HelpStackDocs

Guides

Getting started

Welcome to HelpStack! HelpStack is a single, shared inbox for your whole support team. It pulls customer messages from email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp, and your website chat widget into one place, so you never have to bounce between apps to answer people. It can also translate messages automatically and draft AI-powered replies, so you can help customers in any language, faster.

This guide walks you through creating your account, the short onboarding flow, and the very first things to do once you're in. By the end you'll have a channel connected and know where everything lives.

Sections#

What HelpStack does#

HelpStack gives your team one unified inbox. Every customer conversation, no matter which platform it came from, shows up in the same list at /conversations. From there you (and your teammates) can read the full history, reply, organize conversations by status, and hand them off to each other.

Two features make HelpStack stand out:

  • Auto-translation. Incoming messages are translated into your language so you can read them, and your replies are translated back into the customer's language when they're sent. You can chat with someone in Japanese while typing in English.
  • AI replies. With the click of a button, HelpStack can draft a reply for you using your knowledge base and your channel's instructions. You stay in control and approve before anything is sent (unless you choose to let it send automatically).

Creating your account#

To create a brand-new organization, go to the registration page (at helpstack.eu) and fill in:

  • Email — your work email; this becomes your login.
  • Password — choose a strong password.
  • Name — your full name, shown to teammates.
  • Organization name — the name of your company or team. This creates your workspace, and everything you do lives inside it.

When you submit the form, HelpStack creates your organization, makes you its owner, and logs you in automatically. You don't need to confirm anything by email to get started.

Already have an account? Use the login page instead. If a teammate invited you, you'll sign in to their existing organization rather than creating a new one.

The 3-step onboarding#

The first time you log in, HelpStack walks you through a short, three-step introduction:

  1. Welcome — a quick hello and overview of what you can do.
  2. Choose your preferred language — pick the language you want to read and write in. This drives auto-translation (see below).
  3. How it works — a brief explanation of the inbox, channels, and AI replies so nothing feels unfamiliar.

After the third step, HelpStack sends you to Settings → Organization to finish setting up your workspace, and then guides you to add your first channel.

You can revisit this introduction any time. Open your Profile page and choose the option to restart onboarding.

Why your preferred language matters#

Your preferred language is the language HelpStack uses for you. When a customer writes in another language and auto-translation is on, their message is translated into your preferred language so you can read it comfortably. When you reply, your words are translated into the customer's language before sending.

Pick the language you're most fluent in. You can fine-tune translation behavior per channel later — see the channels guide for the full picture.

Your first 10 minutes#

Here's a simple checklist to get from zero to handling real conversations:

  1. Connect a channel. Go to Settings → Channels and add your first channel (email, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or a website chat widget). Each type has its own quick setup. See the channels guide for step-by-step instructions.
  2. See your conversations. Open /conversations. As messages arrive on your connected channel, they appear here in real time. New, unread previews are shown in bold.
  3. Reply to someone. Click a conversation to open it, type your reply, and press Enter to send. Read the conversations guide for everything the inbox can do.
  4. (Optional) Turn on AI. Once you've configured an AI provider and a knowledge base, you can let HelpStack draft replies for you. See the AI replies guide to get started.

That's the whole loop: connect, read, reply, and optionally let AI help.

Where settings live#

Everything you configure lives under Settings:

  • Settings → Organization — your workspace basics.
  • Settings → Channels — connect and manage your communication channels. To open a specific channel's AI configuration, go to Settings → Channels → (your channel) → AI & Knowledge.
  • Settings → AI Providers — connect OpenAI or Anthropic so the AI can write replies.

Managing channels and providers requires the right role. Owners and admins can change these settings; agents and viewers can see them but not edit. Learn more in the team and roles guide.

Where to go next#

Related#

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