There are two ways Convi can collect a shopper's contact info: automatically during a conversation (the Email capture ability) and at the start of a chat (the pre-chat survey). This article walks through both, when to use each, and where the data shows up.
In this article
Why lead capture matters
The two collection points
The Email capture ability
Email capture sensitivity (Conservative / Balanced / Aggressive)
The pre-chat survey
Where collected info appears
Tips that pay off
Why lead capture matters
Two reasons your assistant needs an email:
Follow-up on order actions. Refunds, cancellations, tracking updates — all need a verified email so Convi can confirm identity and follow up.
Reach the shopper later. A handover that arrives after the shopper has left the page needs an email so your team can follow up.
Either Convi asks during the chat (Email capture) or it asks up front (pre-chat survey). Both are configurable.
The two collection points
Method | When it happens | Best for |
Email capture ability | Convi asks for the email mid-conversation, when it actually needs one | Most stores — feels natural, minimal friction |
Pre-chat survey | A name + email modal appears before the chat starts | Stores where every conversation is high-value (B2B, considered purchases) |
You can run both at the same time, but most stores pick one.
The Email capture ability
Open Train → Abilities and find Email capture. Description: "Ask the customer for their email when the AI needs it to follow up (refunds, cancellations, tracking updates)." Low risk.
When enabled, the assistant will ask for an email at the moment it needs one — for example, just before placing a cancellation request or before sending tracking details. The shopper sees the request as a normal in-chat question, not a pre-filled form.
Email capture sensitivity (Conservative / Balanced / Aggressive)
You can tune how often the assistant asks for an email. Open Publish → Widgets → Bubble and find the Email capture sensitivity setting. "Choose how often the AI assistant should ask shoppers for their email during a conversation." Three options:
Conservative — "only request an email when strictly necessary." Best for stores worried about friction.
Balanced — "request an email when context makes it useful." Default; recommended.
Aggressive — "request an email on most conversations." Best for stores that prioritize list-building.
The pre-chat survey
If you want every conversation gated behind a contact form, enable the pre-chat survey. The shopper sees a modal before they can send their first message asking for their name and email, with a configurable welcome message, a Skip button, and a Start chat button. You can require or make optional both fields.
Configure the pre-chat survey's copy under Settings → Language → {language} → Pre-chat survey:
Message — the welcome text.
Name placeholder / Email placeholder — placeholder text for the inputs.
Send button / Skip button — button labels.
You can translate it for every language you ship Convi in.
Where collected info appears
Any contact info Convi collects — through Email capture or the pre-chat survey — shows up in three places:
Conversations inbox → User data card — name, email, location, satisfaction. (See Viewing a Conversation.)
Handover email and helpdesk tickets — your team gets the email along with the transcript when a chat escalates.
Filtering and search — the inbox lets you filter by satisfaction and search by name/email content.
ℹ️ Note: Convi does not export captured emails to a marketing list by default. If you want shoppers' emails added to Shopify customer records, use Shopify's Customer Accounts; if you want them in your CRM, you can connect a helpdesk integration (Gorgias / Zendesk / Intercom) so handover tickets carry the email through.
Tips that pay off
Start with Email capture ability, not pre-chat survey. Modal friction up front is a real conversion cost. Let Convi ask for an email when it's earned the right.
Default to Balanced sensitivity. Conservative misses real chances to collect; Aggressive feels pushy.
If you do use a pre-chat survey, write the welcome message yourself. Generic "Please tell us your name" loses people. "Tell us your name so we can save your chat if you come back." keeps more.
Translate the pre-chat survey for every active locale. Empty placeholders or English text on a non-English storefront tanks completion.