{ "version": "2", "generatedAt": "2026-11-03T22:49:39.280Z", "listing": { "slug": "LiveHelperChat--livehelperchat", "name": "Live Helper Chat", "tagline": "Apache-licensed live chat and bot platform with a settings.ini.php surface and a Builder-published REST API.", "shortTagline": "Live chat and bot platform", "description": "Live Helper Chat is a PHP live-support system that runs at sites handling 10,000+ chats a day: web widget, departments, canned messages, transfers, a bot builder that plugs into ChatGPT, Ollama, Gemini, Rasa or any REST API, plus Telegram, WhatsApp, Messenger and SMS bridges. Configuration lives in lhc_web/settings/settings.ini.php and the Builder publishes a REST API with Swagger docs.", "capabilities": [ "adaptable", "operable" ], "vertical": "support-bookkeeping", "alternativeTo": [ "Intercom", "LiveChat", "Zendesk Chat" ], "shape": "business-app", "formFactor": "web-app", "executionModel": "hybrid", "provenance": "human-written", "codeStack": { "languages": [ "PHP", "JavaScript" ], "frameworks": [ "React (widget and back office)" ], "packageManager": "composer, npm", "database": [ "MySQL", "MariaDB" ], "hostingTarget": [ "self-host", "Docker (LiveHelperChat/docker-standalone)", "DigitalOcean marketplace" ] }, "modelStack": { "providers": [ "OpenAI (optional)", "Ollama (optional)", "Google Gemini (optional)", "Rasa (optional)" ], "models": [], "requiredKeys": [], "promptLocations": [ "bot builder (UI)" ], "tools": [] }, "repos": [ { "url": "https://github.com/LiveHelperChat/livehelperchat", "owner": "LiveHelperChat", "name": "livehelperchat", "license": "Apache-2.0", "stars": 2242, "lastCommit": "2026-08-31" } ], "interface": { "kind": "api", "url": "https://demo.livehelperchat.com/restapi/swagger", "official": true, "hosted": "local" }, "operability": "official", "recommendedWrapper": null, "reach": [ { "job": "List chats, messages, and departments", "reachable": true, "evidence": "doc.livehelperchat.com/docs/development/rest-api: list chats, departments, messages, get chat information" }, { "job": "Send operator messages into a chat", "reachable": true, "evidence": "REST API doc: supports sending messages; message types visitor, operator, system, bot" }, { "job": "Check operator and department online status", "reachable": true, "evidence": "REST API doc: online status checks for general, users, departments" }, { "job": "Track online visitors", "reachable": true, "evidence": "REST API doc: logging online visitor activity" }, { "job": "Close or transfer a chat", "reachable": true, "evidence": "Swagger: POST /restapi/setchatstatus (status 2 = closed) and PUT /restapi/chat/{chat_id} to update chat fields; no dedicated transfer endpoint" }, { "job": "Build and edit bot flows", "reachable": false, "evidence": "Swagger has POST/PUT/DELETE /restapi/bot for bot records, but trigger and flow editing is the back-office builder only" }, { "job": "Canned messages", "reachable": false, "evidence": "No canned-message path among the 48 Swagger paths at demo.livehelperchat.com/restapi/swagger" }, { "job": "Chat statistics and agent performance", "reachable": true, "evidence": "Swagger: GET /restapi/agentstatistic" }, { "job": "Connect Telegram, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS", "reachable": false, "evidence": "channel bridges are separate extensions configured in the back office" }, { "job": "Voice and video calls", "reachable": false, "evidence": "Jitsi/Agora integrations are widget features" } ], "editions": [ { "name": "Free (self-hosted)", "price": null, "open": true, "distributions": [ { "kind": "source", "url": "https://github.com/LiveHelperChat/livehelperchat" }, { "kind": "binary", "url": "https://github.com/LiveHelperChat/livehelperchat/releases" }, { "kind": "container", "url": "https://github.com/LiveHelperChat/docker-standalone" }, { "kind": "one-click", "url": "https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/live-helper-chat/" } ] } ], "skills": { "kind": "none", "paths": [], "install": null, "note": "No SKILL.md, Claude Code plugin, or skills install target in the repo." }, "customization": { "summary": "Copy lhc_web/settings/settings.ini.default.php to settings.ini.php and set site_admin_email, locale, theme, time_zone, site_address, webhooks.enabled, disable_rest_api_by_user, and redis/memcache servers. Bot flows, departments, canned messages, and the AI provider keys are entered in the back office, not files. Theme changes use the template override system; that is the only place code edits come in.", "envVars": [], "configFiles": [ "lhc_web/settings/settings.ini.php", "lhc_web/settings/settings.ini.default.php" ], "promptFiles": [], "effort": "config-only", "editCount": 2 }, "useWhen": [ "we want a free live chat widget on our site with a bot that answers from ChatGPT or Ollama and hands off to a human", "we run support on Telegram or WhatsApp and want every channel in one operator console we host" ], "accounts": [ "OpenAI, Gemini, or an Ollama host (optional, for bot replies)", "Telegram, Meta, or Twilio accounts for channel bridges (optional)" ], "active": true, "lastActivity": "2026-08-31", "gotchas": [ "Composer install needed on a git clone; releases ship without it", "Webhooks are off by default in settings.ini and extensions depend on them", "PHP 8.2 minimum; a separate Laravel rewrite exists and may split future effort", "REST API uses Basic auth with an API key or back-office login; scope it to a dedicated operator" ], "fit": { "adaptable": 3, "operable": 2 }, "evidence": { "formFactor": "README: lhc_web/index.php served by PHP; mobile and desktop apps are companions", "executionModel": "core chat is deterministic; bot builder calls ChatGPT, Ollama, Gemini or Rasa when configured", "operability": "Swagger 2.0 spec at demo.livehelperchat.com/restapi/swagger (linked from api.livehelperchat.com): 'Create API key in Live Helper Chat back office. During authorization provide operator username and key instead of password'; securityDefinitions login type basic; 48 paths under /restapi/ for chats, messages, users, departments, bots, files, surveys, webhooks, statistics. doc.livehelperchat.com/docs/development/rest-api confirms Basic auth and the .htaccess Authorization passthrough.", "effort": "README points at settings.ini.default.php lines 13-16 and 86 for debug and webhook toggles; file has 'site' array with named keys", "editions": "README: bring live support to your site for free; no paid edition found", "active": "gh api: pushed 2026-08-31, 2242 stars" }, "confidence": { "formFactor": 0.95, "executionModel": 0.8, "operability": 0.95, "effort": 0.85, "reach": 0.85, "editions": 0.85 }, "openQuestions": [ "Is there a transfer-to-department endpoint, or is updatechatattributes/PUT /restapi/chat the intended route?", "Whether any paid support or hosting edition exists beyond donations" ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://github.com/LiveHelperChat/livehelperchat", "foundBy": "sourcing:support-bookkeeping:curated" }, { "url": "https://doc.livehelperchat.com/", "foundBy": "sourcing:support-bookkeeping:curated" }, { "url": "https://doc.livehelperchat.com/docs/development/rest-api", "foundBy": "analysis" } ], "research": { "stage": "verified", "verdict": "approve", "reason": "Builder-published REST API with a Swagger spec, HTTP Basic auth using an operator username plus an API key created in the back office, no browser session required. Reach is six of ten jobs: bot flows, canned messages, channels, and calls stay in the UI.", "disputed": [] }, "url": "apps/LiveHelperChat--livehelperchat.html", "coverage": "partial", "paid": false, "source": "research/verified/LiveHelperChat--livehelperchat.json" } }