Freshworks

Overview

Freshworks is a SaaS company offering a suite of customer engagement products used by over 60,000 businesses: Freshdesk (support ticketing), Freshchat (live messaging and chatbots), Freshsales (CRM), and Freshservice (IT service management). On websites, Freshworks' presence is most commonly the Freshchat live chat widget — a floating messaging interface for customer support and bot-driven conversations.

What This Script Does

The Freshchat widget loads a JavaScript bundle that renders a floating chat button and panel on the host website.

Script Files and Domains

• wchat.freshchat.com/js/widget.js — Primary Freshchat widget script. Approximately 200–400KB minified (the bundle includes the full chat UI, bot framework, and messaging library).
• wchat.in.freshchat.com or regional variants (EU: wchat.eu.freshchat.com) — Regional widget delivery endpoints.
• WebSocket connections to fw-assets-ugc.freshchat.com or Freshchat's real-time messaging infrastructure for live chat functionality.
• Bot conversations: API calls to api.freshchat.com/v2/ for chatbot responses.

Cookies and Storage Set

• fc_* prefixed cookies — Freshchat internal cookies for widget state management. Multiple cookies may be set.
• _fc_org_id — Organization identifier cookie. Persists for up to 1 year. Allows Freshchat to route conversations to the correct Freshworks account.
• _fc_uuid — Unique visitor identifier linking the visitor to their chat history in the Freshworks platform. Persists for up to 1 year. This cookie enables returning visitor recognition — when a user returns to the site, their previous chat conversation history is accessible.
• _fc_session — Current chat session token. Expires after 30 minutes of inactivity.
• localStorage: freshchat_* keys store message queue, widget display preferences (open/minimized state), and unread message count across page navigations.

Data Collected Per Interaction

• Chat messages sent by the visitor (stored in Freshworks CRM as conversation transcripts)
• Visitor context: current page URL, page title, referrer URL (provided to the agent as session context)
• Browser metadata: user agent, browser language, timezone, screen dimensions
• IP address (used for geographic context shown to agents)
• Email address, name, and phone number if entered in pre-chat forms or during conversation
• Custom properties set by the site operator via JavaScript (e.g., user ID, account tier, subscription plan)
• Bot interaction events: which bot flows were triggered, which paths were taken, handoff to human agent events

Freshdesk Integration When a chat conversation needs escalation, Freshchat can create Freshdesk support tickets automatically. The ticket contains the full conversation transcript and visitor context.

Visitor Timeline Freshworks' CRM can build a timeline of each visitor's interactions: pages visited, chats initiated, support tickets, email exchanges. This requires a Freshworks CRM integration beyond the basic chat widget.

Consent & Compliance

Consent category: Functional

• GDPR/ePrivacy: The Freshchat widget serves a functional customer support purpose. Session cookies (_fc_session) for maintaining active chat conversations are arguably strictly necessary for the service the user is explicitly requesting (live chat support). However, the persistent _fc_uuid returning visitor identification cookie goes beyond strict necessity — its purpose is to recognize returning users and surface conversation history, which is a convenience feature rather than an essential one.
• Strict interpretation: Some DPAs may require consent for the _fc_uuid persistent identifier, as it tracks individuals across visits without a clear strictly necessary justification. German and French DPA guidance tends toward requiring consent for any persistent third-party identifier.
• CCPA/CPRA: Chat transcript data and visitor profiles stored in Freshworks are personal information. Freshworks acts as a service provider, not a data seller.
• EU data residency: Freshworks offers EU data residency (EU data center in Frankfurt). Configure the Freshchat deployment to use the EU regional endpoint (wchat.eu.freshchat.com) to ensure EU visitor data stays within the EU. EU-US transfers otherwise rely on SCCs and the DPF (Freshworks is a US-headquartered company with Indian origins).

Should You Block This Without Consent?

No. Freshchat widgets provide functional customer support that users actively initiate. Blocking the widget would remove live support access. The session cookies are strictly necessary for chat functionality. The persistent _fc_uuid identification cookie warrants disclosure in the cookie policy. If your legal interpretation requires consent for all persistent third-party cookies, consider implementing Freshchat in a consent-aware configuration that initializes the full widget only after consent is obtained.