Add live chat to Payload CMS. DeskCrew support widget
DeskCrew turns new Payload documents into support tickets through the official payload-plugin-deskcrew package, and adds AI live chat to the site that renders your content. The widget installs in the frontend that renders it.
An official Payload plugin
Add deskcrewPlugin to your Payload config and name the collections your forms write to. New documents become support tickets without extra endpoints.
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 Payload CMS
Install the official plugin: npm install payload-plugin-deskcrew.
Add deskcrewPlugin({ widgetKey, siteUrl, ticketSources }) to the plugins array in payload.config.ts, naming the collections whose new documents should become tickets and the fields that hold the name, email and message.
Restart Payload. An afterChange hook files each new document in those collections as a DeskCrew ticket. Add the widget itself to the frontend that renders your site, 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 site, not in the Payload admin. 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 Payload CMS
Last updated: September 2026
Where does a chat widget go on a Payload CMS site?
In your frontend, not in Payload. Visitors never load the CMS. Payload serves content to the site that renders it (usually Next.js), so the script tag goes in that app’s root layout.
Does DeskCrew work with a Payload CMS site?
Yes. The widget is one script tag in your frontend’s layout, so it works on any Payload-powered site regardless of how the backend is set up. Nothing installs inside Payload itself.
Is there a Payload plugin for DeskCrew?
None is needed. The widget never runs inside Payload. It is one script tag in your frontend’s layout, and the Next.js guide shows the exact line for the most common Payload setup.
Does it work with Payload’s Next.js templates?
Yes. Templates that render the site from a frontend layout (e.g. app/(frontend)/layout.tsx) take the tag there; a custom frontend on Astro, Nuxt, or plain HTML works the same way through its own layout.
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 Payload 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.