Freshchat

What is Freshchat

Freshchat is the messaging product within the Freshworks suite, used for live chat, automated bots, proactive campaigns, customer self service and AI assisted support. It is integrated with a snippet of JavaScript that injects a chat icon on the merchant's site, opens a WebSocket session to the Freshchat back end and synchronises messages, attachments, presence, contact data and behavioural triggers. Freshchat offers an EU data centre in Frankfurt and is part of the wider Freshworks Customer Service Suite that includes Freshdesk and Freshsales.

What data and cookies Freshchat collects

The widget sets first party and third party cookies (FC_User_ID, fc_visitor_id, hubspotutk in the Freshmarketer integration), localStorage entries to keep the conversation state and indicates browser, language, time zone, page URL and User Agent to Freshworks. When the visitor sends a message, name, email, phone (optional) and the message body are stored at Freshworks together with the conversation history. Proactive triggers can collect behavioural signals (pages visited, time on page, cart value) to decide when to open the chat.

GDPR and ePrivacy implications

The widget loads on every page and sets persistent identifiers, which puts it under Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. EU DPAs (CNIL, BfDI) make a distinction between strictly reactive chat (the user clicks the bubble to open the conversation, no targeting on the way) and proactive chat (the widget proactively prompts the user based on URL, scroll depth or other behavioural signals). Proactive chat requires consent; reactive chat can rest on legitimate interest with proper information, provided no analytics or marketing cookies are set in the background.

Is consent required

For the default deployment with proactive triggers and pre fetched identifiers, yes. To rely on a no consent reactive approach, configure Freshchat to load the widget icon only and defer the rest of the script until the user actively clicks the chat. Disable proactive campaigns, IP based geolocation and behavioural targeting in the dashboard. Anything that profiles the visitor in the background requires consent.

Data transfers and recipients

With the EU data centre selected, persistent storage stays in Germany. Freshworks Inc. (USA) operates the service globally and is self certified under the EU US Data Privacy Framework. Freshworks Technologies in India provides 24/7 engineering and customer support and accesses production data under SCCs and supplementary measures. The publicly available Freshworks DPA describes the categories of data and the safeguards.

Practical compliance steps

Choose the EU data centre, sign the Freshworks DPA, gate proactive features behind a consent manager and load only the chat icon by default, anonymise visitor IP in the dashboard, configure conversation retention to the minimum needed (often 6 to 24 months) and list Freshworks Inc. and Freshworks Technologies as recipients with the transfer mechanism in your privacy policy.