Your webchat channel can now enforce sign-in using your institution's SSO. When enabled, visitors must authenticate with their university account before they can chat. This lets your agent know who it's talking to and share sensitive information safely.
Note: This feature requires constituent SSO to be configured on your account. If you haven't set up constituent SSO yet, contact your CollegeVine rep to enable it first.
When to use require sign-in
Enable require sign-in when:
You're sharing sensitive student information (financial aid details, verification status, account information, or other data marked as sensitive in your constituent SSO configuration).
You want to restrict webchat access to students within your institution.
You're running a service channel (IT support, advising, financial aid) where you need to verify the student's identity before providing help.
How to enable require sign-in
From your platform dashboard, go to Settings and select Webchat.
Click on the webchat channel you want to configure.
Go to the General tab.
Toggle Require sign-in on.
(Optional) In the Sign-in help text field, enter a message that appears below the sign-in button. This should tell students what to do if they can't authenticate. For example: "If you can't sign in, contact IT at [email protected]" or "Need help? Check our authentication guide." Markdown links are supported.
Click Save.
When a student opens your webchat for the first time, they'll see a sign-in screen. After they authenticate, the conversation begins and your agent knows their identity.
Set up multiple webchat channels with different rules
Since require sign-in is configured per-channel, you can create multiple webchat channels with different authentication requirements. For example:
Enable require sign-in on your IT support chat (for verified students only).
Leave it off on your recruitment chat (for prospective students).
This lets you use webchat for different purposes without forcing authentication on your public-facing channel.
FAQs
What happens to my existing webchat if I enable require sign-in?
Nothing changes until you toggle require sign-in on. Existing conversations continue as normal. Once you enable it, the sign-in requirement applies only to new conversations starting after that moment.
Do I need constituent SSO to use this feature?
Yes. Require sign-in uses your institution's SSO to verify student identity. If you haven't configured constituent SSO on your account, contact your CollegeVine rep to set it up first. See the SSO guide for more details.
Can I use intake forms with require sign-in?
No. When require sign-in is enabled on a webchat channel, the channel cannot also have an intake form. If you have an intake form configured, you'll need to disable it before enabling require sign-in. The two authentication methods are mutually exclusive.
What happens if a student can't sign in?
If a student fails authentication, they won't be able to access the chat. The agent also won't share sensitive information with users who haven't authenticated. The sign-in help text you provide is their guide for what to do next (contact IT, check a knowledge base, etc.).
Can I customize the sign-in experience beyond the help text?
Not currently. The sign-in screen and button are standardized. Your main customization option is the help text that appears if students need support.