By the end of this guide, DeskPress will automatically generate draft replies for new Help Scout conversations using AI.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- DeskPress Pro activated on your WordPress site
- Help Scout connected to DeskPress (API credentials configured)
- An API key from OpenAI or Google Gemini
Steps
1. Choose your AI provider
Go to DeskPress > AI Agent > AI API tab. Select either OpenAI or Gemini as your AI provider.
2. Enter your API key
Paste your OpenAI or Gemini API key into the API Key field.
3. Select your models
Choose the models DeskPress will use:
- Chat Model -- this powers the draft responses. For example, GPT-4o (OpenAI) or Gemini 2.0 Flash (Gemini).
- Embedding Model -- this powers knowledge base search. For example, text-embedding-3-small (OpenAI) or text-embedding-004 (Gemini).
4. Save settings
Click Save to store your AI API configuration.
5. Add knowledge sources
Go to the Knowledge Base tab. Enable the sources you want the AI to learn from:
- Help Scout Conversations -- pulls from resolved conversations in your mailbox
- Help Scout Docs Articles -- uses your published documentation
- WordPress Site Content -- select which post types to include (posts, pages, products, etc.)
- External Websites -- enter sitemap URLs or individual page URLs
6. Run the indexer
Click Start Indexing on the Knowledge Base tab. This processes your content in the background and may take a while depending on how much content you have. You can leave the page -- it will keep running.
7. Configure drafts
Go to the AI Drafts tab and set up your preferences:
- Mailbox -- select which mailbox to monitor
- Folder (optional) -- limit to a specific folder
- Max Conversation Age -- how old a conversation can be and still receive a draft
8. Set up a trigger
Choose how DeskPress detects new conversations:
- Webhook mode -- enter the webhook secret in Help Scout for instant drafts
- Cron Polling mode -- set a poll interval (e.g., every 5 minutes) for periodic checks
9. Customize the prompt (optional)
Edit the System Prompt to match your brand voice, guidelines, and tone. This tells the AI how to write its responses.
10. Save and enable
Toggle AI Drafts on and click Save.
Verification
Create a test conversation in Help Scout. Within the configured interval (or almost immediately if using webhooks), a draft reply should appear in the conversation thread. The draft is not sent automatically -- your agents review and edit it before sending.