The questions teams ask
before they go live.
Setup, AI ownership, human handoff, knowledge base, pricing, and self-hosting - the common ones, answered straight.
How is Dchat different from a typical hosted chat product?
Dchat keeps AI replies, same-thread human handoff, branding controls, knowledge tools, and the team inbox together in one workspace. It also gives teams a choice between a customer-managed OpenAI key and a Dchat-managed key, which is still uncommon among mainstream support products.
How does the widget embed work?
One script tag with your widget token. Paste it into your site's layout once and every future change, including branding, AI settings, and routing, happens in the dashboard. No plugins and no repeated code edits. See the full install flow.
What happens when AI cannot handle the question?
The conversation moves to the human queue with the full transcript attached so the visitor does not have to restart the conversation from scratch. Handoff can be triggered by a visitor request, a routing rule, a handoff keyword, or an AI limit you define.
Can I use my own OpenAI key?
Yes. Dchat supports both a customer-managed OpenAI key and a Dchat-managed key. Per-workspace settings include model selection, system prompt, escalation rules, and grounding configuration. You can switch modes without rebuilding the widget.
How does the knowledge base work?
There are three main ways in: write articles directly, paste URLs to import, or run the site crawler. The AI cites sources on replies so visitors and agents can both see where the answer came from. Knowledge lives in the same workspace as your routing and inbox settings.
What can I customize in the widget?
Launcher shape, colors, welcome message, starter prompts, proactive behavior, and white-label settings are all configured in the dashboard.
How much does Dchat cost?
Free forever for one site with 500 AI messages per month. Paid plans are $29/month for Dchat-managed AI seats, $15/month for bring-your-own-key AI seats, and $15/month per human agent seat. No per-resolution fees. Full pricing.
How does Dchat compare with Intercom, Zendesk, Freshchat, Crisp, Tidio, and other strong competitors?
Intercom, Zendesk, Freshchat, Crisp, Tidio, Gorgias, Help Scout, Front, HubSpot, Ada, and LiveChat are all credible products. Dchat is best aligned when the job is website-first AI support with branded chat, same-thread handoff, AI key ownership choice, and a self-hosted path. The broader suites win when omnichannel support, enterprise operations, ecommerce depth, or bigger app ecosystems matter more. See the full comparison.
Is there a self-hosted option?
Yes. Dchat itself is cloud-hosted, but Zchat runs the same platform on your own infrastructure. That is useful for regulated industries, regional hosting requirements, or air-gapped networks. Learn more.
What does the support team get?
A real-time inbox with typing indicators, canned responses with shortcuts, contacts, routing rules, proactive triggers, reports, offline message capture, knowledge base management, and workspace settings all in one admin surface.
What should I validate before using Dchat in production?
Test your AI prompts, routing rules, and retention settings against real traffic during the free tier or trial period. The current release does not claim formal HIPAA or SOC 2 certification by default, so validate any compliance requirements specific to your environment before wider rollout.
Best answer is five minutes on your own site.
Install the widget, send a test message, request a human, and see the whole AI-to-handoff flow on your own traffic.