FAQ

Can we use our own AI provider key?

Yes. Customer-managed AI mode is available when finance or security needs direct provider visibility.

• Provider ownership
• Usage visibility
• Security review

Does ZChat replace Zendesk or Intercom?

Not for every team. ZChat is strongest as an AI agent and shared inbox for small teams, with governed handoff and a flat seat price, not as a full enterprise-suite replacement.

• AI agent
• Handoff
• 12 channels

Can AI perform account actions?

ZChat can use governed tools for context and drafted work, but sensitive changes should require human approval.

• Read context
• Draft work
• Approve changes

Do you publish compliance certifications?

Only signed evidence should be treated as certification proof. Current trust material separates controls from unclaimed certifications.

• Controls
• Gaps
• Signed proof

Frequently asked questions

How is ZChat different from a typical hosted chat product?

ZChat keeps the AI agent, its actions, same-thread human handoff, the knowledge base and a shared inbox for 12 channels together in one workspace. It also lets teams choose between ZChat-managed AI and their own key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, Mistral or OpenRouter, 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 — branding, AI settings, routing — happens in the dashboard. No plugins and no repeated code edits.

What happens when AI cannot handle the question?

The conversation moves to the human queue with the full transcript attached, so the visitor never restarts 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 AI provider key?

Yes. ZChat supports a ZChat-managed key or your own key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, Mistral or OpenRouter. Per-workspace settings include model selection, system prompt, escalation rules, and grounding — switchable without rebuilding the widget.

How does the knowledge base work?

Three ways in: write articles directly, paste URLs to import, or run the site crawler. The AI answers from that managed knowledge set, which 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 ZChat cost?

Free forever for one site with 500 AI messages per month. Paid pricing is per agent seat: $29/month per seat on ZChat-managed AI, or $15/month per seat if you bring your own AI provider key, or run without AI. No usage credits and no per-resolution fees.

How does ZChat compare with Intercom, Zendesk, Freshchat, Crisp, and Tidio?

Those are all credible products. ZChat is best aligned when a small team wants an AI agent that answers and acts across its channels, same-thread handoff, a flat price per seat, AI key ownership choice, and a self-hosted path. Bigger suites win when enterprise operations, mobile agent apps, deep ecommerce automation, or large app marketplaces matter more.

Do I need to replace my current help desk to try ZChat?

No. The cleanest evaluation is to leave your other channels where they already live and start ZChat on your website. Once AI coverage, transcript quality and human handoff look right, connect email, WhatsApp or social channels one at a time.

Is there a self-hosted option?

Yes. ZChat itself is cloud-hosted, but DChat (dchat.com), our separate self-hosted live chat product, runs on your own infrastructure — useful for regulated industries, regional hosting requirements, or air-gapped networks. It is a subscription: Community edition free with unlimited agents, Premium $19 and Enterprise $49 per agent per month.

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 in one admin surface.

What should I validate before using ZChat in production?

Test your AI prompts, routing rules, and retention settings against real traffic during the free tier. The current release does not claim formal HIPAA or SOC 2 certification by default, so validate compliance requirements specific to your environment first.

What should I measure in the first 30 days after launch?

AI-only resolution rate, visitor satisfaction on AI-only conversations, time from handoff to first human reply, and how many weak answers turned into knowledge or routing fixes. Those four numbers tell you faster than raw volume whether AI-first support is holding up.