Embedded Service Deployments
Embedded Service Deployments is the Setup page where Salesforce admins configure each instance of Embedded Service for an external site.
Definition
Embedded Service Deployments is the Setup page where Salesforce admins configure each instance of Embedded Service for an external site. Each deployment is a discrete configuration: which channels are enabled (chat, messaging, appointments), which Salesforce queues handle the work, what the widget looks like, which audiences see it. Multiple deployments can coexist in one org, each targeting a different host site, audience, or use case (one for B2B partners, one for consumer customers, one for the help center).
The page lives at Setup, then Embedded Service Deployments. From here you create, edit, and clone deployments; generate the JavaScript embed snippet for each; and monitor deployment status. Cloning is the common workflow: build one deployment, get it right, then clone it for variants (a different region, a different language, a different brand). The underlying configuration is metadata, so deployments can be source-controlled and migrated through Salesforce DX.
How Embedded Service Deployments are managed
The deployment as the configuration unit
Each Embedded Service Deployment is a complete configuration: name, channels, queues, branding, pre-chat settings, offline behavior, languages. When you embed the deployment''s JavaScript snippet in your site, that specific configuration controls the experience. Two deployments embedded on two sites can present completely different chat widgets backed by the same Salesforce org.
Channel-specific configurations
Within a deployment, each enabled channel has its own settings. Chat: pre-chat form fields, queue, agent skills required. Messaging: persistent thread settings, away message, hours of operation. Appointment Booking: service territory, available time slots, scheduling rules. The deployment is the container; the channel configs are the contents.
Branding and visual style per deployment
Each deployment has its own branding: primary color, secondary color, logo, font family, button shape, widget position. Multiple deployments can match multiple brands in one org: a deployment for the parent company''s site uses corporate colors; a deployment for a subsidiary''s site uses the subsidiary''s colors. The branding flows through every channel within the deployment.
Audience targeting and URL filters
Deployments can target specific audiences via URL filters, query parameters, or referrer rules. The same snippet code can show different deployments depending on which URL the visitor is on (or skip the deployment entirely on internal admin pages). This is how a single embedded script tag supports complex multi-deployment scenarios.
Multi-language configuration
Each deployment can serve multiple languages. Configure greeting text, button labels, and status messages per supported language. The visitor''s browser language drives the default; manual switching in the widget is supported. Knowledge integration shows articles in the matching language automatically.
Cloning deployments for variants
Cloning is the standard workflow for variant deployments. Build the canonical deployment with full configuration. Clone it. Modify the clone for the variant: different language, different branding, different audience filter. The two deployments coexist; updates to the canonical do not propagate to clones.
Source-control and the metadata lifecycle
Embedded Service Deployments are metadata; they deploy through Change Sets, the Metadata API, or Salesforce DX. Mature orgs version-control deployments in Git, deploy through CI, and manage variants as branches or feature flags. This is how enterprise deployments stay consistent across multiple sites and environments.
How to create and configure a new Embedded Service Deployment
Creating an Embedded Service Deployment is a guided wizard in Setup. Most fields have sensible defaults; the work is in the visual branding, channel configuration, and audience targeting decisions.
- Open Embedded Service Deployments in Setup
Setup, then Embedded Service Deployments. Click New Deployment. Pick the deployment type (Chat, Messaging, Appointments, Combined).
- Provide the basic information
Name (Customer_Support_Chat_NA), branding (logo URL, colors, fonts). The branding here applies everywhere within this deployment.
- Enable and configure channels
For each channel, set the per-channel options: queue assignment, pre-chat form fields, hours of operation, offline message. Each enabled channel adds a button or option in the widget.
- Set audience targeting
Define which URLs the deployment should appear on. Pattern-match by URL prefix, query parameter, or referrer. Test the targeting with sample URLs before publishing.
- Configure multi-language if applicable
For each supported language, set the localized greeting, button labels, and error messages. The visitor''s browser language picks the right one automatically.
- Generate the snippet and embed
From the deployment detail page, copy the JavaScript snippet. Paste it into the host site''s HTML, typically in the page footer or a shared include file. Verify the widget appears with the correct configuration.
Synchronous real-time chat. Session ends when the chat closes.
Asynchronous persistent thread. Survives across visitor sessions.
Service appointment scheduling through Field Service.
Multiple channels in one widget. Customer picks chat or messaging at start.
- Deployment changes do not require re-embedding the snippet. The snippet loads configuration dynamically from Salesforce; edits propagate within minutes of saving.
- Branding requires the logo URL to be publicly accessible. If your logo lives behind authentication, the widget cannot load it; host the logo on a CDN or public-static path.
- Audience targeting rules apply at snippet load time. URLs that change via JavaScript after page load may not match expected rules; test single-page-app scenarios carefully.
- Cloning a deployment does not clone the underlying Queue or Routing Profile. The new deployment may need a new queue or new routing rules; do not assume the clone is plug-and-play.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Embedded Service Deployments.
- Embedded Service DeploymentsSalesforce Help
- Embedded Service Developer GuideSalesforce Developers
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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