=== Smart Support - Self-Hosted helpdesk and ticketing system for fast, efficient, and scalable customer support === Contributors: 7thskysoftware Tags: support, helpdesk, ticketing, customer-service, support-system Requires at least: 5.0 Tested up to: 6.8 Requires PHP: 7.4 Stable tag: 1.0.0 License: GPLv2 or later License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html Donate link: https://7thskysoftware.com/ AI-driven helpdesk ticketing system for WordPress with comprehensive ticket management, user roles, and frontend interface. == Description == Smart Support is a modern, full‑featured helpdesk and ticketing system built specifically for WordPress. It gives your customers a clean, friendly portal to request help and track progress, while your team gets the tools they need to triage, collaborate, and resolve tickets efficiently. = What your customers get = * A unified Support Center page powered by the `[smart_support_page]` shortcode with tabs for Login, Register, Dashboard, and Create Ticket * Simple, secure login and registration with optional first/last‑name auto‑fill and “remember me” * Password reset link and optional Google reCAPTCHA (v2, v2 Invisible, or v3) protection * An easy ticket form with rich text editor support and file attachments * A personal dashboard to view, search, and filter their tickets by status, department, and state * Clear ticket timelines with messages and attachments = What your team gets = * Structured ticket lifecycle: open, delayed, closed (with reopen and close actions) * Auto‑close inactive tickets after a configurable number of days * Auto‑delay mode to mark stale tickets as “Delayed” and notify customers * Departments, products, and priorities to organize and route requests * Role‑based access: customer, agent, manager, administrator (fully capability‑driven) * Inline reply with attachments and internal notes capability (via standard replies) * One‑click “reply and close” workflow * Email notifications for new tickets, replies, delays/closures, and more (templated and translatable) * Analytics dashboard powered by Chart.js 4.5.0 for volume, status, and performance insights = Highlights = * Frontend‑first design: the entire portal runs on a single page via `[smart_support_page]` * Floating support widget (optional) to let users create tickets or jump to their dashboard anywhere on your site * Robust attachments: size/type limits, previews, and secure download handling * Powerful filtering: status, department, state, and keyword search on the dashboard * Accessibility‑minded UI and fully responsive layout that looks great on mobile and desktop * Security built‑in: nonces, strict capability checks, comprehensive sanitization and escaping, and reCAPTCHA integration * Translation‑ready and multisite‑compatible * Clean, well‑structured code that follows WordPress coding standards = Shortcode = Add this to any page to create your full Support Center: `[smart_support_page]` = Easy Setup = 1) Install and activate the plugin 2) Configure departments, priorities, products, and user roles 3) Create a page and add the `[smart_support_page]` shortcode 4) Enable Google reCAPTCHA (optional) under Advanced settings 5) Start managing support tickets = Notes on Privacy & Security = Smart Support uses Google reCAPTCHA (optional) for spam prevention and Chart.js in the admin for analytics. See the External Services section for details. The plugin validates permissions server‑side, escapes output, verifies nonces on all forms, and stores files securely using WordPress APIs. == Installation == 1. Upload the `smart-support` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/` 2. Activate through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress 3. Go to 'Smart Support' in your admin menu to configure settings 4. Create a page and add the `[smart_support_page]` shortcode to display the portal == Frequently Asked Questions == = How do I create the Support Center page? = Create a normal page and insert `[smart_support_page]`. That page becomes your portal with Login, Register, Dashboard, and Create Ticket sections. = Can I customize the appearance? = Yes. Go to Smart Support → Appearance and adjust primary color, layout spacing, button styles, and widget options. The frontend is CSS‑friendly if you want further theme‑level overrides. = Does it work with my theme and page builders? = Yes. The portal renders inside your theme’s content area. If a page builder wraps content, use a blank/canvas template if needed. The UI is responsive and tested with popular themes. = How do I enable/disable user registration? = Smart Support has its own registration toggle in User Management settings. Enable it there