> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ago.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# HelpScout Knowledge

> Import knowledge base articles from HelpScout Docs

Import knowledge base articles from HelpScout Docs into AGO. Connect your help center content to enable AI-powered support responses.

## Overview

| Feature            | Details                             |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| **Authentication** | API Key (Basic Auth) — **required** |
| **Content Type**   | Help center articles                |
| **Hierarchy**      | Categories and articles             |

<Warning>
  A HelpScout API key is **mandatory** to use this connector. This integration relies on HelpScout's Docs API v1, which only accepts Basic Auth with an API key — OAuth is not supported for this API. Without a key, no articles can be imported.
</Warning>

<Note>
  You do not need to provide a HelpScout URL or domain. The Docs API endpoint is the same for every HelpScout account, so the API key alone is enough to identify your workspace.
</Note>

> **Note**: This integration is for HelpScout Docs (knowledge base). For HelpScout ticketing integration, see [HelpScout Ticketing Integration](./helpscout-integration).

## Prerequisites

* HelpScout account with Docs enabled
* An API key with read access to Docs (required — see below)

## Step 1 — Get your API Key from HelpScout

1. Log in to HelpScout
2. Navigate to **Your Profile** > **API Keys**
3. Click **Generate API Key**
4. Copy the key (it won't be shown again)

## Step 2 — Enter the API Key in AGO

1. In AGO, go to **Knowledge** > **Sources**
2. Click **Create New Source** and select **HelpScout**
3. Paste the API key into the **API Key** field
4. (Optional) Configure the fields described below
5. Save the source — without the API key, the import will fail
6. Click **Sync** to start importing

## Configuration

### Required Fields

| Field     | Description       |
| --------- | ----------------- |
| `api_key` | HelpScout API key |

### Optional Fields

| Field                       | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                    |
| --------------------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `additional_categories_ids` | List   | Specific category IDs to import in addition to the ones automatically discovered. Leave empty to import every category visible to the API key. |
| `external_link_page`        | Toggle | Reserved field. No external link is currently attached to imported HelpScout articles regardless of this toggle.                               |

## What Gets Imported

For each HelpScout **category** visible to the API key (plus any extra IDs listed in `additional_categories_ids`):

* A document representing the category itself
* One document per article in that category, attached to the category document as its parent

## Article Structure

Each imported article is stored with:

| Field    | Description                                                                             |
| -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Title    | Article title from HelpScout                                                            |
| Content  | Article body, converted from HTML to Markdown, prefixed with the title as an H1 heading |
| Metadata | `type: "helpscout"`, the original HelpScout article ID, and the current sync version    |

## Sync Behavior

Every sync is a **full re-import**:

* Articles and categories are fetched from HelpScout and either created or updated in AGO (matched by HelpScout ID)
* Any document from a previous sync that is no longer returned by HelpScout is **deleted permanently** from the knowledge source
* There is no incremental sync — modified-date filtering is not used

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Authentication Error">
    * Verify your API key is correct
    * Check the key hasn't been revoked
    * Ensure the key has Docs read permissions
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="No Articles Imported">
    * Check the API key has access to at least one category in HelpScout Docs
    * Confirm the categories you expect to import are visible to that API key
    * Review sync history for specific errors
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Missing Content">
    * Confirm the article is reachable in HelpScout under one of the categories returned by the Docs API
    * If you expect a category that isn't being picked up automatically, add its ID to `additional_categories_ids`
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related Documentation

* [Knowledge Connectors](./knowledge-connectors) - All available connectors
* [Knowledge Source Management](../features/knowledge-source-management) - Source configuration
* [HelpScout Ticketing Integration](./helpscout-integration) - Ticketing integration