Add live chat to Directus. DeskCrew support widget
DeskCrew turns new Directus items into support tickets through the official directus-extension-deskcrew hook, and adds AI live chat to the site that renders your content. The widget installs in the frontend, never in the Directus app.
An official Directus extension
Install directus-extension-deskcrew and name the collections your forms write to. New items become support tickets, answered from your knowledge base with a human approving.
AI drafts, humans approve
The AI drafts replies grounded in the knowledge base you publish, and every draft waits in an approval queue until a human sends it.
Every conversation is a ticket
Widget chats, emails, and board posts land in one dashboard with full history; visitors who leave get their answer by email.
Free plan, no card
The free plan includes the chat widget, a public knowledge base, and ticketing. Start free and upgrade only when you outgrow it.
How to install DeskCrew on Directus
Install the official extension in your Directus project: npm install directus-extension-deskcrew.
Set DESKCREW_WIDGET_KEY, DESKCREW_SITE_URL and DESKCREW_COLLECTIONS in the Directus .env, plus the DESKCREW_FIELD_ variables that map your name, email and message fields.
Restart Directus. A hook on item creation files each new item in those collections as a DeskCrew ticket, skipping items without an email or a message. Add the widget itself to the frontend that renders your content, using the guide for that framework.
<script src="https://deskcrew.io/desk.js" data-key="pub_YOUR_KEY" data-board="your-board" defer></script>
pub_YOUR_KEY and your-board are placeholders. Your real widget key and board slug are in your DeskCrew dashboard under Install (free signup, no card).
Note: The widget belongs in the frontend that renders your content, never in the Directus app. Paste the tag below into that site’s layout.
DeskCrew vs the usual suspects
| DeskCrew | Tidio | Crisp | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes. Free plan, no card | Yes (limited) | Yes (basic) | Free trial only |
| AI included | Yes. AI drafts on every plan, human-approved | Paid add-on | Higher plans | Paid add-on |
| Setup | About 2 minutes. One script tag or plugin | Minutes. Script tag | Minutes. Script tag | Longer. Full workspace setup |
| Price floor | $0 free plan · paid from $29/mo | Free plan; paid tiers above | Free plan; paid tiers above | Per-agent pricing, no free plan |
Competitor cells generalize their public pricing pages. Always check current plans.
DeskCrew has a free plan with no card. Chat widget, public knowledge base, and ticketing included. Every new workspace starts with full Team features free for 14 days, and paid plans start at $29/mo. Full details on the pricing page.
FAQ. add live chat to Directus
Last updated: September 2026
Where does a chat widget go on a Directus site?
In the frontend that renders your content. Directus serves the data (REST or GraphQL); your site renders it. Paste the script tag into that app’s base layout and every page gets the widget.
Is there a Directus extension for DeskCrew?
None is needed. The widget never runs inside the Directus app. It is one script tag in the frontend’s base layout; your collections and APIs stay untouched.
My Directus frontend is Next.js, Astro, or Nuxt, which guide do I follow?
Whichever renders your site: the Next.js guide (one next/script tag in app/layout.tsx), the Astro guide (base-layout head), or the Nuxt guide (app.head.script in nuxt.config). Each install is one line.
Is the DeskCrew widget free?
Yes. DeskCrew’s free plan includes the chat widget, a public knowledge base, and ticketing, no card required.
Where do chats from my Directus site go?
Every conversation becomes a ticket in your DeskCrew dashboard. The AI drafts a reply grounded in your knowledge base, a human approves it, and visitors who already left get the answer by email.