DeskPress syncs your WordPress users to Help Scout as customers, keeping both platforms in sync with matching profiles. When someone registers or updates their WordPress account, their Help Scout record is updated automatically.
How to Enable
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to DeskPress > Dashboard > Getting Started.
- Scroll down to the Customer Sync section.
Configuration Walkthrough
Running a Batch Sync
If you have existing WordPress users that need to be synced to Help Scout, use the batch sync feature:
- Go to DeskPress > Dashboard > Getting Started.
- Scroll to the Customer Sync section.
- Click the Sync Users button.
- A progress bar appears. Wait for it to reach 100%.
- That's it! All your WordPress users now have matching Help Scout customer records.
DeskPress processes users in batches of 5 at a time to avoid overloading the Help Scout API. Depending on how many users you have, this may take a few minutes.
Automatic Sync
Once enabled, DeskPress handles ongoing sync automatically:
- New registrations: When someone creates a WordPress account, DeskPress immediately creates a matching Help Scout customer.
- Profile updates: When a user edits their WordPress profile, the changes are pushed to Help Scout right away.
No extra configuration is needed for automatic sync -- it works as soon as the feature is enabled.
Field Mapping
Here is how WordPress profile fields map to Help Scout customer fields:
| WordPress Field | Help Scout Field |
|---|---|
| First Name | firstName |
| Last Name | lastName |
| emails | |
| Bio / Description | background |
| Website URL | websites |
Settings Reference
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Sync Users | Button that starts a batch sync of all existing WordPress users to Help Scout. |
| Progress Bar | Shows completion percentage during a batch sync. |
Tips and Common Questions
Q: What happens if a Help Scout customer already exists for an email?
DeskPress checks for an existing customer first. If one is found, it updates the existing record. If not, it creates a new customer.
Q: Does this sync Help Scout customers back to WordPress?
No. The sync is one-way: WordPress to Help Scout. It does not create WordPress accounts from Help Scout data.
Q: How does DeskPress keep track of which users have been synced?
Customer IDs from Help Scout are cached in WordPress user meta. This means lookups are fast and DeskPress doesn't need to query Help Scout every time.
Q: The progress bar seems stuck. What should I do?
Give it a moment -- each batch takes a few seconds. If it truly stops, try refreshing the page and running the sync again. DeskPress will pick up where it left off based on which users already have customer IDs stored.
Related documentation: