Getting Started with Frappe Helpdesk

Welcome to Frappe Helpdesk! This guide walks you through the essential steps to set up your helpdesk, invite your support team, configure ticket handling, and start assisting customers.

Before configuring your Helpdesk, it’s helpful to understand how the application is organized and where different tasks are performed.

Understanding the Frappe Helpdesk Interface

Frappe Helpdesk consists of two main areas:

• Frontend — Used by support agents and customers.
• Desk (Backend) — Used by administrators for configuration and management.

Frontend

The frontend includes two separate portals.

Agent Portal

The Agent Portal is the primary workspace for your support team.

From here, agents can:

• View and manage tickets.
• Reply to customers.
• Assign tickets.
• Track SLA timers.
• Add internal notes.

If the Agent Portal is not displayed after logging in, append /helpdesk to your site URL.

Customer Portal

The Customer Portal allows customers to:

• Create support tickets.
• Track ticket progress.
• View replies from support agents.

You can access Customer Portal settings from Settings → Customer Portal.

Desk (Backend)

The Desk interface is available to administrators and System Managers.

It is used to configure:

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Assignment Rules.
• Ticket forms and workflows.
• Teams, roles, and permissions.

Step 1: Complete the Basic Setup

Most initial configuration can be completed from Settings within the Agent Portal.

Upload Your Branding

Go to Settings → Branding to customize your Helpdesk appearance.

You can update:

• Company logo.
• Favicon.

Your branding appears in both the Agent Portal and Customer Portal.

Connect Your Support Email

To receive and send support emails directly from Frappe Helpdesk:

1. Go to Settings → Email Accounts.
2. Select your email service provider.
3. Configure the incoming and outgoing email settings.

Once configured, customer emails can automatically be converted into support tickets.

Invite Support Agents

Add your support team from Settings → Agents.

1. Click Add Agent.
2. Enter the user’s information.
3. Send the invitation email.
4. Assign the appropriate role, such as Agent or Manager.

Create Teams

Organize agents into teams using Settings → Teams.

Teams make it easier to:

• Route tickets automatically.
• Distribute workload.
• Assign tickets to the appropriate department.

Step 2: Configure Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

SLAs define the expected response and resolution times for support tickets.

To configure an SLA:

1. Open Apps → Desk.
2. Search for HD Service Level Agreement.
3. Open the Default SLA or create additional SLA policies.

You can configure:

• First Response Time.
• Resolution Time.
• Priority-specific targets.
• Working hours.
• Holiday lists.
• Conditions for applying different SLA policies.

Step 3: Configure Assignment Rules

Assignment Rules automatically route incoming tickets to the appropriate agents or teams.

To create an Assignment Rule:

1. Open Apps → Desk.
2. Search for HD Assignment Rule.
3. Create a new rule.
4. Define assignment conditions.
5. Select assignment days.
6. Choose an assignment strategy.
7. Select users or teams.

Available assignment methods include:

• Round Robin.
• Load Balancing.
• Based on Field Values.

Step 4: Creating Tickets

Tickets can be created using multiple channels.

Customer Portal

Customers can submit tickets through the Customer Portal.

They can:

• Create new tickets.
• Track ticket progress.
• View SLA information.
• Read agent responses.

If a Knowledge Base is configured, customers may also receive recommended articles before submitting a ticket.

Email

Support emails can automatically become tickets.

Configure an email account as Incoming or Default Incoming to automatically convert incoming emails into Helpdesk tickets.

Agent Portal

Support agents can manually create tickets for requests received through phone calls, chat conversations, or other communication channels.

Within each ticket, agents can manage:

• Ticket details.
• SLA timers.
• Customer replies.
• Assignments.
• Priority.
• Teams.
• Internal comments.
• Tags.

What’s Next?

After completing the basic setup, you can further customize your Helpdesk environment.

Common next steps include:

• Customize ticket forms.
• Add custom fields.
• Create canned responses.
• Build a Knowledge Base.
• Configure notifications.

Best Practices

• Complete branding before inviting customers.
• Configure email accounts before accepting support requests.
• Create teams before enabling automatic assignment.
• Review SLA policies regularly as support requirements evolve.
• Use Assignment Rules to distribute workload fairly across agents.