So you’re upgrading to Webmessenger3 (our new HELIX platform), and you need to know who is online in your database for a “members online” page (or a similar concept). With your Webmessenger2 integration, you’re using the existing feed API to accomplish this; and at the time of this writing, we are in process of testing a new presence feed API that works similarly.

In the interim, however, here is a very easy way to get around this until that functionality is officially released or available for beta:

The concept is simple–you allow both your HELIX legacy presence integrations to co-exist on your site. Your ability to call the existing presence feed API will not be compromised. There are some important notes and things to understand:

  • The site identifier between the legacy and HELIX platforms do not mingle. Even if the IDs are exactly the same they are completely separate by nature so that you can use both platforms simultaneous without hurting anything.
  • HELIX has its presence system built into the initial embed you place on your page whereas the legacy platform (WM2) uses a completely separate integration for presence.
  • Running HELIX’s presence with the legacy presence system is our goal and will not cause any issues for your integration.

So now that we are clear on those points lets begin with the step-by-step:

  1. If you already have presence embed on your site and functioning along with Webmessenger2 you will want to start by embedding Webmessenger3 using the HELIX embed code.
  2. By adding this embed code you have added the HELIX presence calls (which includes the ability to launch new IMs and receive notifications about incoming messages. Given this, all you need to do now is upgrade any existing calls to launch an IM on your site to use the Webmessenger3 ( see Custom IM Launcher or ideally the Badge Widget.
  3. Once you have removed all of the references to launching Webmessenger2 (all while maintaining the existing calls to f.js for legacy presence) you will be able to run the legacy presence system in the background of every page without impairing the new platform. Thus maintaining any integration you may have already done against the presence feed.

Not sure what the presence feed is? View the documentation here.