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How to Set Up AI Desk: 10-Minute Deployment Guide with Screenshots 2025

Deploy professional AI customer support in 10 minutes with this step-by-step guide. No coding skills required - just copy, paste, and start capturing leads today.

October 10, 2025
8 min read
AI Desk Team

Setting up AI Desk takes 10 minutes from account creation to live customer support. This step-by-step guide shows exactly how to deploy professional help desk software without technical skills.

What You Need Before Starting

Requirements:

  • Website where you want to add chat support
  • Access to edit website code (same level as adding Google Analytics)
  • Business documentation (FAQs, product info, support emails)
  • 10 minutes of focused time

No Technical Skills Required:

  • No coding knowledge needed
  • No IT team required
  • No complex configurations
  • Simple copy-paste installation

Total Time Breakdown:

  • Account creation: 2 minutes
  • Agent configuration: 5 minutes
  • Widget installation: 2 minutes
  • Testing and launch: 1 minute

Step 1: Create Your AI Desk Account (2 Minutes)

1.1 Start Free Trial

  1. Visit AI Desk Pricing Page
  2. Click "Start Free Trial" button
  3. Enter your work email address
  4. Create a secure password
  5. Verify email (check inbox)

What You Get:

  • 14-day free trial with full features
  • No sales calls required
  • Cancel anytime during trial
  • Credit card required (industry standard)

1.2 Initial Setup Questions

AI Desk asks 3 simple questions to customize your experience:

Question 1: What is your business name?

  • Enter your company name
  • This appears in customer-facing messages
  • You can change this anytime

Question 2: What is your website URL?

  • Enter your main website (e.g., www.yourcompany.com)
  • AI Desk automatically scrapes basic information
  • Helps with initial training

Question 3: What industry are you in?

  • Select from dropdown (SaaS, Ecommerce, Agency, etc.)
  • Pre-configures common industry templates
  • Not locked in - fully customizable

Result: Account created, redirected to dashboard

Step 2: Configure Your AI Agent (5 Minutes)

2.1 Navigate to Agent Settings

From dashboard:

  1. Click "Agents" in left sidebar
  2. Click "Create New Agent" button
  3. Choose agent template (or start blank)
  4. Enter agent name (e.g., "Support Assistant", "Sales Helper")

2.2 Upload Knowledge Base

Quick Method - Website Scraping:

  1. Enter your website URL in "Scrape Website" field
  2. Click "Start Scraping" button
  3. AI Desk crawls up to 50 pages automatically
  4. Wait 2-3 minutes for completion
  5. Review extracted content in Knowledge tab

Tip: Scraping works for most websites. Includes:

  • Homepage and about page
  • Product/service pages
  • FAQ and help sections
  • Blog posts (recent)
  • Documentation pages

Manual Method - Document Upload:

  1. Click "Upload Documents" button
  2. Select files from computer:
    • PDFs (product guides, FAQs)
    • Word documents
    • Text files
    • CSV files (product catalogs)
  3. Wait for processing (30 seconds - 2 minutes)
  4. Review in Knowledge tab

What to Upload:

  • Product documentation
  • Common customer FAQs
  • Pricing information
  • Service descriptions
  • Company policies
  • Support email archives (export as text)

Processing Time:

  • Small files (< 10 pages): 10-30 seconds
  • Medium files (10-50 pages): 1-2 minutes
  • Large files (50+ pages): 2-5 minutes

2.3 Set Agent Personality

Tone Settings:

  • Professional: Formal business language
  • Friendly: Conversational but professional
  • Casual: Relaxed and approachable
  • Technical: Developer-focused, precise

Example Configurations:

B2B SaaS (Professional):

Tone: Professional
Response style: Detailed and thorough
Formality: Business formal
Emoji use: Minimal or none

Ecommerce (Friendly):

Tone: Friendly
Response style: Concise and helpful
Formality: Casual professional
Emoji use: Occasional for warmth

Developer Tools (Technical):

Tone: Technical
Response style: Precise with code examples
Formality: Technical but approachable
Emoji use: None

2.4 Configure Lead Capture

Lead Collection Settings:

  1. When to collect leads:

    • After first message (immediate)
    • After 3 exchanges (build trust first)
    • Before escalation (only for complex questions)
    • Custom trigger based on keywords

  2. Information to collect:

    • ✓ Email address (required)
    • ✓ Name (optional recommended)
    • Phone number (optional)
    • Company name (optional)
    • Custom fields (role, company size, etc.)

Example Lead Flow:

Customer: "How much does your enterprise plan cost?"
AI: "I'd be happy to help with enterprise pricing. 
     May I get your email so I can send you detailed 
     information and connect you with our sales team?"
Customer: [Provides email]
AI: "Thank you! I'll send enterprise pricing details 
     to you now and our team will follow up within 
     1 business day."

