Add live chat to phpBB. DeskCrew support widget
DeskCrew adds live chat and ticketing to a phpBB board with one line in your style’s overall_header.html. Paste before </head>, purge the cache, done.
One paste on phpBB
One script tag. No build step, no package to maintain, nothing that can break on a platform update. The exact steps are below.
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 phpBB
phpBB has no admin field for site-wide scripts, so the paste is a one-line template edit: open styles/<your style>/template/overall_header.html (prosilver on a default board).
Paste the DeskCrew widget snippet just before the closing </head> tag and save.
Purge the board cache (the “Purge the cache” button on the ACP front page). PhpBB caches compiled templates, so the change shows only after the purge; your real key and board slug are on the DeskCrew dashboard’s Install page.
<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: overall_header.html is the partial that renders the board’s <head>. Overall_footer.html (before </body>) also loads the widget, but the header keeps the tag with the rest of your head markup.
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 phpBB
How do I add live chat to a phpBB forum?
Paste the DeskCrew script tag into styles/<your style>/template/overall_header.html just before </head>, then purge the cache in the ACP. Two edits (one file, one button), and the widget loads board-wide.
Why don’t I see the widget after editing the template?
phpBB compiles and caches templates. Purge the cache from the ACP front page (and hard-refresh your browser) and the edited overall_header.html takes effect.
Does the script go in overall_header.html or overall_footer.html?
overall_header.html. That template renders the <head>, where a script tag like this belongs. overall_footer.html (just before </body>) also works; the load behavior is the same because the tag is deferred.
Will a phpBB or style update remove it?
An update that replaces overall_header.html will, yes. Re-paste the line after updating, or keep the edit in a custom style. It is one line, so re-applying takes seconds.
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 board 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 members who already left get the answer by email.