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Freshchat

Connect Freshchat and PageClerk answers visitors inside your existing Freshchat inbox, using the same sources, settings and safety checks as your website assistant. When someone needs a person, it hands the conversation to your team. Freshchat is available on the Scaleup plan and above.

Set it up

Section titled “Set it up”
  1. In Freshchat, create an agent for the assistant, e.g. “Acme Assistant”. PageClerk replies as this agent. Create a group for handoffs too, if you don’t have one.
  2. In Freshchat, find your API URL and API key: Admin → Configure → API Tokens (in the Freshworks suite: Admin Settings → Website Tracking and APIs → API Settings). Generate a token if there isn’t one.
  3. In PageClerk, open your chatbot, go to Integrations → Freshchat, and copy the Webhook URL shown there.
  4. In Freshchat, open Admin Settings, search for Conversation Webhooks, turn it on, paste the webhook URL and save. Freshchat then shows the RSA Public Key: copy it.
  5. In PageClerk, paste the API URL, API key and RSA public key, and click Connect.
  6. Choose the agent to Reply as and the group to Hand over to (both are required), turn on Answer Freshchat conversations, and save.
  7. Turn on Settings → Human handoff, so the assistant can hand over when a visitor asks for a person.

The API key is stored encrypted and never shown again. Keep the webhook URL private: it identifies your chatbot.

How it behaves

Section titled “How it behaves”
  • Answers visitors only. PageClerk replies to visitor messages, never to agents, private notes or system messages.
  • Steps aside for people. If a conversation is assigned to any agent other than the assistant, PageClerk stays quiet.
  • Hands over when needed. When a visitor asks for a person, or smart timing spots someone upset or with an urgent problem, the assistant says it’s passing them on and assigns the conversation to your handoff group. It then stays out of that conversation until it’s resolved.
  • Never leaves visitors waiting. If you run out of monthly messages, conversations are handed to your team instead of going unanswered.
  • Uses your settings. Answer quality, Auto routing, the abuse filter, functions and Cal.com bookings all work in Freshchat too.

Each reply counts toward your monthly messages, the same as on your website. Conversations appear in Chats like any other.

Security

Section titled “Security”

Every webhook is checked against your Freshchat account’s public key before PageClerk reads it. Requests without a valid signature are rejected. Repeated deliveries of the same message are answered once.

Good to know

Section titled “Good to know”
  • Freshchat sends all of an account’s webhooks to one URL, so connect one PageClerk chatbot per Freshchat account.
  • Only text messages are answered. Images and files are left for your team.
  • Click Refresh lists after adding agents or groups in Freshchat.
  • Disconnect deletes the stored key. Remove the webhook URL in Freshchat as well.

Prefer tickets? Freshdesk tickets open a ticket for each handoff from your website chat instead.