2.5 Set Escalation Rules

When to escalate to humans:

  • AI confidence below 70% (recommended)
  • Customer explicitly requests human support
  • Keywords detected (e.g., "cancel subscription", "bug report")
  • Complex technical issues beyond knowledge base
  • VIP customers (identified by email domain)

Escalation Configuration:

  1. Set confidence threshold (50-90%, default 70%)
  2. Add escalation keywords:
    • "speak to human"
    • "real person"
    • "manager"
    • "complaint"
  3. Configure notification email
  4. Set escalation message:

Example Escalation Message:

"I'll connect you with a team member who can help 
further. They'll respond via email within 4 business 
hours with your conversation history."

2.6 Test Agent in Preview Mode

Before going live, test thoroughly:

  1. Click "Preview" button in top right

  2. Test common customer questions:

    • "What is your pricing?"
    • "How does [feature] work?"
    • "I need help with [problem]"
    • "Do you support [integration]?"

  3. Verify responses are:

    • Accurate (correct information)
    • Complete (answers full question)
    • On-brand (matches your tone)
    • Helpful (actionable next steps)

  4. Test lead capture flow:

    • Trigger lead collection
    • Verify email collection works
    • Check notification received

  5. Test escalation:

    • Trigger low-confidence scenario
    • Verify escalation message appears
    • Check email notification sent

Iterate and improve:

  • Add missing information to knowledge base
  • Adjust personality if too formal/casual
  • Refine escalation triggers
  • Update lead capture timing

Result: Agent configured and tested, ready for deployment

Step 3: Install Widget on Website (2 Minutes)

3.1 Get Widget Code

From AI Desk dashboard:

  1. Click "Deployment" tab in agent settings
  2. Select widget type:
    • Popup Chat (recommended) - Chat bubble in corner
    • Full Page - Dedicated chat page
    • Inline - Embedded in specific page section
  3. Customize appearance:
    • Choose bubble color
    • Set initial greeting message
    • Configure position (bottom-right, bottom-left)
  4. Click "Copy Code" button

Widget Code Looks Like:

<script src="https://cdn.aidesk.site/widget.js" data-agent-id="YOUR_ID"></script>

3.2 Add Code to Website

Method 1: WordPress (Most Common)

  1. Login to WordPress admin
  2. Go to Appearance → Theme Editor
  3. Find footer.php file
  4. Paste widget code before closing </body> tag
  5. Click "Update File"
  6. Alternative: Use "Insert Headers and Footers" plugin
    • Install plugin from WordPress directory
    • Go to Settings → Insert Headers and Footers
    • Paste code in "Scripts in Footer" section
    • Save changes

Method 2: Shopify

  1. Login to Shopify admin
  2. Go to Online Store → Themes
  3. Click "Actions" → "Edit code"
  4. Find theme.liquid file
  5. Paste widget code before </body> tag
  6. Click "Save"

Method 3: Squarespace

  1. Login to Squarespace
  2. Go to Settings → Advanced → Code Injection
  3. Paste widget code in "Footer" section
  4. Click "Save"

Method 4: Wix

  1. Login to Wix Editor
  2. Click "Settings" → "Custom Code"
  3. Click "Add Custom Code"
  4. Paste widget code
  5. Select "Body - end" for placement
  6. Save and publish

Method 5: Custom Website / HTML

  1. Open your website's HTML in editor
  2. Find closing </body> tag
  3. Paste widget code before </body>
  4. Save and upload to server

Same Place as Google Analytics: If you have Google Analytics installed, paste AI Desk code right next to it.

3.3 Verify Installation

Check if widget is working:

  1. Open your website in incognito/private browser window
  2. Look for chat bubble in bottom corner (popup mode)
  3. Click chat bubble to open
  4. Send a test message
  5. Verify response appears correctly

Troubleshooting:

  • No bubble appears: Check if code is before </body> tag
  • Bubble appears but does not work: Clear browser cache and reload
  • Widget shows error: Verify agent ID in code matches dashboard
  • Styling issues: Check for CSS conflicts with existing code

Result: Widget live on website, ready for customers

Step 4: Monitor and Optimize (Ongoing)

4.1 Monitor First Conversations

First 24 Hours - Watch Closely:

  1. Open AI Desk dashboard

  2. Go to "Inbox" tab

  3. Review conversations in real-time:

    • Are responses accurate?
    • Is lead capture triggering appropriately?
    • Are escalations working correctly?
    • Customer satisfaction with AI responses?

