DeskCrew. The n8n helpdesk integration
DeskCrew connects to n8n with an official community node: create support tickets, post replies for human approval, and publish knowledge-base articles from any workflow.
A real plugin. Settings page, no code
Install the plugin on n8n, paste your widget key on its settings page, and it registers your site's domain with DeskCrew automatically.
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 n8n
In n8n, open Settings, then Community Nodes, choose Install, and enter n8n-nodes-deskcrew.
Create a DeskCrew API credential: paste a dk_ key from your dashboard, granting only the scopes your workflows need (tickets, knowledge base, changelog, issues).
Add the DeskCrew node to any workflow. Start simple: a form trigger wired into Ticket, Create files every submission as a ticket in your inbox.
<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: n8n is an automation platform rather than a website, so the snippet below belongs on the site you embed the widget on. The node itself installs inside n8n, no code required.
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. n8n helpdesk integration
How do I connect n8n to a helpdesk?
Install the community node n8n-nodes-deskcrew from Settings, Community Nodes in n8n, add a DeskCrew API credential (a dk_ key from your dashboard), and the DeskCrew node appears in your node picker with ticket, knowledge-base, changelog, and issue operations.
Can n8n create support tickets automatically?
Yes. Wire any trigger (a form submission, a webhook, an error alert) into the DeskCrew node with the Ticket, Create operation, mapping the subject and customer email from the trigger. Every run files a ticket in your inbox with the customer attached.
Can n8n send replies to customers?
Yes, with a guard rail: the Reply operation defaults to draft mode, which queues the reply for a human to approve in your dashboard before anything reaches the customer. Send mode delivers immediately, and only works when your workspace allows live API replies.
What scopes does the DeskCrew credential need?
Only what your workflows use. Create an API key in the dashboard and grant per-scope permissions such as tickets:read, tickets:write, tickets:reply, kb:write, changelog:write, or issues:write. A key holds exactly the access you give it and nothing more.
Is the DeskCrew n8n node free?
Yes. The node is MIT-licensed and DeskCrew has a free plan that includes ticketing, the widget, and the knowledge base, so a working n8n automation costs nothing to start.
Does this work on self-hosted n8n?
Yes. Community nodes install the same way on n8n Cloud and self-hosted instances. The node talks to your DeskCrew workspace over HTTPS, so the only requirement is outbound network access.