# Tiledesk MIT live chat plus chatbot design studio, deployed from a docker-compose env file, driven by a REST API. Tiledesk is an open-source conversational support platform: web widget, agent dashboard, a visual chatbot Design Studio with LLM and knowledge-base steps, and channels for WhatsApp, Messenger, and Telegram. This repo is the deployment bundle (docker-compose and Helm) that wires server, dashboard, design studio, chat21 messaging, and MongoDB together. The Builder publishes a REST API for requests, messages, leads, departments, chatbots, and knowledge bases, and sells hosted and enterprise editions. Alternative to: Intercom, Tidio, Drift - Capabilities: adaptable, operable - Vertical: support-bookkeeping - Shape: business-app - Form factor: web-app - Execution model: hybrid - Provenance: human-written (recorded, never ranked) - Repo: https://github.com/Tiledesk/tiledesk (MIT), 316 stars, last commit 2026-09-01 - Last activity: 2026-09-01 - Page: apps/Tiledesk--tiledesk.html - JSON: apps/Tiledesk--tiledesk.json ## Use it when - we want a self-hosted chat widget with an AI bot that answers from our docs and escalates to a human, under an MIT license - we want our agent to open, tag, route, and close conversations through an API while humans work in the dashboard ## Gotchas - Nine services plus MongoDB and Redis; the README says Helm charts are not production-ready as is - Stars are split across many repos (server, dashboard, design studio); this bundle repo shows 316 - Enterprise Docker images need credentials from info@tiledesk.com - Hosted plan pricing page returned 404 during analysis ## Editions - Community (self-hosted): Free, open source - source: https://github.com/Tiledesk/tiledesk - container: docker compose -f docker-compose.yml up - Hosted (tiledesk.com): Free, closed source - hosted: https://tiledesk.com - Enterprise (private images): Free, closed source - container: https://github.com/Tiledesk/tiledesk#enterprise-version ## Adaptable: make it yours Effort: config-only (18 things to edit) docker-compose/docker-compose.yml sets 60+ environment variables per service. An SMB edits JWT_SECRET_KEY, SERVER_BASE_URL, DASHBOARD_URL, WIDGET_LOCATION, REDIS_URL, GPTKEY (LLM key name), VECTOR_STORE_HOST, WEBHOOK_ENABLED, EMAIL_SECTION, SUPPORT_MODE, and PUSH_ENGINE. Chatbot behavior and prompts are authored in Design Studio, not files. Helm charts are a starting template the README says to modify for production. - Env vars: JWT_SECRET_KEY, JWT_KEY, SERVER_BASE_URL, DASHBOARD_URL, WIDGET_LOCATION, REDIS_URL, GPTKEY, VECTOR_STORE_HOST, VECTOR_STORE_NAME, WEBHOOK_ENABLED, RESTHOOK_ENABLED, EMAIL_SECTION, SUPPORT_MODE, PUSH_ENGINE, APPS_ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET, MQTT_APIENDPOINT - Config files: docker-compose/docker-compose.yml, helm/values.yaml - Prompt files: none - Accounts you'll need: OpenAI or another LLM provider (for AI steps); Meta or Telegram developer accounts for channels (optional); Tiledesk account for hosted and enterprise editions ## Operable: what an agent can drive Operability: official. Interface: api at https://developer.tiledesk.com/apis/rest-api (published by the builder, both). ### Reach (partial coverage) - Create and list support requests (conversations): reachable. Requests API: POST create with first text, language, source page; list with filters by status, department, lead, channel, tags - Route, assign, and follow requests: reachable. Requests API: route to department, add/set/remove participants and followers - Close and reopen requests: reachable. Requests API: close (status 1000), reopen (status 100) - Send messages into a conversation: reachable. Messages section in the REST API index; Requests API returns participants and messages - Tag requests and add internal notes: reachable. Requests API: tags, custom attributes, notes add/update/delete - Manage leads and departments: reachable. Leads and Departments sections in the REST API index - Design chatbot flows: undetermined. Chatbots section exists in the API index; whether flows can be authored through API versus imported JSON not verified - Load knowledge bases for AI answers: undetermined. Knowledge Bases section in the API index; operations not verified - Connect WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram: not reachable. channel apps are configured through the dashboard Apps panel - Analytics and CSAT reporting: not reachable. ratings are on requests; no analytics section in the API index ## Code stack - Languages: JavaScript, TypeScript - Frameworks: Node.js, Express, Angular (dashboard), Ionic (chat21) - Package manager: npm - Database: MongoDB, Redis - Hosting target: Docker Compose, Kubernetes (Helm) ## Model stack - Providers: OpenAI (GPTKEY), other LLMs through tilellm - Models: none - Keys you need (names only): GPTKEY - Prompts live in: Design Studio (UI) - Tools: none ## Evidence and confidence - formFactor: README: Docker Compose or Kubernetes deployment of server, dashboard, design studio, chat21, MongoDB (confidence 0.95) - executionModel: GPTKEY and vector store variables in docker-compose.yml; Design Studio LLM steps (confidence 0.85) - operability: developer.tiledesk.com REST API index: Requests, Messages, Leads, Departments, Chatbots, Knowledge Bases, JWT (confidence 0.9) - effort: docker-compose/docker-compose.yml environment blocks list named variables (confidence 0.85) - editions: README: Enterprise credentials for private images; tiledesk.com hosted (confidence 0.6) - active: gh api: pushed 2026-09-01; dashboard repo pushed 2026-09-02 - reach: (confidence 0.75) ## Open questions - Hosted and enterprise pricing - Whether chatbot flows and knowledge bases can be created through the API ## Sources - https://github.com/Tiledesk/tiledesk (sourcing:support-bookkeeping:curated) - https://developer.tiledesk.com/ (sourcing:support-bookkeeping:curated) - https://developer.tiledesk.com/apis/rest-api/requests.md (analysis)