  4. Make immediate adjustments:

    • Add missing knowledge if AI says "I don't know"
    • Refine personality if tone is off
    • Adjust escalation triggers if too sensitive/not sensitive enough

4.2 Extract Knowledge from Conversations

When your team replies to escalated questions:

  1. Open conversation in Inbox
  2. Review team member's response
  3. Click "Extract Knowledge" button
  4. AI analyzes response and adds to knowledge base
  5. Future similar questions answered automatically

Example:

Customer: "Do you offer annual discounts?"
Human Reply: "Yes, we offer 20% off for annual payments. 
              You can switch to annual billing in your 
              account settings under Billing → Plans."

[Extract Knowledge button clicked]

Result: AI now knows annual discount details and 
        automatically answers similar questions

4.3 Set Up Automated Scraping

Keep knowledge base current automatically:

  1. Go to Agent Settings → Knowledge Base
  2. Click "Automated Scraping" tab
  3. Add your website URL
  4. Choose scraping schedule:
    • Weekly (Starter plan) - Every Monday
    • Daily (Professional/Business plans) - Every midnight
  5. Configure email notifications:
    • ✓ Notify when scraping completes
    • ✓ Alert if scraping fails
  6. Save settings

What Gets Scraped:

  • New blog posts
  • Updated product pages
  • Changed FAQ content
  • New documentation
  • Pricing updates

Result: Knowledge base stays current automatically, zero manual work

4.4 Review Performance Metrics

Weekly Performance Check:

Key Metrics to Monitor:

  1. Conversation Volume

    • Total conversations this week
    • Trend vs. last week
    • Peak conversation times

  2. AI Performance

    • % conversations resolved by AI (target: 60-80%)
    • Average AI confidence score
    • Escalation rate

  3. Lead Capture

    • Emails collected this week
    • Lead capture rate (% conversations)
    • Quality of leads (sales team feedback)

  4. Customer Satisfaction

    • CSAT score (target: 85%+)
    • Positive vs. negative feedback
    • Common complaints or issues

  5. Business Impact

    • Trial signups from support conversations
    • Support-influenced revenue
    • Response time improvements

Access Metrics: Dashboard → Analytics → Select date range

4.5 Continuous Improvement Process

Monthly Optimization:

Week 1: Content Review

  • Review most common questions
  • Identify knowledge gaps
  • Add missing documentation
  • Update outdated information

Week 2: Performance Analysis

  • Analyze escalation patterns
  • Review low-confidence responses
  • Identify improvement opportunities
  • Test response variations

Week 3: Lead Quality

  • Review captured leads
  • Analyze conversion rates
  • Refine qualification questions
  • Adjust lead capture timing

Week 4: Team Training

  • Share insights with support team
  • Review new features
  • Collect team feedback
  • Plan next month improvements

Common Setup Challenges and Solutions

Challenge 1: Widget Not Appearing

Problem: Installed code but chat bubble does not show on website

Solutions:

  1. Verify code placement:

    • Must be before closing </body> tag
    • Not in <head> section
    • Not in comments <!-- -->

  2. Check browser cache:

    • Clear browser cache completely
    • Open website in incognito mode
    • Try different browser

  3. Verify agent status:

    • Dashboard → Agents → Check "Active" toggle is ON
    • Agent must be published, not draft

  4. Check console errors:

    • Open browser developer tools (F12)
    • Look for JavaScript errors
    • Contact support if errors present

Challenge 2: AI Giving Incorrect Answers

Problem: AI responses contain wrong information

Solutions:

  1. Review knowledge base content:

    • Dashboard → Knowledge → Review uploaded content
    • Look for outdated or conflicting information
    • Remove incorrect documents

  2. Add correct information:

    • Upload updated documentation
    • Use "Direct Context" field for critical facts
    • Extract knowledge from correct human responses

  3. Increase AI confidence threshold:

    • Settings → Escalation → Increase threshold to 80%
    • Higher threshold = AI only responds when very confident
    • More questions escalate to humans initially

  4. Provide feedback:

    • Mark incorrect responses as "Not Helpful"
    • AI learns from negative feedback
    • Improves over time

Challenge 3: Too Many Escalations

Problem: Most questions escalating to humans, AI not helping enough

Solutions:

  1. Add more knowledge:

    • Upload comprehensive documentation
    • Scrape entire website
    • Add FAQs covering common questions

  2. Lower confidence threshold:

    • Settings → Escalation → Decrease to 60%
    • AI responds to more questions
    • Monitor accuracy carefully

  3. Improve knowledge quality:

    • Use clear, specific language in documents
    • Break complex topics into smaller sections
    • Include examples and use cases

  4. Review escalation keywords:

    • Settings → Escalation → Review keyword list
    • Remove overly broad keywords
    • Be more specific with triggers