regardless of the global WordPress registration option. = Can I restrict who can submit tickets? = Yes. Use role‑based permissions and optional registration approval so only approved users can open tickets. = How do attachments work? = You can set allowed file types, size limits, and counts. Files are stored via WordPress APIs and can be downloaded securely by authorized users only. = How do priorities, departments, and products help? = They classify tickets for better routing and reporting. Agents can filter and search using these attributes in the dashboard. = What is Auto‑Close and Auto‑Delay? = Auto‑Close closes tickets after a period of inactivity you choose. Auto‑Delay marks inactive tickets as “Delayed” and can notify users. Both are configurable under General settings. = Are there email notifications? = Yes. The plugin emails users and agents for new tickets, replies, and state changes. Subjects and messages are templated and translatable. = Can I change email templates and sender? = Yes. Update subjects, bodies, and the “From” name/email in Email settings. = Does it support multiple agents and roles? = Yes. Roles are capability‑driven (customer, agent, manager, admin). You can tune permissions to fit your workflow. = Is Google reCAPTCHA supported? = Yes. v2, v2 Invisible, and v3 are supported. Enable it per form (login, registration, tickets) in Advanced settings. = Will it work on multisite? = Yes, Smart Support is multisite‑compatible. = Is there a mobile app? = No separate app is required. The portal is fully responsive and works great on phones and tablets. = Is the plugin secure? = Yes. We use nonces, capability checks, sanitization, and escaping throughout. reCAPTCHA can be enabled to protect public forms. = Does it include analytics? = Yes. The admin Analytics page uses Chart.js to visualize ticket volume, status, and performance trends. = Can I export or back up tickets? = Ticket data is stored in custom tables. Use your hosting database backups or a database export tool to back up data. Structured exports can be added via extensions. = Can I translate the plugin? = Yes. The plugin is translation‑ready with a `.pot` file under `languages/`. = How do I add the floating widget? = Enable it under Appearance → Floating Widget and choose its screen position. = Are there shortcodes or blocks besides the main one? = The primary entry point is `[smart_support_page]`, which renders the full portal. Widgets and other views are accessible inside that page. = My inputs don’t show on the portal page. What should I check? = Ensure you’re visiting the page that contains `[smart_support_page]`. Disable any HTML sanitizers/minifiers that might strip inputs, clear caches, and try a hard refresh. If the problem persists, inspect the element to identify any theme CSS hiding inputs and override it in Appearance settings or your theme. = Does Smart Support collect personal data? = The plugin stores ticket content, email addresses, and uploaded files needed to provide support. If reCAPTCHA is enabled, Google may process IP/browser data for verification. See “External Services” for details. = How do I report a bug or request a feature? = Open a ticket via the Support Center page on your site or contact us on our support portal with steps to reproduce and environment details. == Screenshots == 1. Ticket Management Interface (Backend) 2. Agent Reply Interface (Backend) 3. Add new Ticket backend on behalf of customer 4. End User Sign-up (Frontend) 5. End User Login (Frontend) 6. End User Dashboard (Frontend) 7. End User Add new ticket (customer portal) == External Services == This plugin uses the following external services and third-party libraries: ### Google reCAPTCHA **Purpose**: Spam prevention and form verification **Data Sent**: IP address and browser information during form submission **Endpoint**: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/siteverify **Provider**: Google LLC **Terms of Service**: https://policies.google.com/terms **Privacy Policy**: https://policies.google.com/privacy ### Chart.js Library **Purpose**: Analytics and reporting charts for data visualization **Version**: 4.5.0 (bundled with plugin) **Data**: Chart rendering and analytics visualization data **Provider**: Chart.js Contributors **License**: MIT License **Website**: https://www.chartjs.org **Terms of Service**: https://www.chartjs.org/ **Privacy Policy**: https://www.chartjs.org/ == Changelog == = 1.0.0 = * Initial release: complete ticketing system, user roles, file attachments, notifications, auto-close, responsive design, REST API, security, analytics. == Upgrade Notice == = 1.0.0 = Initial release: complete helpdesk system ready for production use.