By the end of this guide, you'll have a fully functional support portal live on your WordPress site. Your visitors will be able to browse help topics, search your knowledge base, view their conversations, and submit new support requests -- all from a single page.
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure:
- DeskPress is installed and activated. See Installing DeskPress if you haven't done this yet.
- Your Help Scout account is connected. See Connecting Your Help Scout Account for instructions.
Step 1: Create the Portal Page
- In your WordPress admin, go to Pages > Add New.
- Give your page a title. Something clear and simple works best, like:
- "Support"
- "Help Center"
- "Customer Support"
- You don't need to add any content to the page body -- DeskPress handles the layout automatically.
Step 2: Assign the Portal Template
- In the Block Editor (Gutenberg), open the page settings in the right sidebar.
- Look for the Template option under the page settings panel.
- Select DeskPress - Portal from the template dropdown.
- If you're using the Classic Editor, look for the Page Attributes box on the right side and select the template from the Template dropdown there.
Step 3: Publish the Page
- Click Publish (or Update if the page already exists).
- Click the View Page link to see your portal in action.
You should see a fully styled support portal that includes:
- A hero section with a search bar at the top
- Topic cards linking to your Help Scout Docs collections
- A conversation list where logged-in users can view their support tickets
Step 4: Add the Portal to Your Navigation (Optional)
To make it easy for visitors to find your portal:
- Go to Appearance > Menus in your WordPress admin.
- In the Pages panel on the left, find your new portal page and check the box next to it.
- Click Add to Menu.
- Drag the menu item to your preferred position.
- Click Save Menu.
If your theme uses the block-based navigation (Full Site Editing), you can add the page link directly through the Site Editor under Appearance > Editor > Navigation.
Choosing a Portal Template
DeskPress comes with several page templates to suit different needs:
| Template | Description |
|---|---|
| DeskPress - Portal | The full-featured portal with hero section, topic cards, docs search, and conversation list. Best for most sites. |
| DeskPress - Dashboard | A minimal layout focused on the conversation list. Great if you only need ticket management. |
| DeskPress - Starter | A basic starting point with essential elements. Good if you plan to customize heavily. |
| DeskPress - Custom | A blank canvas that uses the Portal Template Builder. Choose this if you want full control over every section. |
To switch templates at any time, edit your portal page and change the template in the page settings.