Desk
The open-source AI support desk built on ModelRiver: cost, hosting, connectors, data and handoff.
8 articles
- What is Desk, and how is it related to ModelRiver?Desk is ModelRiver's open-source support app: an AI chat widget, a help center and a team dashboard you host yourself. See what it does and how it works.
- Is Desk really free and open source?Yes. Desk is MIT-licensed and free to use, change and self-host. You only pay for your own server, your ModelRiver plan and your AI provider tokens.
- Where can I host Desk, and what do I need?Host Desk on Ubuntu, Docker, Fly.io, Render, Railway or any Linux server. It needs HTTPS, one instance and a persistent disk; serverless hosts don't fit.
- Does Desk need a paid ModelRiver plan?No. Desk works on the ModelRiver Free plan, which includes every feature. Learn how Desk's AI caps match Free limits and when to upgrade to a paid plan.
- Is it safe to connect Shopify or Stripe to Desk?Desk's Shopify and Stripe connectors are read-only, look up only a verified visitor's own records and keep a few fields. Here's how your data is handled.
- Where are Desk conversations stored?Desk stores chat history as ModelRiver sessions, not on your server. Learn what Desk keeps locally, how archiving and deletion work, and who can see chats.
- When does Desk hand a chat to a person?Desk hands a chat to your team when a visitor asks for a person or the AI can't respond. Learn how takeover, hand-back, email alerts and team roles work.
- Can I brand Desk and add the chat to my website?Customize Desk's name, colors, fonts and logo, and embed the chat widget on any website. Learn how branding, embedding and signed-in visitors work.