How to Migrate from Help Scout to a Free Help Desk

You will be able to move all tickets, contacts, tags, and automation rules from Help Scout into a free help desk without interrupting your support flow. Before you start, gather admin access to Help Scout, a spreadsheet program for any manual cleanup, and a list of the workflows you rely on daily.

Export data from Help Scout

1. Open Help Scout and go to the Reports section. Use the export option to download tickets as a CSV file; include custom fields, tags, and conversation threads.
2. Export contacts separately so you retain email addresses, names, and any notes attached to each customer.
3. Save the files in a dedicated folder and verify row counts match the numbers shown in Help Scout.

Select a free help desk that fits your workflow

1. List the features you use today — shared inbox, tag‑based routing, saved replies, and any AI‑assisted drafts.
2. Compare free plans against that list. Many free tiers limit the number of mailboxes or automation rules; read the limits carefully (see What Limits Do Free Help Desk Plans Usually Have?).
3. If you run a solo operation or a very small team, the Best Free Help Desk for Solo Founders 2026 roundup can help you narrow the field quickly.
4. For e‑commerce stores that rely on Shopify, the Help Scout vs Free Shopify Help Desk Alternatives comparison highlights tools that handle order‑related tickets out of the box.

Import data into the new help desk

1. Create the same mailboxes and user accounts in the new system before importing.
2. Use the CSV import wizard (most free help desks have one) to bring in tickets first, mapping columns to the target fields: subject, body, status, assignee, tags, and custom fields.
3. Import contacts next, linking them to the tickets via the email address column.
4. Run a spot check on 20–30 tickets to confirm that threading, timestamps, and attachments appear correctly.

Recreate automations and tags

1. Document every Help Scout workflow — auto‑assign rules, tag‑based triggers, and saved replies.
2. In the new help desk, rebuild each rule using the native automation builder. Keep the logic identical; only the syntax changes.
3. Test each rule by sending a test email to the support address and watching the ticket flow.

Test the migration with a small ticket batch

1. Pick a recent day’s worth of tickets (about 50–100) and run them through the new system end‑to‑end.
2. Verify that replies sent from the new help desk reach the customer and that the conversation thread stays intact.
3. Ask two agents to work the test batch simultaneously; confirm that collision detection and assignment work as expected.

Switch the team over and monitor

1. Schedule a cut‑over window of low volume (early morning or weekend). Update DNS or forwarding rules so incoming emails land in the new mailbox.
2. Keep Help Scout in read‑only mode for 48 hours as a safety net; agents can still reference old tickets if needed.
3. Monitor ticket volume, response times, and any error logs for the first week. Adjust automation rules if you see misrouted tickets.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the contact export and then wondering why customer history looks empty.
• Forgetting to map custom fields during import, which drops valuable metadata.
• Assuming the free plan’s automation limits match Help Scout’s; always verify before committing.
• Not testing with real email addresses, leading to broken reply threads after go‑live.

If you want a free help desk that includes AI reply suggestions, a shared inbox, and automatic email‑to‑ticket conversion, try NeuraDesk free.

Try NeuraDesk free and see if it fits your team.