HivePress Listing Chat: Direct Messaging for Directory Sites
HivePress turns WordPress into a directory / marketplace / booking platform — a single plugin that handles listings, bookings, vendors, requests, reviews. Better Messages adds a modern real-time messenger that hooks into every HivePress surface: every listing item in a list, every listing page, every booking, and every vendor profile. If you are using HivePress's own Messages add-on, deactivate it after installing Better Messages to avoid a double-messenger conflict.
What Better Messages adds to HivePress
Once Better Messages is installed and the HivePress integration is enabled under Better Messages → Settings → Integrations → Directories:
- Send Message button on listing items in lists — start a thread from the archive grid without first opening the listing.
- Send Message button on the listing detail page.
- Send Message button on booking lists and booking pages — for HivePress sites with the Bookings add-on.
- Send Message button on vendor lists and vendor pages.
- Vendor avatars and links in the messenger come from HivePress vendor profiles.
On listing archive items
Customers do not have to open each listing to start a conversation — the Send Message button is on every archive item, inline with HivePress's native actions.
On vendor pages
Vendor profiles get a dedicated button so buyers can talk to a vendor about their full catalog rather than a specific listing.
On bookings
For HivePress sites running the Bookings add-on, every booking gets a Send Message button — both buyer and seller can message about a confirmed booking.
Video walkthrough
Installing Better Messages on a HivePress site
- Install Better Messages from WordPress.org and activate it.
- Make sure HivePress is active.
- Open WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → Integrations → Directories.
- Find HivePress Integration and toggle Enable Live Chat for Vendors.
Free vs WebSocket version for HivePress sites
| Feature | Free version | WebSocket version |
|---|---|---|
| Send Message buttons on listings, bookings, vendor pages | yes | yes |
| Vendor avatars and links from HivePress profiles | yes | yes |
| Listing info card inside threads | yes | yes |
| Real-time delivery | polling | instant |
| Mini-widget popup chat (buyer stays on the listing) | — | yes |
| One-on-one voice and video calls inside the thread | — | yes |
| Group voice and video calls (vendor teams) | — | yes |
| Web push notifications for new messages | — | yes |
| Read receipts | — | yes |
| End-to-end encryption (optional) | — | yes |
For HivePress sites running paid vendor subscriptions, the WebSocket version's mini-widget popup keeps buyers on the listing while they ask their question — they do not get redirected away from the page they were considering. Vendors with instant delivery and web push notice and reply in minutes, not hours.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work with HivePress's own Messages add-on?
Better Messages takes over the same surfaces. The HivePress Messages add-on can be left active or disabled — Better Messages does not require disabling it, but having only one messenger active is cleaner for visitors.
Does it work with HivePress Bookings?
Yes — the integration adds Send Message buttons on both booking lists and individual booking pages so the buyer and the vendor can message about a confirmed booking.
Does it work with HivePress Marketplace?
Yes — vendor pages get the Send Message button, listing pages get it, and conversations show the listing's image / title / price inside the thread context card.
Can listings be messaged anonymously?
Optional. With Guest Chat enabled, unregistered visitors can start a thread from a listing by typing a name and email.
Will it work with custom HivePress themes?
Most HivePress themes use the standard HivePress template hooks, so the buttons auto-render. For heavily customized themes, the integration's settings expose toggles per placement so you can disable auto-injection and place the button manually with a shortcode.
See also
- HivePress integration documentation — full setup reference
- Real-time messaging — what changes with the WebSocket version
- Guest access — for anonymous listing inquiries