Help Desk Settings
Help Desk Settings define how support requests enter Manage1to1, how they are routed, and how users interact with support staff.
Decisions made in this area directly impact ticket visibility, response workflows, and how support responsibilities are organized across the district.
To access Help Desk Settings, you need the Manage Settings permission assigned to your role.
Overview
Before configuring individual options, districts should determine how they want users to submit requests and how support teams will manage incoming tickets.
What Help Desk Settings control:
- How tickets are submitted (portal, email, or both)
- How tickets are routed and assigned
- Ticket lifecycle behavior (auto-close, reply handling)
- Email importing configuration
- Attachment security
- Custom fields per department
Why Help Desk Settings matter:
- Workflow efficiency - Proper configuration reduces manual ticket routing
- User experience - Clear submission methods improve support request clarity
- Security - Attachment rules and login requirements prevent abuse
- Automation - Auto-assignment and auto-close reduce administrative burden
How the Help Desk Works
In Manage1to1, all tickets are associated with a Help Desk Department. Departments determine how tickets are created and routed, including whether tickets are accepted through the user portal, email, or both.
The Help Desk can operate using one or more of the following methods:
Portal-based ticket submission:
- Users submit requests directly through Manage1to1 portal
- Users must log in (optional, but strongly recommended)
- Tickets routed to selected department
- Users can track ticket status and reply online
Email-based ticket submission:
- Incoming emails are converted into tickets automatically
- Each department has dedicated email address (e.g., support@district.org, techhelp@district.org)
- Manage1to1 imports messages and creates/updates tickets
- Replies sent via email update corresponding tickets
Combined approach (recommended):
- Users can submit via portal OR email
- All tickets visible in same system regardless of submission method
- Support staff manages all tickets in one interface
Departments may be used strictly for internal organization or configured to accept inbound email, depending on district needs.
Configuration Areas
Help Desk Settings are organized into three tabs, each serving a distinct purpose.
General Tab
Controls system-wide Help Desk behavior, including portal availability, ticket reply handling, attachment rules, notifications, and automatic ticket lifecycle options such as auto-close behavior.
What you'll configure:
- Enable/disable help desk portal
- Require login for portal submissions
- Allowed attachment file types
- Automatic ticket closure rules
- Reply timestamp behavior
- Carbon copy handling
Help Desk Departments Tab
Defines how tickets are received and routed. Each department can control assignment behavior and optionally accept tickets via email, including mail importing configuration.
What you'll configure:
- Department names and descriptions
- Sender email addresses per department
- Email importing (POP/IMAP or Google OAuth)
- Auto-assignment rules
- Building-based assignment restrictions
- Custom fields per department
- Assigned administrators
Knowledge Base Tab
Configures the Knowledge Base system for creating searchable help articles. The KB can serve both internal staff documentation and public-facing self-service content.
What you'll configure:
- Enable/disable Knowledge Base
- Enable/disable public KB portal
- Ticket deflection (article suggestions during ticket submission)
- Public portal display options (title, featured articles, recent/popular sections)
- Default login requirements for public content
Recommended Setup Order
For new Help Desk deployments or districts adjusting their workflow, it is recommended to configure settings in the following order:
-
Create at least one Help Desk Department
- Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Technology Support")
- Assign a sender email address
- Associate administrators who will handle tickets
-
Decide whether tickets will be accepted through the portal, email, or both
- Portal only: Enable portal in General Tab, skip email importing
- Email only: Configure mail server for department, disable portal
- Both: Enable portal AND configure email importing
-
Configure General Help Desk settings to align with district workflows
- Set attachment restrictions
- Configure auto-close timing (if desired)
- Require login for portal submissions (strongly recommended)
-
Enable and test email-based ticket ingestion if applicable
- Configure mailbox credentials or Google OAuth
- Send test email to department address
- Verify ticket created successfully
- Check replies route correctly
Establishing departments early ensures that ticket creation and routing behave as expected when additional features are enabled.
Permissions and Considerations
Access to Help Desk Settings depends on user permissions and district-level feature enablement. Changes made in this area can affect all users and support staff.
Who can access: Administrators with Manage Settings permission.
Who is affected:
- End users submitting tickets (portal behavior, attachment rules)
- Support staff managing tickets (assignment, departments, routing)
- Email senders (if email importing enabled)
Best practices:
- Document configuration changes
- Limit access to authorized administrative staff
- Test changes in low-usage periods when possible
- Coordinate major changes with support team
If your district plans to accept tickets through the portal or email, configure at least one Help Desk Department first. Departments can be created for internal use even if email importing is not enabled.
Common Questions
Q: Do I need email importing to use the help desk? No. The help desk can operate using portal submissions only. Email importing is optional and useful if users prefer submitting requests via email.
Q: Can I have multiple departments? Yes. Common setup: "Technology Support," "Facilities Requests," "Transportation Issues" - each with its own email address and assigned staff.
Q: What happens to tickets when a department is deleted? Existing tickets remain associated with the deleted department but new tickets cannot be routed there. Best practice: disable department instead of deleting.
Q: Can the same administrator be assigned to multiple departments? Yes. Administrators can be associated with as many departments as needed and will see tickets from all assigned departments.
Q: What's the difference between portal and email submission? Portal: Users log in and submit through web interface. Email: Users send email to department address, Manage1to1 converts to ticket automatically. Both create tickets in the same system.
Q: Can external users submit tickets? Via portal: Only if "Require Login" is disabled (not recommended due to spam risk). Via email: Yes, if email importing is configured and sender domain is whitelisted (if whitelisting enabled).
Q: How often does Manage1to1 check for new emails? Email importing runs on regular intervals (typically every 5-15 minutes). Contact Manage1to1 Support for your specific import schedule.
Q: What happens to emails after they're imported? Imported emails are deleted from the mailbox after successful ticket creation. Use dedicated mailboxes to avoid losing other important messages.
Help Desk Settings provide flexible support request management, allowing districts to configure ticket submission methods, routing, and automation to match their specific support workflows.