This dataset was developed as part of an online survey study that investigates how phatic expressions—comments that are social rather than informative in nature—influence the perceived helpfulness of online peer help-giving replies in an asynchronous college course discussion forum. During the study, undergraduate students (N = 320) rated and described the helpfulness of examples of replies to online requests for help, both with and without four types of phatic expressions: greeting/parting tokens, other-oriented comments, self-oriented comments, and neutral comments.