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Intercom’s Spotlight Messenger is configured from Settings > Channels > Messenger > Spotlight (some workspaces show Settings > Messenger > Spotlight). The exact title matches Intercom’s official Spotlight guide by Beth-Ann Sher, dated July 29, 2026. Spotlight is a sales-oriented Messenger experience that can replace the standard Widget Messenger for a defined audience. This guide walks through audience rules, branding, appearance, Smart Suggestions, security, installation, publishing, and the practical differences between Spotlight and Widget Messenger.
What Spotlight Messenger is—and when to use it
Spotlight is an Intercom Messenger experience associated primarily with Fin for Sales. Instead of showing the full Widget Messenger to everyone, you can target Spotlight to visitors who meet rules such as a URL condition, visitor status, lead or user role, custom attributes, or another supported condition. For those matching visitors, Spotlight replaces Widget Messenger.
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That replacement is audience-specific, not necessarily workspace-wide. You can leave the standard Widget experience in place for visitors who do not match the Spotlight rules. This makes Spotlight useful when the sales experience belongs on selected journeys rather than on every page of a site.
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Intercom positions Spotlight for sales engagement: a visitor sees a floating Spotlight entry bar, Fin can start a proactive conversation when outbound triggers are configured, and Fin can qualify the visitor through the relevant playbook. A qualified visitor can be routed to sales or offered a meeting. Spotlight can also be used with Fin for Service, but Intercom recommends Widget Messenger as the primary service experience.
Typical examples include a pricing page, a product page with strong buying intent, or a page where a visitor’s role or account attributes indicate that a sales conversation is appropriate. Those are targeting examples, not requirements. The right audience depends on your routing rules, sales coverage, and the pages where an immediate conversation is helpful.
Spotlight Messenger vs. Widget Messenger
| Decision point | Spotlight Messenger | Widget Messenger |
|---|---|---|
| Primary role | Sales engagement and qualification | Intercom’s recommended primary experience for service |
| Audience behavior | Can replace Widget Messenger for visitors who match your rules | Standard Messenger experience for visitors who are not assigned Spotlight |
| Entry experience | Floating Spotlight entry bar | Standard Widget Messenger entry point |
| Available spaces | Does not include Home Screen, Tasks, News, or Help Space | Includes the broader Widget Messenger spaces |
| Conversation navigation | Uses a conversation switcher instead of the Widget message-list screen | Uses the Widget’s message-list experience |
| Sales flow | Designed for proactive engagement, qualification, routing, and meeting offers | General-purpose Messenger flow |
| Service capability | Can work with Fin for Service, despite its sales focus | Recommended default for service teams |
| Conversation context | Shows online status, identifies when a teammate joins, and displays a privacy policy below the text bar before a conversation starts | Uses the broader Widget presentation and its own notice and expectation controls |
Spotlight is therefore not a universal replacement for Widget Messenger. Use its audience rules when a focused sales experience is useful on selected pages or for selected visitors; keep Widget Messenger for the broader service journey. Spotlight does not provide the Widget’s Home Screen, Tasks, News, or Help Space. Fin or an agent can still send help articles inside a conversation, so omitting Help Space does not prevent article sharing after a conversation begins.
Cost, access, and preconfiguration requirements
Messenger requires an Intercom trial or subscription. The setup guidance does not describe a separate Spotlight purchase or provide a plan price, so confirm the Messenger capabilities included in your Intercom plan rather than budgeting for a standalone chat product.
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- For web use, Messenger must already be installed on the site where Spotlight will appear.
- Decide which domains are allowed to load Messenger and whether identity verification is required before deployment.
- If your workspace has multiple brands, identify the brand whose Messenger you are changing.
- Know which audience rules you intend to test: URLs, visitor or lead status, user status, custom attributes, or other available conditions.
- If you plan to use system-based light and dark behavior, arrange access to the JavaScript SDK and the page code where Messenger is booted or updated.
These checks prevent common false negatives. A correctly configured audience will still show no Spotlight if Messenger is not installed, if the test domain is not trusted, or if the person testing does not have the role or attribute required by the rule.
How to configure Spotlight Messenger
1. Open the Spotlight settings
- Sign in to Intercom.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Channels > Messenger > Spotlight. Some Intercom workspaces display the shorter path Settings > Messenger > Spotlight.
- If the labels differ, open the Messenger settings area and select Spotlight. Both documented paths lead to the same Spotlight configuration area.
Navigation labels can vary between workspace versions. Search within the settings area for Messenger or Spotlight instead of assuming that a missing “Channels” label means the feature is unavailable.
