> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.eesel.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.eesel.ai/integrations/freshdesk/freshchat.md).

# Fresh Chat

Automate live chat conversations through Freshdesk's Fresh Chat widget — your agent responds to customers in real time.

Fresh Chat is a channel within the [Freshdesk](/integrations/freshdesk.md) integration — not a standalone integration. You must connect Freshdesk first before setting up Fresh Chat.

<div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/YeCbTVy1uXqOepnHkWtm" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## What you can do

* Automatically respond to customers in Fresh Chat live conversations
* Hand off to a human agent when the issue needs a personal touch
* Group conversations so follow-up messages from the same customer continue in one thread

## How it's different from Freshdesk tickets

The standard [Freshdesk](/integrations/freshdesk.md) integration handles email-based tickets. Fresh Chat handles **live chat conversations** through the Freshdesk chat widget embedded on your website.

|                    | Freshdesk (tickets)             | Fresh Chat (live chat)   |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| **Channel**        | Email tickets                   | Chat widget              |
| **Response style** | Asynchronous                    | Real-time conversation   |
| **Actions**        | Reply, tag, assign, close, etc. | Reply, transfer to human |
| **Best for**       | Email support automation        | Live chat automation     |

## Connecting Fresh Chat

### Prerequisites

* An active [Freshdesk](/integrations/freshdesk.md) integration (OAuth) on your eesel dashboard
* Fresh Chat enabled in your Freshworks account

### Setup

1. On the eesel dashboard, go to your agent's **Integrations** section and click **Freshdesk**.

   <figure><img src="/files/4JV0bpN4u7gPsFyvXC8s" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
2. Click on **Fresh Chat** under the Triggers section to open the setup form.

   <figure><img src="/files/AkRCXO0NQp37J5qgPHVi" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
3. In your Freshworks admin panel, go to **Settings > API Settings > API Details for Chat** and copy the API key. Paste it into the **API Token** field.

   <figure><img src="/files/hqjAkJvEvC33t7NfUrE4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
4. Copy the webhook URL shown in the form. In your Freshchat admin, go to **Settings > Webhooks**, paste the URL, and save.

   <figure><img src="/files/tUR9EnFG8WNQ6Al7W4CY" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
5. After saving the webhook in Freshchat, an **Authentication** section will appear with an RSA public key. Copy the full key (including the `-----BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY-----` and `-----END RSA PUBLIC KEY-----` lines) and paste it into the form.

   <figure><img src="/files/nEEAqunePcUHp7zuNAjZ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
6. Click **Connect Fresh Chat**. eesel AI will validate your API token and save the connection.

   <figure><img src="/files/Eaz4WbkOsSP6YplJWaDX" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
7. Test the connection by opening the live chat preview in your Freshchat admin. Go to **Settings > Messenger > Web** and click **Preview** to start a test conversation with your agent.

   <figure><img src="/files/Lc45JFT9viZstAwu9R48" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Actions

| Action                | Description                                                |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat Reply**        | Send a reply to the customer in the live chat conversation |
| **Hand Off to Human** | Transfer the conversation to a human agent                 |

## Customizing the chat widget

Fresh Chat's widget appearance and behavior are configured in your **Freshchat admin panel**, not in eesel AI. To customize, go to **Settings > Web Widget > Appearance** in your Freshworks admin.

<figure><img src="/files/NLETWGFNDRlSlke9Qyqw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Tips

**Set clear expectations.** Update the widget's welcome message in Freshchat admin so customers know they're chatting with an AI assistant. Something like "Hi! I'm Acme's AI assistant. How can I help you today?"

**Configure handoff rules.** Always define when the agent should hand off to a human — for example, when the customer explicitly asks for a person, or when the issue requires account-level changes. Add this to your agent's instructions.

**Set up business hours.** Configure business hours in Freshchat admin so the widget only appears when your team (or AI agent) is available, or shows an offline message outside those hours.

**Test the full flow.** Test both the AI response and the human handoff in a real Fresh Chat conversation to make sure the transition is smooth.

## Troubleshooting

**Fresh Chat not appearing as a channel?**

* Ensure you have an active Freshdesk integration connected via OAuth
* The Fresh Chat channel only appears after the Freshdesk integration is connected

**Setup form showing again after connecting?**

* Both the API token and the webhook public key must be saved. If either is missing, the setup form will show again. Re-run the three-step setup.

**Agent not responding to chats?**

* Verify the Fresh Chat trigger is enabled on your agent
* Check that the webhook URL is correctly configured in your Freshchat admin panel
* Confirm the API token is valid — go to Freshworks admin > API Settings > API Details for Chat

**Handoff not working?**

* Ensure you have human agents available in your Freshchat account to accept conversations
* The agent routes the conversation to the assigned group, or the default group if none is set


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.eesel.ai/integrations/freshdesk/freshchat.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.