Home → Users Manual → Appendix: Feature In-Depths → User Preferences

2. User Preferences

Once an account is created, each User has the ability to set/edit preferences by click their name in the top right corner of the screen.

The preferences page covers everything from password changes to signature creation and allows Users to personalize their HelpSpot experience.

Make sure you hit Save at the bottom of the page to ensure all changes are applied.

Email and Password

The name, email, and password are displayed, at the top of the preference page, to the User as entered by the administrator during account creation. Users have the ability to update this information.

The email address listed here for Users is the default address HelpSpot uses for sending notifications.

Black Box Username

This is only required for Users in installations that are running alternative authentication with an external source (such as Active Directory).

Photo/Icon

Users can select from an emoji library or opt to upload their own photo. The selected photo is used as part of the request history when the User creates an update, serving as a quick means to identify individual Users.

Users should resize images to 32x32 (pixels) prior to uploading to achieve the best results.

API Key Creation

Users can create an manage their api keys for interacting with other applications.

Communication

The communication area defines alternative contact information, out of office manager, as well as signatures for outgoing messages.

Alternative Contact Information

HelpSpot provides Users with a means for providing an alternative email, phone number, and SMS number. Options in the notification area allow Users to configure when messages/updates are sent via these alternative channels.

Out of Office Manager

If a User is going to be out of the office for an extended period of time, such as vacation or medical leave, all requests that would have been assigned to them can be assigned to an alternative User.

All Users are defaulted to being available. However, by using the drop-down Users can change their status and select whom their requests should go.

A visual indicator of out of office status appears in the assignment drop-down on the request page.

Creating a Signature

Similar to any mail client, Users can create a signature block that is appended to every outgoing message/update (public and external notes).

HelpSpot offers both a text and HTML signature format to account for varying system configurations. As such, it is recommended that Users complete both text and HTML to ensure the signature is included.

When creating the HTML version of the signature, Users must use formatted text mark-up.

There's a third tab within the signature creation area for creating a mobile-specific signature. This signature will be used only when a User creates a note using HelpSpot mobile. Often a varying signature is used to inform the reader the note was created on a mobile device.

Notification

The notification area allows Users to configure where and under what conditions they receive a notification. The list below outlines each of the notifications options.

• Send notification via email. Checked by default, so any system notification and request updates will generate an email.

• Alternative email notification. Unchecked by default, this option sends all notifications to the alternative email address.

• SMS notification options. HelpSpot allows Users to send all notification (that would typically go to an email account) to an SMS enabled device. Users can opt to select to send all notifications or only urgent ones. All SMS options are uncheck by default.

• Notification for unassigned new requests. User can opt to receive a notification for every unassigned request that enters HelpSpot. The notification method will follow the channel specified within the options described above. This is unchecked by default.

General Preferences

These general preferences help Users personalize their experience by defining specific aspects of the look and feel to match their personal work style.

• Default to public note. Selecting this will default the note type to public each time the User enters the request page.
• Disable WYSIWYG in the knowledge books. For Users that prefer to hand code HMTL they can opt to disable the visual editor (aka: WYSIWYG editor) for knowledge book creation.
• Do not embed images in request history. Selecting this option will treat images as other attachments and create a link at the bottom of the request history entry containing the image. By default, this is not enabled and all images are embedded within the request history entry.
• Return to request after closing. By default, when a User closes a request HelpSpot will return the User to the filtered view they were in prior to entering a request. Selecting this option will bring Users to a request summary page once a request is closed. Enabling this option will give Users an opportunity to double-check a request after closing but before moving to the next request.
• Show Getting Started Menu in Workspace. By default, HelpSpot will show all Administrators the Getting Started menu as a quick reference. This can be turned off, or on for other permission levels, simply by checking the box.
• Number of request history entries shown by default. Users can enter the desired number of request notes seen within the request history. HelpSpot defaults to showing 10 request history entries.

Regardless of the number set in the preference, Users can see all request history entries simply by clicking the Show All link at the bottom of the request history list on the request page.

• Default Request History View. Users can specify if they wish to see Full Histories or Only Notes for every request they view.

• HTML editor for HTML notes. For systems with HTML notes enabled (system default), Users can opt to create HTML notes via the visual editor, formatted text, or use the system default (which could be either method; system default is the visual editor). Use of either the visual editor or formatted text will result in an HTML email being generated. HelpSpot defaults Users to the system default: the note creation method as defined by the Administrator.