The Setup Wizard

DeskPress includes a guided setup wizard that walks you through the essential configuration steps so you can get up and running quickly. The wizard launches automatically the first time you activate the plugin. You can also start it at any time by going to DeskPress > Dashboard in your WordPress admin.

The wizard adapts to your site — you'll always see the core steps, and additional steps appear automatically based on which plugins you have installed (WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads) and whether AI features are available.

Step 1: Help Scout API

This is where you connect DeskPress to your Help Scout account using OAuth2.

1. Enter your Application ID (App ID).
2. Enter your App Secret.
3. Enter your Mailbox ID — this is the numeric ID of the Help Scout mailbox DeskPress should use. You can find it in Help Scout under Manage (gear icon) > Mailboxes > click your mailbox. The ID is the number in the browser URL bar (e.g. mailbox/123456).
4. Click Test Connection to verify that the credentials are correct.

If the test succeeds, you'll see a green confirmation message. If it fails, double-check that you copied all three values correctly.

Not sure where to find your App ID and App Secret? See Connecting Your Help Scout Account for detailed instructions on creating an OAuth2 app in Help Scout.

Step 2: Beacon

Help Scout's Beacon is a widget that lets visitors search your help docs and contact your team without leaving your site.

1. Paste your Beacon embed code from Help Scout. You can find this in Help Scout under Manage (gear icon) > Beacon > select your Beacon > Installation tab. Copy the full JavaScript snippet.
2. (Optional) Enter your Secure Mode Secret Key if you want to enable secure mode. Secure mode verifies visitor identity, preventing users from impersonating others. To find it: in your Beacon settings, go to the Security tab > enable "Secure Mode" > copy the displayed secret key.

You can always configure Beacon later under DeskPress > Integrations.

Step 3: Docs

Connect your Help Scout Docs site so visitors can search your knowledge base directly from the portal.

1. Enter your Docs API Key. In Help Scout, click your profile avatar (bottom-left) > Your Profile > Authentication > API Keys tab. Generate or copy your Docs API key.
2. Enter your Site ID. Click Manage (gear icon) > Docs > click on your Docs site. The Site ID is the alphanumeric code in the browser URL (e.g. docs/site/abc123def).

If you don't use Help Scout Docs, you can skip this step.

Step 4: WooCommerce (if WooCommerce is active)

This step only appears if WooCommerce is installed and active. It sets up a Help Scout sidebar app that shows customer and order data directly in the conversation sidebar, so your support agents can see purchase history without leaving Help Scout.

1. Copy the Callback URL shown on screen — this is the URL Help Scout will call to fetch customer data.
2. Copy the Secret Key (or leave empty to auto-generate one) — this key verifies requests between Help Scout and your site.
3. In Help Scout, go to Manage (gear icon) > Apps > search for "Custom App" > Create Custom App.
4. Give it a name (e.g. "WooCommerce"), paste the Callback URL and Secret Key, and select which mailboxes should show the sidebar app.

Step 5: Easy Digital Downloads (if EDD is active)

This step only appears if Easy Digital Downloads is installed and active. It works the same way as the WooCommerce step but shows EDD customer data, purchases, and license keys in the sidebar.

1. Copy the Callback URL and Secret Key displayed on screen.
2. In Help Scout, create another Custom App (e.g. "EDD Orders") and paste the values.

The secret key is shared between WooCommerce, EDD, and WP eCommerce integrations.

Step 6: AI Agent (if Pro license with AI features)

This step appears if your license includes AI features and the AI stack is loaded. It lets you configure AI-powered draft replies and the AI chatbot.

1. Choose your AI Provider — either OpenAI or Google Gemini.
2. Enter your API Key for the selected provider:

• OpenAI: Get your key at platform.openai.com > API Keys. Requires a paid OpenAI account.
• Gemini: Get your key at aistudio.google.com > Get API Key. A free tier is available.

1. Toggle Enable AI Drafts — when enabled, DeskPress automatically generates draft replies for new support tickets. Drafts are saved as notes so agents review and edit before sending.
2. Toggle Enable AI Chatbot — adds a chatbot widget to your site that answers visitor questions using your knowledge base and conversation history.
3. (Optional) Check Skip indexing for now if you don't want to index your Help Scout conversations and knowledge base articles immediately. Indexing provides the AI with context for generating relevant responses. You can start it later from the AI settings page.

Step 7: Support Portal

DeskPress needs a WordPress page to serve as your support portal.

1. Enter a Page Title for your portal page (e.g. "Support" or "Help Center"). You can change this later from the WordPress page editor.
2. Choose a template:

The wizard creates the page and assigns the selected template automatically.

Step 8: Done!

That's it — your basic setup is complete. The wizard will show you a summary of what was configured and provide links to explore the different features of DeskPress.