Live Chat (Beacon)
Provide real-time customer support and self-service with AI Answers through live chat on your website.

Executive Summary
Help Scout's Live Chat (Beacon) is a powerful tool designed to offer real-time customer support directly on your website. It enables customers to get instant answers to common questions through AI Answers, which leverages your help documentation, or to connect directly with a support agent for personalized assistance. This dual approach enhances customer satisfaction by providing immediate solutions and efficient access to human support when needed. Beyond reactive support, Beacon also serves as a proactive engagement tool, allowing businesses to interact with website visitors and potential customers. It helps guide them through their journey, answer pre-sales questions, and provide information to facilitate conversions. Seamlessly integrated with the broader Help Scout platform, Beacon ensures all customer interactions are unified and accessible for a comprehensive view of customer relationships.
Use Cases
- Offer instant self-service support with AI Answers for common customer queries.
- Provide real-time, personalized assistance to customers directly on your website.
- Engage with website visitors and potential customers to answer questions and guide them.
Features
Intelligence
- AI Answers: Automatically provides instant responses to common customer questions by leveraging help documentation.
Support
- Live Chat: Enable real-time conversations with customers directly on your website.
- Self-Service: Allow customers to find answers themselves through integrated help documentation within the chat widget.
Visibility
- Customer Profiles: View detailed customer information and past interactions within the chat interface.
- Conversation History: Access a complete history of customer conversations for context and continuity.
Technical Specifications
- Architecture
- Client-side JavaScript widget (Beacon) interacting with Help Scout's backend services and APIs (Inbox API, Docs API).
- Deployment
- SaaS
- Authentication
- OAuth/OIDC
- API Available
- Yes
Security & Compliance
Certifications: SOC 2
Encryption: Data is encrypted both at rest and in transit to protect sensitive customer information.
Pricing
- Target Customer
- SMB,Mid-Market
About helpscout
Help Scout is a global remote SaaS company that provides a customer support platform, including a shared inbox, knowledge base, and multichannel messaging. It offers AI, automation, and reporting tools to help teams deliver human-centered support. The company serves small to mid-market businesses across various industries.
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