Helvia.ai Release 2026.09.01

01 September 2026

1. More Control over Webchat Startup Notifications

Startup notifications are the messages your Webchat widget shows the moment a chat opens. This release adds two options for them. You can lock the message box until the visitor dismisses the notification, and you can publish a notification that is an image only, with no text.

Why it matters: Until now, a visitor could ignore a startup promotion or announcement and begin typing right away, so time-sensitive messages were easy to miss. A startup notification also always required text, even when a single image said everything. Both limits are now gone.

Example use case: You are running a seasonal campaign and want every visitor to see the offer first. You turn on the dismissal lock, so the message box stays inactive until the visitor closes the banner. For a promotion that is purely visual, you publish the artwork on its own, with no caption.

How it works: The dismissal lock is opt-in and off by default, so your current deployments behave exactly as before. You enable it per Webchat deployment. When it is on, the message box is fully inactive, including for keyboard and screen-reader users, until the visitor dismisses the notification. A short inline hint tells the visitor why they cannot type yet.

2. Clearer File Names for Knowledge Base CSV Exports

When you export a Knowledge Base to CSV, the downloaded file now carries a meaningful name that identifies the Knowledge Base it came from, instead of the generic knowledge_base_articles.csv.

Why it matters: Exports used to share a single generic file name, so several exports were hard to tell apart and easy to lose among your downloads. The name now reflects its source, so you can find the right file at a glance.

Example use case: You export three different Knowledge Bases in a row to compare their content. Each download arrives with its own recognizable name, like kb_myknowledgebase1_20260109_110000.csv, kb_myknowledgebase2_20260109_110122.csv, kb_myknowledgebase3_20260109_110203.csv rather than three identical files.