Skip to main content

Twitter’s new direct messaging button will let you chat with any site on the web

Twitter is launching a new feature that could see its presence felt across the internet. The social network is adding a new message button to its set of publishing tools that can be added to external sites, meaning it could potentially start popping up all over the web.

The tool allows you to connect with your favorite brands and businesses from their personal websites using Twitter’s direct message function.

Recommended Videos

Businesses that wish to utilize the feature will first need to create a Twitter account. If you already have one set up, Twitter recommends changing your settings to allow anyone to direct message you, whether or not they follow you. Then all you have to do is provide your profile URL, or username, and user ID to get started. Now you can embed the button directly on your website, which when clicked by a visitor (or customer) will allow them to get in touch with you via Twitter.

Seeing as so many brands are already on Twitter, the move makes sense as an extension of the platform’s core live chat experience. Additionally, the feature will help Twitter play catch-up to rival Facebook, which already has a comments plugin for websites, and has boosted its customer service features for Facebook pages. Twitter is also dealing with the relatively new threat of chatbots, which are taking over messaging platforms such as Kik, and Facebook Messenger.

The fact that tweets are restricted by characters — making them unfeasible for longer customer service inquiries — meant that direct messaging was the only viable alternative for Twitter. Unlike Tweets (which can only contain a maximum of 140 characters), Twitter messages allow you to send up to 10,000 characters.

Twitter’s message button is now available alongside its other plugins, which include an embedded grid for multimedia stories, embedded tweet, and embedded timeline.

Saqib Shah
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
How to deactivate your Instagram account (or delete it)
A person holding a phone with the Instagram app open on it.

Oh, social media. Sometimes it’s just too much, folks.

If you’re finding yourself in a position where shutting down your Instagram account for a period of time sounds good, the people at Meta have made it pretty simple to deactivate it. It’s also quite easy to completely delete your Instagram, although we wouldn’t recommend this latter option if you plan on returning to the platform at a later date.

Read more
Bluesky finally adds a feature many had been waiting for
A blue sky with clouds.

Bluesky has been making a lot of progress in recent months by simplifying the process to sign up while at the same time rolling out a steady stream of new features.

As part of those continuing efforts, the social media app has just announced that users can now send direct messages (DMs).

Read more
Incogni: Recover your privacy and remove personal information from the internet
Incogni remove your personal data from brokers and more

Everything you do while online is tracked digitally. Often connected to your email address or an issued IP, trackers can easily identify financial details, sensitive information like your social security number, demographics, contact details, like a phone number or address, and much more. In many ways, this information is tied to a digital profile and then collated, recorded, and shared via data brokers. There are many ways this information can be scooped up and just as many ways, this information can be shared and connected back to you and your family. The unfortunate reality is that, for most of us, we no longer have any true privacy.

The problem is exacerbated even more if you regularly use social media, share content or images online, or engage in discussions on places like Reddit or community boards. It's also scary to think about because even though we know this information is being collected, we don't necessarily know how much is available, who has it, or even what that digital profile looks like.

Read more