Enhanced Chat Support for Higher Education Platform Customers
Overview
As of January 2026, we have updated our chat experience. This update provides an improved chat infrastructure designed to ensure continued availability and a more reliable support experience.
After our new chat platform goes live on January 26, we will closely monitor your chat experience. If you are unable to initiate, respond to, or end a chat session, please submit a case via the Support Center. Select Alma as the product and begin the case subject with [Chat Update] so it can be prioritized accordingly.
For a detailed presentation, please follow this link: Introduction to Enhanced Chat
Accessing Chat Support
Chat support is accessed directly within the Higher Education Platform. The chat icon appears in the Persistent Main Menu and is available to users assigned the Chat with Support role. There are no changes to how chat is accessed as part of the enhanced chat update.
What’s New?
While the chat workflow is familiar, you may notice minor interface updates, including:
File Attachments: You can now send attachments directly to chat agents using the attachments icon next to the typing area
Chat Transcripts: To download a transcript of your chat conversation to your computer, select the menu bar > Download Transcript. This must be done before closing the chat window. We will not be able to send the transcript if it is not downloaded before exiting the conversation.
When to Use Chat
Chat support is recommended for how-to questions, simple configuration inquiries, and other straightforward issues that can be addressed quickly. For matters that require in-depth investigation, extended troubleshooting, or detailed reproduction steps, customers are encouraged to open a case through the Support Center instead.
How to Initiate a Chat in the Higher Education Platform
- Click the Chat icon in the upper-right corner of the Higher Education Platform
- Select the relevant product based on agent availability
A spinning indicator will appear while the system connects you to an agent
Note: In some cases, system latency may cause a timeout before an agent connects. This is a system issue, not an indication of agent availability. We are actively working to reduce latency and improve performance.
Chat Interactions
Attachments: Customers and agents can exchange attachments during a chat.
The following file types are supported:
- text files (.csv and .txt);
- image files (.jpg, .tiff, and .png);
- audio files (.mp4);
- and other file types (.doc, .docx, .pdf, .ppt, .pptx, .rtf, .xls, .xlsx, and .zip).
Maximum file size in chat: 5 MB
Sending Messages: Pressing Enter creates a new line. Click the Send (arrow) icon to send your message to the agent.
Read Receipts: Indicators show when messages are sent and read
Emoji Support: Emojis are supported within chat messages
After the Chat
You are encouraged to download the chat transcript before closing the chat window, as transcripts cannot be retrieved once the window is closed. Chat transcripts are no longer available via email. When a chat session ends, a brief survey will appear, allowing you to provide feedback on your support experience.