2. Define who should see Spotlight
In the audience section, choose Specific audience when Spotlight should appear only for selected visitors. Build rules using the conditions available in your workspace, including:
- URL conditions, such as selected product, pricing, or other high-intent pages;
- user role, including visitor, lead, or user;
- custom attributes; and
- other rule-based conditions offered by Intercom.
Visitors who satisfy the rules see the Spotlight experience instead of Widget Messenger. Visitors outside the rules are not part of that Spotlight audience. Test each URL and attribute rule with a realistic visitor state so a sales conversation does not appear on pages or accounts where it is inappropriate.
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Document the intended audience before adding conditions. For example, decide whether the rule is page-based, account-based, or a combination. Check the exact URL form that visitors use, including any path differences represented in your workspace. Then test at least one matching and one nonmatching case. Testing only as an administrator can be misleading if the rule depends on being a visitor, lead, or user.
Audience targeting is also the main way to coordinate Spotlight with Widget Messenger. Assign Spotlight to a focused sales segment and leave the remaining traffic on Widget Messenger. If the targeting logic is too broad, service visitors may receive a sales-oriented entry experience; if it is too narrow, qualified prospects may never see the intended route.
3. Select the Messenger brand
Workspaces that support multiple brands show a brand selector. Choose the correct brand before changing appearance settings. Brand selection determines which Messenger identity and styling the Spotlight configuration belongs to.
Verify the selected brand in the preview and again before saving. A technically correct color or spacing change can still be wrong if it was applied to another brand’s Messenger.
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Open Appearance and configure the visual treatment:
- Composer theme: choose a light or dark composer.
- Primary brand color: enter the color as a hexadecimal value.
- Composer stroke: optionally add a visible stroke around the composer.
- Bottom spacing: set the distance from the bottom edge in pixels.
A composer stroke requires a primary color. If no primary color is configured, Intercom displays a neutral shadow instead of a brand-colored stroke. That behavior is easy to mistake for a broken stroke setting, so set and verify the primary color first.
Bottom spacing is measured in pixels. Use it to keep the floating entry bar and composer clear of fixed navigation, cookie controls, or other elements at the bottom of your site. Inspect both desktop and narrow browser widths in the live preview; the setting remains a pixel value, so the surrounding page layout still matters.
Use the live preview to inspect the entry bar, composer contrast, spacing, and color before publishing. Previewing also gives the brand and sales teams a chance to check that the focused Spotlight presentation looks intentional rather than like an accidental replacement of the standard Widget.
5. Use the JavaScript SDK for a system theme
Spotlight’s Messenger settings do not offer a system theme choice. Intercom documents theme_mode in the JavaScript SDK with three values: light, dark, and system. The system value follows the visitor’s operating-system color scheme.
Set the value at runtime with the SDK’s boot or update call. Intercom’s documented example also enables a composer stroke and supplies a stroke color:
Intercom('update', {
theme_mode: 'system',
composer_stroke: true,
glow_color: '#5C2D91'
});Use the SDK approach when the interface must react to a visitor’s OS preference rather than use one fixed light or dark setting from Messenger configuration. Developers can also set the composer stroke and its color at runtime.
The dashboard and SDK solve different needs: use Messenger settings for the fixed light or dark choice, and use the SDK when the page must follow the operating system. After adding the code, test both an operating system configured for light mode and one configured for dark mode. Confirm that the SDK call executes on the same pages where Messenger is installed and that a later update does not overwrite the desired value.
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Spotlight settings include Smart Suggestions, documented by Intercom as a beta feature. Enable it and enter a website URL. Intercom can generate up to 20 suggestions from that site; three appear at a time and rotate across sessions.
Smart Suggestions are not manually authored in the current documented workflow. Individual suggestions can be deleted, and the complete set can be regenerated. The controls therefore support curation by removal and regeneration, not direct editing of wording or manual addition of a new suggestion.
Review the generated set before relying on it in a sales flow. Because the suggestions are generated from the URL and only three are visible at once, the page you provide and the rotation behavior affect what different visitors see. Because the feature is labeled beta, its controls and behavior may change as Intercom updates it.
7. Preview, secure, install, and publish
- Review the live preview for the selected brand, audience, colors, spacing, and composer theme.
- Confirm that your intended domains are listed as trusted domains.
- Review identity-verification settings before deployment if your site uses authenticated users or sensitive account data.
- Make sure Messenger is installed on the web property where Spotlight should load.
- Click Save and set live.
Intercom’s security guidance warns that leaving the trusted-domains field blank allows Messenger to be added to any domain. Enter the domains that should be allowed and verify the identity configuration before making the experience live.
Publishing is not a substitute for testing. Open a matching page in a realistic visitor, lead, or user state and confirm the Spotlight entry bar appears. Then test a nonmatching state and verify that the expected Widget behavior remains. If identity verification is part of the deployment, validate the authenticated and unauthenticated cases separately.
