Yes. Freshdesk supports live chat as a channel, powered by Freshchat. You link Freshdesk to a Freshchat account in Admin, then chat with website visitors from inside the helpdesk and turn resolved conversations into tickets. Freshchat is a separate Freshworks product, and the integration is what connects the two.
Yes, through a sister product
The helpdesk's own help centre describes live chat as a channel powered by Freshchat, a messaging product for customer engagement teams. So the chat itself runs on Freshchat, and the integration brings those conversations into the place your agents already work.
The Freshchat messenger can sit on your website, in your app and on mobile. It keeps unlimited chat history and supports topic-based channels such as billing or feedback, so a customer picks a topic before they start typing.
What agents can do inside a conversation
- Chat with website visitors and manage tickets from one place, with views for new, all assigned, assigned to me and resolved conversations.
- Assign conversations, use canned responses, emojis and images, and see related tickets alongside the chat.
- Switch IntelliAssign, the skill-based chat routing, between active and disabled.
- Convert a resolved conversation into a new ticket, or append it to an existing one.
Freshchat can also send proactive campaigns, and it adds context such as a visitor's navigation path, their profile and details pulled from external apps. That means an agent can see which pages someone looked at before they asked a question.
Linking the two accounts
- In Freshdesk go to Admin, then Channels, then Messaging.
- Turn on Link Freshdesk with your Freshchat account.
- Enter the Freshchat App ID, found under Settings, Account Settings, Integration Settings, Agent widget, and the Token ID from the Visitor widget section.
- If you want chat on your help site, turn on Chat for your support portal.
- In Freshchat, enter the Portal URL and API Key under Settings, Integrations, Freshdesk Integration, then click Finish.
That last step does two jobs: it lets conversations convert into tickets, and it syncs your Freshdesk FAQ folders into Freshchat FAQ categories, so the answers in the messenger match the ones on your help site.
When your Freshchat account doesn't show up
This is the snag most people hit. Freshdesk Support's article on setting up the Freshchat integration explains that if your existing Freshchat account isn't listed, the Freshdesk account has to be moved to the same organisation as Freshchat. Until both sit in one organisation, the link won't appear, however carefully you copy the IDs.
So the order of work is: check both products are in the same organisation, then link. It also helps to remember that chat isn't a switch inside the ticketing product; it's a second product you connect by App ID and Token ID.
Setting it up for a small team
A few choices make the difference between chat that helps and chat that piles up. Decide which topics deserve their own channel, because each one tells an agent what the customer wants before they've read a word. Write canned responses for the five questions you get most, so replies go out in seconds. And agree who watches the new conversations view during opening hours; a chat that sits unanswered does more harm than having no chat at all.
If only one or two people handle chat, leave IntelliAssign disabled and assign by hand. Switch it on once you have agents with different skills, such as billing and technical, so conversations reach the right person without a manager sorting them.
Other help desks with chat built in
Help Scout's Beacon is an embeddable widget offering a contact form, live chat, help articles and AI help. Zendesk's Web Widget can go on a Shopify storefront so customers can help themselves or reach an agent. Tidio describes its product as live chat software for managing customer interactions from one inbox.
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If you're choosing chat for a shop, this guide on picking live chat software for ecommerce helps, and my list of the best help desk software for small businesses compares the wider field. There's also a round-up of other support platforms.
My advice before you switch chat on
Confirm both accounts sit in one organisation first, then link them and turn on the support portal messenger. Set up two or three topic channels, such as billing and technical help, and switch on IntelliAssign if you have agents with different skills. Convert every resolved chat that needs follow-up into a ticket, so nothing lives only in the chat history.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Freshdesk have a live chat feature?
Yes, as a channel powered by Freshchat.
Is Freshchat a separate product?
Yes. You link it under Admin, Channels, Messaging.
Can chats become tickets?
Yes. A resolved conversation can become a new ticket or be added to an existing one.
Can I put chat on my support portal?
Yes, with the Chat for your support portal toggle.
Do I need the same organisation for both accounts?
If your existing Freshchat account isn't visible, the Freshdesk account has to be moved to the same organisation.
