readme.txt

=== Social Chat Buttons ===
Contributors: hassantafreshi,whitestudio,presskopp,tobifjellner,psmits1567,fakhriaz,fxbenard,emre
Tags: social, chat, whatsapp, telegram, customer service, floating button, speed dial, direct icons, social media widget, live chat, contact button
Stable tag: 1.0.3
Requires at least: 5.0
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

A comprehensive and free social media chat widget for WordPress with multi-network support.

== Description ==

**Social Chat Buttons** is a **100% FREE** WordPress plugin that adds a beautiful floating chat widget to your website. Connect with your visitors through multiple social media platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8q6eLdVoM8]

**[Live Demo](https://whitestudio.team/)** | **[Documentation](https://github.com/hassantafreshi/social-chat-buttons)** | **[Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/social-chat-buttons/)**

### 🌟 **Key Features (All FREE!)**

**💬 Multi-Network Support**
* WhatsApp Business & Personal
* Telegram
* Signal
* Instagram Direct
* Facebook Messenger
* Twitter/X DM
* LinkedIn Messages
* Viber
* Discord

**🎨 Beautiful & Customizable Design**
* Modern floating chat button
* Customizable colors and sizes
* Icon, text, or custom image modes
* **Icon Picker** with WordPress Dashicons, Bootstrap Icons, and custom SVG upload
* **Adjustable border radius** — from square corners to fully rounded buttons
* Gradient header backgrounds
* Responsive design for all devices
* Auto dark mode (8 PM - 7 AM, based on visitor's local time)

**🚀 Two Display Modes**
* **Popup Mode** — Classic chat popup window with contact list, header, and business hours
* **Direct Icons (Speed Dial) Mode** — Social icons fan out from the floating button with cascading animation
* **Hover tooltips** in direct mode — contact name appears next to each icon
* RTL and LTR aware tooltip positioning
* Click outside to close — intuitive user experience

**⚡ Advanced Features**
* **Smart availability scheduling** - Set different hours for each contact
* **Live preview** in admin panel
* **Auto-save settings** as you type
* **Message templates** for each contact
* **Photo avatars** with media library integration
* **Mobile-friendly** or hide on mobile option
* **Position control** (left/right)
* **Responsive scaling**

**🔧 Easy Management**
* Intuitive admin interface
* Drag & drop contact management
* Bulk operations support
* Real-time settings preview
* One-click contact addition

**🌍 Localization Ready**
* Full internationalization support
* WordPress translation ready
* RTL support

**🔒 Secure & Optimized**
* WordPress coding standards compliant
* Nonce security verification
* Data sanitization & validation
* Lightweight and fast loading
* Clean uninstall option
* GDPR compliant - no personal data collection

### 💎 **Why Choose Social Chat Buttons?**

✅ **Completely FREE** - No premium version, no hidden costs
✅ **Professional Design** - Modern UI with smooth animations
✅ **Two Display Modes** - Popup window or direct speed-dial social icons
✅ **Icon Picker** - Dashicons, Bootstrap Icons, or custom SVG
✅ **Developer Friendly** - Clean code following WordPress standards
✅ **Regular Updates** - Actively maintained and improved
✅ **Community Support** -  Support through WordPress forums

### 🚀 **Perfect For:**
* E-commerce stores
* Business websites
* Personal blogs
* Service providers
* Customer support teams
* Multi-language sites

**[Live Demo](https://whitestudio.team/)**
**[Documentation](https://github.com/hassantafreshi/social-chat-buttons)**
**[Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/social-chat-buttons/)**

== Installation ==

### Automatic Installation
1. Go to your WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to **Plugins > Add New**
3. Search for "Social Chat Buttons"
4. Click **Install Now** and then **Activate**

### Manual Installation
1. Download the plugin from WordPress.org
2. Upload the plugin files to `/wp-content/plugins/social-chat-buttons/`
3. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress

### Setup
1. After activation, go to **Social Chat Buttons** in your admin menu
2. Click **Panel** to add your social media contacts
3. Configure appearance in **Settings**
4. Your chat widget will appear on your website!

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Is this plugin completely free? =
**Yes!** Social Chat Buttons is 100% free with all features included. There's no premium version or hidden costs.


= Can I schedule availability hours? =
Yes! You can set different availability schedules for each contact. Define working hours for each day of the week with multiple time slots support.

= Is it mobile-friendly? =
Yes! The widget is fully responsive and works perfectly on all devices. You can also choose to hide it on mobile if needed.

= Can I customize the appearance? =
Absolutely! Customize colors, sizes, border radius, position, button mode (icon/text/image), and much more through the intuitive settings panel. You can also choose from WordPress Dashicons, Bootstrap Icons, or upload a custom SVG for the button icon.

= What is Direct Icons mode? =
Direct Icons (speed dial) mode shows your social media icons fanning out directly from the floating button — no popup window needed. Each icon links directly to the chat platform. Hovering shows the contact name in a beautiful tooltip. It's perfect for quick access to your communication channels.

= Does it support RTL languages? =
Yes! The plugin is fully RTL-compatible. Tooltips and icon positions automatically adapt based on your widget placement (left or right side) and text direction.

= Does it work with caching plugins? =
Yes! The plugin is optimized to work with all major caching plugins including WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache.

= Is it translation ready? =
Yes! The plugin is fully internationalized. You can easily translate it to any language.