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What visitors experience after publishing
A visitor who matches the Spotlight audience sees the floating Spotlight entry bar. If outbound triggers are configured, Fin may start the conversation proactively. Fin then follows the configured playbook to qualify the visitor. Depending on the result, the visitor can be routed to sales or offered a meeting.
When direct booking is enabled, Intercom uses its native Calendly booking experience. Intercom says other booking platforms are coming soon but does not provide a release date, so do not treat additional booking integrations as currently available or promise a delivery date.
Spotlight changes more than the entry button. It omits the Widget Messenger’s Home Screen, Tasks, News, and Help Space. Fin or an agent can still send help articles inside a conversation. Spotlight also replaces the Widget message-list screen with a conversation switcher, removes Special Notice and expectation settings, informs users when a teammate joins, displays online status, and places a privacy policy below the text bar before a conversation begins.
Voice dictation requires no separate setup and is available wherever Spotlight is available. Technical users may also encounter code displayed in a scrollable block with syntax highlighting, line numbers, a copy control, and full-screen viewing. Those presentation details do not require a separate configuration step.
Choosing the right experience for each audience
Choose Spotlight when
- You want sales-focused engagement on pricing, product, or other high-intent pages.
- You need rules based on URLs, roles, custom attributes, or visitor data.
- You want Fin to qualify visitors and route qualified prospects to sales.
- You prefer a focused entry bar and conversation-switcher experience rather than the full Widget navigation.
- You can support the resulting conversations with an appropriate sales playbook and meeting route.
Choose Widget Messenger when
- Your primary goal is customer service rather than sales qualification.
- Visitors need Home Screen, Tasks, News, or Help Space.
- You want the broader standard Messenger experience for a general audience.
- You rely on the Widget’s message-list navigation and its broader service-oriented presentation.
Use both through audience rules
Spotlight and Widget Messenger can serve different visitor groups when Spotlight is assigned to a specific audience. Configure precise rules for the pages, roles, and attributes that warrant the sales experience, then leave the remaining audience on the standard Widget journey. This approach preserves a general service path while giving high-intent visitors a shorter route to qualification and sales.
Security and deployment checklist
Security settings should be treated as part of the Spotlight configuration, not as an optional cleanup step. The explicit Intercom warning is that a blank trusted-domains field permits Messenger to be added to any domain. Enter only the domains intended to host the Messenger.
- List every production domain that should load Spotlight, and avoid leaving the trusted-domains field empty.
- Review identity verification when visitors are authenticated or when conversations may expose account-specific information.
- Install Messenger on each intended web property and confirm that test traffic is reaching the installed code.
- Test audience rules with the same role and attribute combinations used in production.
- Check the selected brand before saving in a multi-brand workspace.
- Preview the visual treatment and spacing before clicking Save and set live.
These steps reduce two opposite risks: an intended prospect not seeing Spotlight, and an unintended domain or audience receiving it.
Troubleshooting common configuration problems
Spotlight does not appear
- Confirm that the visitor satisfies every audience rule, including the exact URL and role or attribute values.
- Check that the correct Messenger brand is selected in a multi-brand workspace.
- Verify that Messenger is installed on the domain being tested.
- Confirm that the domain is permitted by trusted-domain settings.
- Use a fresh session or an account state that matches the rule; testing as an administrator may not reproduce a visitor or lead condition.
- Confirm that the configuration was saved with Save and set live, rather than only previewed.
The wrong visitors see Spotlight
Review every audience condition and test a visitor outside the intended segment. A broad URL rule or a custom attribute applied more widely than expected can replace Widget Messenger for more people than planned. Narrow the rule to the pages, roles, or attributes that actually require the sales experience.
The composer stroke looks neutral
Set a primary brand color. Intercom documents the neutral shadow behavior when a stroke is enabled without a primary color. If the color is present, recheck the selected brand and the live preview.
The interface does not follow the operating-system theme
The dashboard’s Spotlight settings support light and dark, not system. Set theme_mode: 'system' through the JavaScript SDK’s boot or update call and confirm that the SDK code runs after the Messenger installation is available. Test both operating-system modes.
Smart Suggestions are not what you expected
Smart Suggestions are beta-generated from the URL you provide. Only three of a set of up to 20 are shown at once, and they rotate across sessions. You can delete individual results or regenerate the full set, but the documented workflow does not provide manual creation or editing.
A visitor can load Messenger on an unintended site
Review trusted domains immediately. Intercom warns that a blank trusted-domains field permits Messenger to be added to any domain. Add only the domains that should host the experience and review identity verification.
