more than they impress.
Obsess over pixel-perfect spacing. Most visitors just want help, not a design showcase.

Focus on looking polished, clear, and friendly.

Key Gotchas and Honest Limitations

You can’t move the chat box everywhere. It’s always going to be a floating box, not something you can embed in the page body.
Brand removal costs extra. To hide Olark’s branding, you’ll need a paid plan.
Custom CSS is fragile. Olark can and does change its markup. Don’t rely on custom tweaks staying perfect forever.
Accessibility is your responsibility. If your color choices make text hard to read, Olark won’t fix it for you.

Keep It Simple—And Iterate

Your chat box doesn’t need to win design awards. It just needs to feel like it belongs. Start with the built-in settings, add a little custom CSS if you must, and use your own voice for the greetings. Check it on mobile, then call it good. If you want to tweak later, you can—branding is a process, not a one-time job.

Now get back to building something your customers actually want to chat about.