HelpCrunch

Overview

HelpCrunch is a Lithuanian customer messaging platform that combines live chat, a knowledge base, email marketing, and pop-up notifications in a single widget. It competes with Intercom and Crisp in the SMB segment. Its script is embedded on websites to provide visitor-facing support and onboarding communication, and it collects behavioral data to build visitor profiles within the HelpCrunch dashboard.

What This Script Does

HelpCrunch loads its widget script from widget.helpcrunch.com. On initialization, the script:

• Renders the chat widget: Injects an iframe-based chat bubble into the page DOM. Clicking it opens a messaging interface.
• Sets visitor cookies: Writes cookies on the host domain to maintain chat session continuity across page navigations. These include a visitor identifier and session token. Cookie lifetimes vary by widget configuration but typically persist for 30 days.
• Page view tracking: Records each page the visitor navigates to while the widget is active, building a behavioral profile visible to support agents in the HelpCrunch dashboard.
• Visitor identification: If the site passes user data (name, email, custom attributes) to the widget via the JavaScript API, this data is transmitted to HelpCrunch's servers and stored in the contact record.
• Network requests: Outbound connections are made to api.helpcrunch.com for message delivery and contact updates, and to widget.helpcrunch.com for asset loading.
• Email capture: The pre-chat form can collect visitor email addresses before the chat session begins.

Consent & Compliance

GDPR and ePrivacy Directive: HelpCrunch sets persistent cookies for visitor identification and records behavioral data (page views, chat history) tied to individual visitors. These are non-essential cookies requiring prior consent under the ePrivacy Directive. The behavioral profiling aspect — building a visit history in the support dashboard — is personal data processing under GDPR that requires a lawful basis, typically consent or legitimate interest with proper balancing test documentation.

CCPA/CPRA: HelpCrunch collects behavioral data and chat interaction content. This constitutes personal information under CCPA. HelpCrunch acts as a service provider; no evidence of data selling to third parties. The business using HelpCrunch must disclose chat data collection in its privacy policy.

The consent category is functional. The widget delivers a genuine support service requested by visitors who initiate chat, which provides a legitimate interest basis in many implementations. However, the passive page-view tracking component requires consent.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

Conditional.

The live chat widget itself can be justified under legitimate interest when visitors actively seek support. However, HelpCrunch's passive page-view tracking and visitor profiling functions exceed what is necessary to deliver chat support. Configure your consent implementation to load the widget framework but suppress behavioral tracking cookies until consent is granted, or block the entire script and display a placeholder until functional consent is given.