# FreeScout

> A shared help desk inbox so your team can answer customer email together.

- Web page: https://documentation.federated.computer/apps/freescout/
- Category: Business operations
- Use instead of: Zendesk, Help Scout, Freshdesk, Front
- Typical address: `freescout.example.com`
- Project website: https://freescout.net/
- Official docs: https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/wiki

## Overview

FreeScout turns a support address like `support@example.com` into a shared inbox. Every incoming email becomes a **conversation** that can be assigned, discussed internally, and tracked until it's resolved, so nothing falls through the cracks and customers get one consistent reply.

Main capabilities:

- **Mailboxes** connected to your support addresses.
- **Assignment**, **statuses** (Active, Pending, Closed, Spam), and **follow** to stay informed.
- **Internal notes** visible only to your team, with @mentions.
- **Saved replies** for common answers.
- **Collision detection** so two people don't answer the same email.
- **Customer profiles** with conversation history.
- **Auto-replies**, signatures per mailbox, and notification settings per person.
- **Modules** (some free, some paid) for knowledge bases, satisfaction ratings, live chat, reports, and more.

### What it replaces

FreeScout replaces email-based help desks such as Help Scout, Zendesk, Freshdesk, and Front for teams that support customers mainly over email.

## Signing in

Open your FreeScout address and sign in with the account your administrator created. FreeScout keeps its own user list; ask an administrator to add you to the right mailboxes.

## Handle conversations

1. Open a mailbox from the top menu. Folders on the left show **Unassigned**, **Mine**, **Assigned**, **Closed**, and **Spam**.

   ![FreeScout mailbox showing the Assigned folder with a list of conversations](https://documentation.federated.computer/screenshots/freescout/conversations.png)

   *A mailbox, with folders on the left and conversations on the right. Shown on the public demo. Your server may look slightly different.*

2. Open a conversation and **assign** it to yourself (or a colleague) from the toolbar.
3. Choose **Reply** to answer the customer, or **Note** to leave an internal comment.
4. Set the status when you send:
   - **Active** while you're working on it.
   - **Pending** when you're waiting for the customer. It returns to Active when they reply.
   - **Closed** when it's resolved.

   ![Replying to a conversation in FreeScout, with the Status and Assign to menus under the editor](https://documentation.federated.computer/screenshots/freescout/reply.png)

   *Replying to a customer. The **Status** and **Assign to** menus sit under the editor. Shown on the public demo. Your server may look slightly different.*

Use **Saved replies** (the speech-bubble icon in the editor) for answers you send often, and **Merge** if a customer starts several conversations about the same thing.

## Notifications

Under your avatar, **Your profile**, **Notifications**, choose which events email you or show in the browser: new conversations, replies to your conversations, mentions, and more.

## Set up a mailbox (administrators)

1. Go to **Manage**, **Mailboxes**, **New mailbox**. Enter the name and support email address.
2. Open **Connection settings**:
   - **Sending emails**: choose SMTP and enter your outgoing mail server details.
   - **Fetching emails**: enter the IMAP details for the mailbox so FreeScout can collect new messages.

   ![The Fetching Emails tab of a FreeScout mailbox's connection settings](https://documentation.federated.computer/screenshots/freescout/connection-incoming.png)

   ***Connection settings**, **Fetching emails**: the IMAP server, port, username, and password for the mailbox. Shown on the public demo. Your server may look slightly different.*

3. Under **Permissions**, choose which users can access the mailbox.
4. Set the mailbox **signature** and an **auto reply** acknowledging new requests.

If your support address is hosted on Federated Core's mail server, get the IMAP and SMTP details from Superpanel. Create a dedicated mailbox for FreeScout rather than using a person's own mailbox.

## Administer FreeScout

Open **Manage**:

- **Users**: invite agents and set their role (User or Administrator).
- **Settings**: company name, logo, time format, and mail settings for system notifications.
- **Modules**: install and activate modules. Paid modules require a licence key from FreeScout.

## Superpanel settings

- **Access**: choose which groups are given the FreeScout address.
- **Mailboxes**: create the shared support mailbox in Superpanel, then connect it in FreeScout.

Fetching email depends on a scheduled task that Federated Computer runs. If new emails stop appearing, check **Manage**, **System**, **Status**, then contact support.

## Further reading

- [FreeScout wiki](https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/wiki)
- [FreeScout modules](https://freescout.net/modules/)
- [FreeScout FAQ](https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/wiki/FAQ)