How NativeDesk Works: A Complete Guide

Plan Compatibility:

• All Plans: Core ticket submission, standard form fields (Name, Email, Subject, Message), ticket queue table, agent replies, standard email notifications, and recipient email setup.
• Personal, Pro & Agency Plans: Custom form fields (Text, Email, Text Area, Checkbox, Dropdown), field requirement settings, and custom email branding (logo, primary brand color, social links, custom footer).
• Pro & Agency Plans: Agent assignment, ticket categories, priority levels, manual ticket creation, internal private notes, agent filtering, and ticket analytics.

Step 1: Ticket Creation & Form Setup

NativeDesk handles incoming support requests submitted by users online or entered manually by agents.

Method A: Customer Frontend Form Submission (All Plans + Personal/Pro/Agency Customization)

1. Form Configuration:
   • Core Fields (All Plans): Every form includes Name, Email, Subject, and Message. Fields can be reordered using the drag handle icon next to the field name.
   • Custom Fields (Personal, Pro & Agency): You can collect tailored information from your users by navigating to Tickets > Form Fields and clicking Add Custom Field. Choose from:
     • Text: Single-line input.
     • Email: Validated email field.
     • Text Area: Multi-line text box.
     • Checkbox: Toggle option.
     • Dropdown: Selection list (options separated by commas: Option A, Option B, Option C).
     • Fields can be marked as Required or deleted as needed.
2. User Submission: A customer fills out the custom or standard form on your site and clicks submit.
3. Notification & Logging: An automatic email notification is sent to your support inbox (see our Email Customization Guide), and the request—including all core and custom field data—is added to Tickets > Tickets.

Method B: Manual Ticket Creation (Pro & Agency Plans)

If a customer calls in or reaches out off-site, an agent can log the ticket directly:

1. Go to Tickets > Tickets and click New Ticket.
2. Enter the customer’s information (including any required custom fields).
3. Select a Category (see our Category Setup Guide).
4. Submit the form. The ticket status automatically sets to Open, sending an initial notification email to the customer so they can reply.

Step 2: Navigating the Tickets Table

Go to Tickets > Tickets in your WordPress sidebar to manage your support queue.

Table Views

• My Tickets: (Default view) Tickets currently assigned to the logged-in agent.
• Open Tickets: All active, unresolved tickets on the site.
• All Tickets: Every ticket regardless of status or assignment.
• Closed Tickets: Resolved and archived tickets.

Table Columns & Controls

• Display Fields: Ticket ID (Sortable), Subject, Category (Pro/Agency), Priority (Pro/Agency – Sortable), Assigned To (Pro/Agency – Sortable), Status (Sortable), and Action.
• Action Column States:
  • User has responded: The customer sent a new message and requires attention.
  • Waiting on user: Support has replied and is waiting for the customer’s input.
• Agent Filter: (Pro & Agency) Filter table views by specific support agents.

Step 3: Replying, Collaborating, and Resolving Tickets

1. Open a Ticket: Click any ticket Subject line to open the conversation history and custom field responses.
2. Assign the Ticket: (Pro & Agency) Agents starting work on an unassigned ticket can assign themselves using the Assigned To dropdown menu.
3. Add Internal Private Notes: (Pro & Agency) Agents can leave internal Private Notes within the ticket thread.Note: Private notes are completely hidden from the customer. They are used for internal team communication, such as leaving troubleshooting context during a ticket handoff to another agent or adding personal reminders for later.
4. Send a Public Reply: Enter a response into the reply text area and submit it.
5. Automatic Action Update: Replying automatically sets the ticket Action status to Waiting on user.
6. Customer Email Notifications & Branding Loop:
   • The customer receives an update email notifying them of the reply.
   • Branded Email Notifications (Personal, Pro & Agency): Outbound customer emails reflect your custom branding set in Tickets > Settings > Email.
     • Company Logo: Displays at the top of the email (defaults to your WordPress Site Name if no logo is uploaded).
     • Primary Brand Color: Controls the background color of the call-to-action buttons inside the email.
     • Social Links & Custom Footer: Includes your business address/disclaimer and social icons.
   • Replying to Tickets: The email includes a link directing the customer to their support portal on your site (under My Account). When the customer submits a reply via the site, the Action column in your WordPress dashboard automatically switches back to User has responded.
7. Close the Ticket: Once resolved, change the ticket status to Closed to move it out of active queues into the Closed Tickets tab.

Step 4: Tracking Performance Analytics (Pro & Agency Plans)

To evaluate support speed and team productivity, navigate to Tickets > Analytics:

• Tickets Resolved: Total count of completed tickets.
• Average Time to First Response: Speed of initial agent replies.
• Average Time to Resolution: Total time elapsed from ticket submission to closure.
• Agent Breakdown: Filter metrics by individual team members to review workload distribution and response efficiency.