# Help Scout MCP

> Help Scout helps you manage customer support and team workflows directly from your AI client. It lets agents pull detailed customer profiles, view conversation histories, and update ticket statuses without leaving their chat interface. You gain full visibility into who needs help, why they need it, and what steps the team takes to fix it.

## Overview
- **Category:** communication-messaging
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** shared-inbox, customer-experience, support-automation, live-chat, knowledge-base, conversation-tracking

## Description

This MCP connects your entire Help Scout support desk directly into any AI agent. Instead of jumping between tabs and exporting data manually, you can use natural conversation to handle complex tasks like customer service management. You tell your agent what you need—say, 'Find all open tickets related to billing'—and it executes the action instantly. It gives your team full operational control: agents pull up detailed profiles for quick context, list active conversations, and even update internal notes so everyone stays on the same page. By connecting through Vinkius, you give your AI client a single access point, acting like a dedicated Support Coordinator that handles everything from listing mailboxes to retrieving satisfaction scores.

## Tools

### list_workflows
Lists all the automated, predefined processes that run when certain triggers occur in the inbox.

### list_conversations
Lists all currently active support tickets, useful for checking the immediate queue volume.

### list_customers
Provides a directory listing of every customer registered in your help desk system.

### list_mailboxes
Shows all the different support email addresses or inboxes that are configured for use.

### list_customer_ratings
Retrieves a list of recent customer satisfaction scores to gauge overall service health.

### list_tags
Displays all the available categorization tags that staff use when sorting conversations.

### list_staff_users
Provides a directory of every support agent or user account within your help desk system.

### search_conversations
Performs advanced keyword searches across your entire archive of conversation transcripts.

### update_convo_status
Changes the operational status of a ticket, setting it to active, pending, or closed.

### create_convo_note
Adds a private update visible only to internal team members on a specific conversation.

### get_conversation
Retrieves all details, including the full transcript, for one specified support thread.

### get_customer
Pulls up a customer's complete profile and interaction history by name or ID.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
List all active conversations in the 'Main' mailbox.
```

**Response:** 
```
I've retrieved your active conversations. You have 5 threads requiring attention, including 'Refund request' from John, 'Feature question' from Maria, and 'API error' from David. Would you like to see the last message for any of these?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Search for conversations from 'john.doe@example.com'.
```

**Response:** 
```
Searching Help Scout... I found 2 conversations for John Doe. One is 'Closed' regarding an old order, and the other is 'Active' regarding a new support query. Should I retrieve the full transcript for the active thread?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Add an internal note to conversation ID 12345: 'Confirmed with engineering, fix arriving tomorrow'.
```

**Response:** 
```
Note added! I've successfully logged your update to conversation 12345. This note is internal-only and will not be seen by the customer. Would you like to set the status to 'Pending' while we wait for the fix?
```

## Capabilities

### Monitor open support threads
List all active tickets and retrieve full transcripts for quick review.

### Deep dive into customer records
Pull detailed customer profiles, including their entire history of interactions with the company.

### Collaborate on tickets internally
Add private notes to any conversation so the whole team knows what was discussed without the customer seeing it.

### Manage support status and workflows
Change a ticket's status—like moving it from 'Active' to 'Pending' or 'Closed'—with one command.

### Analyze system setup
List all mailboxes, tags, and automated workflows configured in the help desk for auditing purposes.

## Use Cases

### Finding historical context on a complex issue
A customer calls back about an old bug. Instead of asking the agent to manually search, your agent runs get_customer first to pull up all past tickets and then uses get_conversation to review the full transcript from three weeks ago.

### Auditing ticket routing rules
The operations lead needs to confirm if a new department was added. They run list_mailboxes to see the newest inbox, and then use list_workflows to ensure that all incoming tickets are correctly routed based on tags.

### Closing out an investigation quickly
After confirming with engineering, the agent uses create_convo_note for the update. Then, they run update_convo_status to move the ticket from 'Active' to 'Pending', keeping a clear record of work in progress.

### Summarizing team workload at end-of-day
The manager needs an overview. They use list_conversations for count, and then search_conversations with keywords like 'urgent' to flag tickets requiring immediate follow-up.

## Benefits

- Stop copying ticket IDs to look up data. You can use get_customer or get_conversation directly, pulling the required context instantly into your chat session.
- Never lose track of who said what. Use create_convo_note to log internal decisions on a thread without cluttering the customer-facing message history.
- Audit your support setup easily. list_mailboxes and list_workflows let you verify that every team member is routing tickets through the correct, configured channel.
- Improve service quality by accessing ratings data. You can use list_customer_ratings to know if a client was happy with the resolution before closing their ticket.
- Handle high volume efficiently. Instead of manual exports, list_conversations and search_conversations give you immediate visibility into queue size and topic trends.

## How It Works

The bottom line is that you manage complex support operations through simple conversation prompts.

1. Subscribe to this MCP on Vinkius and paste your Help Scout OAuth Access Token into your AI client.
2. Your agent gains full access to all support data, including conversations, customer details, and operational settings.
3. You simply ask your agent to perform a task—like 'Find John Doe's profile and list his recent tickets.' —and the information appears instantly.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I use Help Scout MCP to find a customer's history?**
You simply ask your agent to get_customer. It pulls the full profile, showing all past interactions instantly, so you don't have to search manually.

**Can Help Scout MCP help me manage ticket statuses?**
Yes, you can use update_convo_status to change a conversation's status. This allows your agent to move the ticket from active to pending or closed with one command.

**What if I need to see all my open tickets in Help Scout MCP?**
Run list_conversations. This tool gives you a real-time overview of the queue, letting your agent know exactly how many threads are waiting for attention.

**Does Help Scout MCP allow me to add internal notes?**
Yes. Use create_convo_note to write private updates on a conversation. Only team members can see these notes, keeping customer-facing replies clean.

**Is this connection limited to one type of ticket in Help Scout MCP?**
No. You can use search_conversations across your entire history, meaning you aren't restricted by date or specific mailbox types.

**How do I get my Help Scout Access Token?**
You can generate an OAuth2 Access Token by creating an application in the **Help Scout Developer Portal** (developer.helpscout.com). Alternatively, if you are using a personal script, you can use the Client Credentials flow to obtain a token.

**Can I add internal notes to conversations?**
Yes! Use the `create_convo_note` tool. You must provide the `conversation_id` and the text of your note. This allows you to collaborate with your team without the customer seeing the message.

**How do I change the status of a support thread?**
Use the `update_convo_status` tool. Provide the conversation ID and the new status (active, pending, or closed). This helps you keep your mailbox organized.

**Is the integration secure for managing support data?**
Absolutely. The integration uses industry-standard OAuth 2.0 Bearer tokens over HTTPS. Your credentials are encrypted and stored securely within the Vinkius Cloud infrastructure.