The team expects Widget spaces that are not present
Spotlight intentionally omits Home Screen, Tasks, News, and Help Space and uses a conversation switcher instead of the Widget message-list screen. If those spaces are essential to the service journey, use Widget Messenger for that audience.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
Is Spotlight a separate chat product from Intercom Messenger?
No. Spotlight is an Intercom Messenger experience configured within Messenger settings. Its audience, entry bar, navigation, and sales-oriented behavior distinguish it from the standard Widget presentation.
Can Spotlight replace Widget Messenger for everyone?
Spotlight is assigned through audience rules. It replaces Widget Messenger for visitors who match the selected audience, rather than automatically changing every visitor’s experience.
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Yes. Intercom documents Spotlight as usable with Fin for Service, although Intercom recommends Widget Messenger as the primary service experience.
What account access is needed to publish?
You need an Intercom trial or subscription, and the administrator must grant Can access Messenger settings. Web deployment also requires Messenger to be installed on the intended site.
Where do I configure Spotlight Messenger?
Open Settings > Channels > Messenger > Spotlight. Some workspaces show Settings > Messenger > Spotlight. If the labels differ, locate Messenger settings and select Spotlight.
What audience conditions can I use?
Intercom documents URL conditions, visitor, lead, and user roles, custom attributes, and other rule-based conditions available in the workspace. Use Specific audience when Spotlight should appear only for matching visitors.
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No. The dashboard offers light and dark. A system-following theme requires the JavaScript SDK with theme_mode set to system through boot or update.
Why is my composer stroke not using the brand color?
A stroke requires a primary color. Without one, Intercom displays a neutral shadow. Enter a hexadecimal primary brand color and check the live preview.
How many Smart Suggestions can Intercom generate?
Intercom documents up to 20 suggestions, with three displayed at a time and rotated across sessions. The feature is beta; individual suggestions can be deleted and the full set can be regenerated, but suggestions cannot be manually added or edited.
What meeting-booking option is currently documented for Spotlight?
When direct booking is enabled, Intercom uses its native Calendly booking experience. Other platforms are described as forthcoming without a stated date.
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Does Spotlight offer Help Space?
No. Spotlight omits Help Space, Home Screen, Tasks, and News. Fin or a teammate can still send help articles within a conversation.
What security mistake should I avoid?
Do not leave the trusted-domains field blank. Intercom warns that a blank field permits Messenger to be added to any domain. Add the intended domains and review identity-verification settings before deployment.
Does voice dictation require setup?
No. Intercom says voice dictation is available wherever Spotlight is available without a separate setup step.
What should I do if my Settings menu uses different labels?
Look for the Messenger settings area and open Spotlight. Intercom’s documented paths are Settings > Channels > Messenger > Spotlight and Settings > Messenger > Spotlight; the labels vary by workspace.
Where did these configuration details come from?
The instructions reflect Intercom’s Spotlight configuration guide by Beth-Ann Sher, dated July 29, 2026, together with Intercom’s broader Messenger setup and security guidance accessed October 4, 2026. Intercom can change labels, beta features, and integrations, so compare the current help-center instructions with the controls in your workspace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Spotlight and Widget Messenger be used for different visitor groups?
Yes. Assign Spotlight to a specific audience; visitors outside that audience can continue using the standard Widget Messenger experience.
Does Spotlight offer a system theme in Messenger settings?
No. The dashboard offers light and dark. A system-following theme requires the JavaScript SDK with theme_mode set to system.
How many Smart Suggestions can Intercom generate?
Intercom documents up to 20 suggestions, with three displayed at a time and rotated across sessions. The feature is beta.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhat meeting-booking option is currently documented for Spotlight?
When direct booking is enabled, Intercom uses its native Calendly booking experience. Other platforms are described as forthcoming without a stated date.
What happens if trusted domains are left blank?
Intercom warns that Messenger can be added to any domain. Enter the domains that should host Spotlight and review identity verification before deployment.
Which Messenger spaces are missing from Spotlight?
Spotlight omits Home Screen, Tasks, News, and Help Space, and uses a conversation switcher instead of the Widget message-list screen.
What permission is required to change Spotlight settings?
An administrator must grant the Can access Messenger settings permission, and the workspace needs an Intercom trial or subscription.
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The Bottom Line
Configure Spotlight in Intercom’s Messenger settings, target it with precise audience rules, choose the correct brand, style the composer, and use the JavaScript SDK only when a system theme is required. Enable Smart Suggestions with beta limitations in mind, secure trusted domains and identity settings, install Messenger, test matching and nonmatching visitors, then click Save and set live. Use Spotlight for focused sales engagement and keep Widget Messenger for audiences that need the broader service experience.
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