= How many contacts can I add? =
Unlimited! Add as many social media contacts as you need for different departments or purposes.

= Does it slow down my website? =
No! The plugin is lightweight and optimized for performance. It loads minimal resources and won't affect your site speed.

== Screenshots ==

1. **Admin Panel** - Easy contact management with modern interface
2. **Settings Page** - Comprehensive customization options with live preview
3. **Frontend Widget** - Beautiful floating chat button on your website


== Changelog ==

= 1.0.3 =

* Minor bug fixes and performance improvements

= 1.0.2 =

* Minor bug fixes and performance improvements
* Update readme


= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release
* Multi-network social media support
* Admin panel with contact management
* Security features with nonce verification

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.1 =
* Fixed broken Plugin Support Page link in the Support section

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release


== Support ==

Need help? We provide free community support through:

* **WordPress Support Forums**: [Plugin Support Page](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/social-chat-buttons/)
* **Documentation**: Comprehensive guides and tutorials
* **GitHub Issues**: For developers and advanced users

== Contributing ==

Social Chat Buttons is under GPLv2! Contribute on [GitHub](https://github.com/hassantafreshi/social-chat-buttons)

== External Services ==

This plugin creates direct links to third-party social media and messaging platforms when users click on chat buttons. **The plugin itself does not send any data to these services** - it simply generates URLs that users can choose to visit.

When a visitor clicks on a chat button, they will be redirected to the respective external service based on the contact information you've configured. This happens client-side in the user's browser.

**Services Used:**

The plugin generates links to the following third-party services (based on which platforms you choose to enable):

* **Pinterest** - For Pinterest messaging functionality
  - URL format: `https://pinterest.com/send/{username}/`
  - Data sent: Pinterest username (configured by site admin)
  - When: Only when user clicks the Pinterest chat button
  - Privacy Policy: https://policy.pinterest.com/privacy-policy
  - Terms of Service: https://policy.pinterest.com/terms-of-service

* **Microsoft Teams** - For Microsoft Teams chat functionality
  - URL format: `https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users={email}`
  - Data sent: Email address or Teams ID (configured by site admin)
  - When: Only when user clicks the Teams chat button
  - Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement
  - Terms of Service: https://www.microsoft.com/servicesagreement

* **Other Platforms** - The plugin also creates links to these services (only if you configure them):
  - WhatsApp (https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy)
  - Telegram (https://telegram.org/privacy)
  - Facebook Messenger (https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/)
  - Instagram (https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/)
  - Signal (https://signal.org/legal/)
  - Discord (https://discord.com/privacy)
  - Viber (https://www.viber.com/terms/viber-privacy-policy/)
  - Twitter/X (https://twitter.com/privacy)
  - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy)
  - Snapchat (https://values.snap.com/privacy/privacy-policy)
  - KakaoTalk (https://www.kakao.com/policy/privacy)
  - Threads (https://help.instagram.com/515230437301944)
  - Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/policies/privacy-policy)
  - VK (https://vk.com/privacy)

**Important Notes:**

1. **No automatic data transmission**: This plugin does not automatically send any data to these services. Links are only activated when users voluntarily click on them.

2. **You control what's shared**: As the site administrator, you configure which platforms to use and what contact information (username, phone number, email) to include in the links.

3. **User consent**: When users click a chat button, they are consciously choosing to open that platform and are subject to that platform's privacy policy and terms of service.

4. **Local storage only**: All plugin settings and contact information are stored only in your WordPress database. Nothing is transmitted to external servers except when users click the chat buttons.

== Privacy Policy ==

This plugin does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data from your website visitors. All contact information is stored locally in your WordPress database and never shared with third parties by the plugin itself.

**GDPR Compliance:**

This plugin is fully GDPR compliant:

* **No cookies**: The plugin does not set any cookies or use browser storage to track users
* **No personal data collection**: We don't collect, process, or store any personal information from your visitors
* **No tracking**: No analytics, tracking pixels, or third-party scripts are loaded by this plugin
* **Local data only**: All settings and configurations are stored locally in your WordPress database
* **User control**: Visitors have full control - they choose whether to click chat buttons and share information with external platforms
* **Transparent**: All external service connections are documented above and happen only with explicit user action
* **Right to erasure**: Uninstalling the plugin removes all data from your database (if clean uninstall option is enabled)

When visitors click on chat buttons, they are redirected to the respective social media platforms based on your configured contact information. Any data sharing at that point is governed by the privacy policies of those external platforms, and users are making an informed choice to use those services.

== Credits ==

* Developed with ❤️ by Hassan Tafreshi
* Translated into multiple languages by our amazing community: German by [Presskopp](https://profiles.wordpress.org/presskopp/), Swedish by [Tor-Bjorn Fjellner](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tobifjellner/), Dutch by [Peter Smits](https://profiles.wordpress.org/psmits1567/), Arabic and Franch by [Fakhri Azzouz](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fakhriaz/), French reviewed and approved by [FX Bénard](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fxbenard/), Turkish by [Emre Erkan](https://profiles.wordpress.org/emre/), Persian by [Hassan Tafreshi](https://profiles.wordpress.org/hassantafreshi/)
* Community feedback and suggestions
* WordPress community support

**⭐ Love this plugin? Please leave a 5-star review! It helps us continue developing tools for the WordPress community.**