> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://algolia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Show starter prompts on the chat welcome screen

> Build a custom chat welcome screen with starter prompts using InstantSearch.js.

export const customLabel_0 = "in beta"

<div className="not-prose algolia-flavor-switcher">
  <div className="afs-dropdown">
    <div className="afs-trigger" role="button" tabIndex="0" aria-haspopup="listbox">
      <span className="afs-current">JavaScript</span>

      <svg className="afs-chevron lucide lucide-chevron-down" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" aria-hidden="true">
        <path d="m6 9 6 6 6-6" />
      </svg>
    </div>

    <ul className="afs-menu" role="listbox">
      <li role="option" aria-selected="true"><a className="afs-option is-current" href="/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/chat-customization/welcome-screen/js"><span className="afs-option-name">JavaScript</span><span className="afs-option-lib">InstantSearch.js</span></a></li>
      <li role="option" aria-selected="false"><a className="afs-option" href="/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/chat-customization/welcome-screen/react"><span className="afs-option-name">React</span><span className="afs-option-lib">React InstantSearch</span></a></li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</div>

<Callout icon="flask-conical" color="#14b8a6">
  This widget is **{customLabel_0 || "experimental"}** and is subject to change in minor versions.
</Callout>

When the [`chat`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/js) widget has no messages yet, it shows a welcome screen. Use the [`empty`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/js#param-templates) template to replace it with your own greeting and a set of starter prompts. Each prompt sends a message to the agent when clicked, so users can start a conversation in one tap.

If you only need prompt suggestions *after* the agent responds, use [Agent Studio prompt suggestions](/doc/guides/algolia-ai/agent-studio/how-to/integration#prompt-suggestions) instead.

## Render starter prompts with the `empty` template

The `empty` template receives a `sendMessage` function. Call it with `{ text }` to submit a starter prompt as the first message:

```js JavaScript icon=code theme={"system"}
import algoliasearch from "algoliasearch/lite";
import instantsearch from "instantsearch.js";
import { chat, chatTrigger } from "instantsearch.js/es/widgets";

const search = instantsearch({
  indexName: "instant_search",
  searchClient: algoliasearch("YourApplicationID", "YourSearchOnlyAPIKey"),
});

const starterPrompts = [
  "What are your best-selling headphones?",
  "Help me find a gift under $50",
  "Compare espresso machines",
];

search.addWidgets([
  chat({
    container: "#chat",
    agentId: "YOUR_AGENT_ID",
    templates: {
      empty({ sendMessage }, { html }) {
        return html`
          <div class="ais-ChatGreeting">
            <h2 class="ais-ChatGreeting-heading">How can I help you today?</h2>
            <p class="ais-ChatGreeting-subheading">
              Ask me anything about our products, or start with a suggestion.
            </p>

            <div class="ais-ChatPromptSuggestions">
              ${starterPrompts.map(
                (prompt) =>
                  html`<button
                    type="button"
                    class="ais-ChatPromptSuggestions-suggestion"
                    onClick=${() => sendMessage({ text: prompt })}
                  >
                    ${prompt}
                  </button>`,
              )}
            </div>
          </div>
        `;
      },
    },
  }),
  chatTrigger({
    container: "#chat-trigger",
  }),
]);

search.start();
```

<Note>
  The `chat` widget renders the panel but doesn't open it on its own. Add an entry point on the same InstantSearch instance: the [`chatTrigger`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat-trigger/js) widget, [AI mode](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/chat-customization/ai-search-experience/js) on a `searchBox`, or an inline layout.
</Note>

The `empty` template reuses the built-in classes (`ais-ChatGreeting` and `ais-ChatPromptSuggestions`) so it inherits the default styling. Replace them with your own classes to fully restyle the welcome screen.

## Reuse the default greeting

Instead of writing the greeting markup yourself, render the built-in greeting with the exported `chatGreeting` template helper, then add your starter prompts below it. The helper renders the default heading and subheading, and accepts a `banner` image, `translations`, and `classNames`:

```js JavaScript icon=code theme={"system"}
import { chatGreeting } from "instantsearch.js/es/templates";

const greeting = chatGreeting({
  banner: "https://example.com/welcome-banner.png",
  translations: {
    heading: "Welcome to our store",
    subheading: "Ask me anything, or pick a suggestion to get started.",
  },
});

// In the chat widget:
templates: {
  empty(props, { html }) {
    return html`
      <div>
        ${greeting(props)}
        <div class="ais-ChatPromptSuggestions">
          ${starterPrompts.map(
            (prompt) =>
              html`<button
                type="button"
                class="ais-ChatPromptSuggestions-suggestion"
                onClick=${() => props.sendMessage({ text: prompt })}
              >
                ${prompt}
              </button>`,
          )}
        </div>
      </div>
    `;
  },
},
```

## Fetch starter prompts dynamically

The prompts don't have to be static. Fetch them once (for example, from a dedicated Agent Studio agent that returns starter prompts), store them, and render them from the `empty` template:

```js JavaScript icon=code expandable theme={"system"}
const appID = "YourApplicationID";
const apiKey = "YourSearchOnlyAPIKey";
const promptsAgentId = "YOUR_STARTER_PROMPTS_AGENT_ID";

async function getStarterPrompts() {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://${appID}.algolia.net/agent-studio/1/agents/${promptsAgentId}/completions?stream=false&cache=true&compatibilityMode=ai-sdk-5`,
    {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
        "X-Algolia-Application-Id": appID,
        "X-Algolia-API-Key": apiKey,
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        messages: [
          {
            role: "user",
            parts: [{ text: "Return starter prompts for the welcome screen." }],
          },
        ],
      }),
    }
  );

  const data = await response.json();
  const text = data.parts?.find((part) => part.type === "text")?.text ?? "";

  return text
    .split("\n")
    .map((line) => line.trim())
    .filter(Boolean);
}

let starterPrompts = [];

getStarterPrompts()
  .then((prompts) => {
    starterPrompts = prompts;
    // Re-render the chat so the empty template picks up the prompts.
    search.refresh();
  })
  .catch(() => {
    starterPrompts = [];
  });
```

Reference `starterPrompts` from the `empty` template, exactly as in the static example above.

## Customize more than the empty state

The `empty` template only replaces the initial empty state. To customize the surrounding chat layout (header, message list, prompt input), use the [`layout`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/js#param-templates) template instead. See [`instantsearch.templates.chatInlineLayout()`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/js) for an inline (non-overlay) layout.

## Related

* [chat widget reference](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/js)
* [chatTrigger widget reference](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat-trigger/js)
* [Customize the chat results carousel](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/chat-customization/results-carousel/js)
* [Agent Studio](/doc/guides/algolia-ai/agent-studio)