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opendesk.shOpen app

The open-source helpdesk, documented.

Shared inboxes, live chat, a knowledge base and a public API, with everything updating live across your team. Run it on opendesk.sh or on your own server.

Get startedSelf-host in one commandAPI reference

Start here

Section titled “Start here”

Cloud

Use opendesk.sh

Nothing to install or run. Sign up at app.opendesk.sh and answer your first ticket in a few minutes.

  1. Create your account
  2. Name your workspace
  3. Connect a mailbox
  4. Add the chat widget to your site
  5. Invite your team
Cloud quickstart

Self-host

Run it on your own server

One command installs opendesk, Postgres and HTTPS. Free forever, and the same code as the cloud.

  1. Get a server with Docker
  2. Point a domain at it
  3. Run the install script
  4. Create the first account
  5. Set up email
Self-host quickstart

Find your way around

Section titled “Find your way around”
Inbox and ticketsAnswer, assign, snooze and solve, with your team live on every ticket.MailboxesBring support addresses in by forwarding, IMAP, Google or Microsoft.Live chat widgetOne script tag adds chat and your help center to your site.Knowledge baseWrite articles once, for your help center and the widget.AutomationsRules that route, tag, assign and reply when tickets change.Ollie, the assistantAsk about your queue, draft replies and prepare changes you approve.ReportsVolume, response and resolution times, SLA breaches and CSAT.API and webhooksEverything you can click, you can automate with a scoped key.

How it fits together

Section titled “How it fits together”

On your own server, opendesk is four containers behind one domain. The hosted service runs the same code, split into roles. See Self-hosting and Cloud architecture.

A self-hosted install on one server and one domain. Browsers reach Caddy over HTTPS on port 443. Caddy sends /socket to the realtime gateway and everything else to opendesk. opendesk, which runs the API, the workers, the web app and an embedded NATS, publishes events over NATS to the realtime gateway and keeps its data in Postgres. Realtime, opendesk and Postgres sit on an internal network; only Caddy is published.desk.example.com, one serverinternal networkBrowserweb app, appsand chat widgetcaddyHTTPS, ports 80, 443realtimelive events, presenceopendeskAPI, workers, web appNATS, embeddedpostgresthe only datastore:443/socketeverything elseevents over NATSSQLthe only published service
Four containers behind one domain. Only Caddy is published; the rest talk on an internal network.

Build on opendesk

Section titled “Build on opendesk”
REST APIThe web app uses exactly the public API, with keys scoped to what they need.
WebhooksSigned deliveries for every event, with retries and a delivery log.
RealtimePhoenix Channels for events, presence and typing, with gap-free replay.
MCP serverConnect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client with a sign-in or a key.

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