Challenge 4: Not Capturing Enough Leads

Problem: AI answering questions but not collecting contact information

Solutions:

  1. Adjust lead capture timing:

    • Settings → Lead Capture → Change to "After first message"
    • Earlier capture = more emails
    • May reduce conversation quality slightly

  2. Improve lead capture message:

    • Make value proposition clear
    • "I'll email you detailed information"
    • "Let me connect you with expert"

  3. Add lead capture to escalation:

    • Always collect email before human escalation
    • "Our team will email you within 4 hours"
    • Mandatory field before escalation

  4. Review conversation flow:

    • Are questions too simple (no need for follow-up)?
    • Add call-to-action in responses
    • Offer additional resources via email

Advanced Configuration Options

Multilingual Support

Enable multiple languages:

  1. Settings → Languages
  2. Toggle on desired languages
  3. AI automatically detects customer language
  4. Responds in same language

Supported Languages: 40+ including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and more

Custom Branding

Customize widget appearance:

  1. Settings → Appearance
  2. Upload company logo
  3. Set brand colors
  4. Customize greeting message
  5. Add team member photos

Team Collaboration

Add team members:

  1. Settings → Team
  2. Click "Invite Member"
  3. Enter email address
  4. Assign role (Admin, Agent, Viewer)
  5. Team member receives invitation

Team Features:

  • Shared inbox for escalated conversations
  • Internal notes on conversations
  • Assign conversations to specific team members
  • Conversation history and analytics

API Integration

Connect to other tools:

  1. Settings → Integrations → API
  2. Generate API key
  3. Use API for:
    • CRM synchronization
    • Custom analytics
    • Conversation export
    • Webhook notifications

Popular Integrations:

  • Zapier (5,000+ apps)
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does setup really take?

10 minutes for basic setup:

  • Account creation: 2 minutes
  • Upload documents and configure: 5 minutes
  • Install widget code: 2 minutes
  • Test: 1 minute

30-60 minutes for comprehensive setup:

  • Includes thorough testing
  • Custom personality configuration
  • Advanced escalation rules
  • Team member training

Do I need coding skills?

No. If you can:

  • Copy and paste text
  • Edit website content (like adding Google Analytics)
  • Upload files to a website

Then you can install AI Desk. No programming knowledge required.

What if I get stuck during setup?

Multiple support options:

  1. Email: wenjie@aidesk.us (founder responds personally)
  2. Video tutorials: Dashboard → Help → Video Guides
  3. Documentation: Comprehensive setup guides
  4. Live chat: Talk to AI Desk agent on our website

Average response time: Same business day

Can I test before showing to customers?

Yes. Use Preview Mode:

  1. Click "Preview" button in dashboard
  2. Test conversations without going live
  3. Iterate until satisfied
  4. Then deploy to production

Staging environment: Install widget on staging website first, test thoroughly, then move to production.

What happens after 14-day trial?

Two options:

  1. Upgrade to paid plan:

    • Choose plan that fits your volume
    • Enter payment information
    • Continue using AI Desk uninterrupted

  2. Cancel trial:

    • No charges to your card
    • Can export conversation data
    • Account deactivated after 14 days

No automatic charges without confirmation.

Next Steps After Setup

Week 1: Monitor and Iterate

  • Watch first conversations closely
  • Make real-time adjustments
  • Extract knowledge from team responses
  • Gather team feedback

Week 2: Optimize Performance

  • Review analytics data
  • Identify knowledge gaps
  • Refine escalation rules
  • Improve lead capture

Week 3: Scale and Integrate

  • Add team members
  • Set up integrations with CRM
  • Configure automated scraping
  • Establish ongoing processes

Week 4: Measure Business Impact

  • Calculate ROI metrics
  • Review trial conversion rates
  • Assess support team efficiency
  • Plan scaling strategy

Conclusion: From Setup to Success

AI Desk setup takes 10 minutes, but the business impact lasts for years:

What You Accomplished:

  • ✓ Professional AI customer support deployed
  • ✓ 24/7 coverage without hiring
  • ✓ Automatic lead capture active
  • ✓ Knowledge base continuously learning

Immediate Benefits:

  • Instant response to customer questions
  • Lead collection 24/7
  • Support team freed from repetitive questions
  • Professional customer experience

Long-Term Value:

  • Auto-learning AI improves weekly
  • Knowledge base grows automatically
  • Support costs decrease as you scale
  • Customer satisfaction improves continuously

Ready to get started? Begin your 14-day free trial at AI Desk or email wenjie@aidesk.us for personalized setup assistance.

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    How to Set Up AI Desk: 10-Minute Deployment Guide with Screenshots 2025