Tawk.to

Tawk.to

Tawk.to is a free live chat and customer messaging platform used across millions of websites. Scripts embed a chat widget that connects site visitors with support agents in real time. Visitor data including IP address, browser, location, and pages viewed is visible to agents and stored in tawk.to's dashboard.

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Overview

Tawk.to is a free live chat and customer messaging platform used across millions of websites. It embeds a chat widget that connects site visitors with support agents in real time. Visitor data including IP address, browser, location, and pages viewed is visible to agents in the tawk.to dashboard.

What This Script Does

  • Embeds a live chat widget on the site for real-time visitor-to-agent communication
  • Collects visitor metadata including IP address, browser, operating system, geographic location, and pages viewed
  • Sets cookies to maintain chat session state and identify returning visitors
  • Makes persistent WebSocket connections to tawk.to servers for real-time messaging
  • Stores chat transcripts and visitor activity data in tawk.to's dashboard

Consent & Compliance

  • Category: Functional
  • GDPR: May require consent or a legitimate interest assessment. While the chat function itself is functional, the collection of IP address, location, and browsing data for agent visibility goes beyond the minimum needed for chat.
  • CCPA: Visitor metadata is collected for the site operator's customer support purposes, not for third-party advertising.
  • ePrivacy: Session cookies for chat functionality are generally considered functional. Cookies for identifying returning visitors may require consent.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

No. Tawk.to provides a functional customer support feature. While it collects visitor metadata, this data serves the site's support operations rather than advertising. Blocking it would remove the ability for visitors to reach support.

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Consent Categories

Functional

Also Known As

tawk.totawktotawk tofree live chatlive chat widgettawk chat

Industries

Computers Electronics and TechnologyProgramming and Developer SoftwareBusiness and Consumer ServicesMarketing and Advertising

Tracked Domains (2)

embed.tawk.toFunctional
va.tawk.toFunctional

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cookie consent required for the Tawk.to chat widget?

Yes. Tawk.to is a functional vendor, but it collects visitor data including IP addresses, browser details, location, and pages viewed. It sets cookies to maintain chat sessions and identify returning visitors. Under GDPR, consent is needed before loading the widget since it processes personal data beyond basic chat functionality.

What visitor information does Tawk.to collect?

Tawk.to collects IP address, browser type, operating system, geographic location, and pages viewed. It sets cookies for chat session persistence and returning visitor recognition. The widget maintains WebSocket connections to Tawk.to servers, and all chat transcripts and visitor activity are stored in Tawk.to's dashboard.

How does ConsentStack handle Tawk.to on websites?

ConsentStack detects the Tawk.to chat widget and assigns it to the functional category. Before consent is provided, ConsentStack blocks the widget from loading, preventing cookies and metadata collection. Once functional consent is granted, the chat widget appears with full session tracking enabled.

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Manage consent for Tawk.to

ConsentStack automatically detects and manages Tawk.to trackers so your site stays compliant with global privacy regulations.

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