Beacon + Docs

A knowledge base is a collection of helpful articles, guides, and FAQs designed to give customers the answers they need—without having to reach out to support. It acts as a self-service hub where people can quickly find solutions to common questions, learn how to use your product, and troubleshoot issues on their own. A well-structured knowledge base makes information easy to navigate, ensuring customers can get the right help at the right time.

For example, an e-commerce store can use a knowledge base to guide customers through the return process, provide size charts, and explain shipping policies—reducing the number of support tickets related to order issues. A software company might use it to offer step-by-step tutorials, API documentation, or troubleshooting guides, helping users set up integrations or resolve technical issues independently. By tailoring your knowledge base to your customers’ needs, you empower them to find answers fast while keeping your support team focused on more complex inquiries.

At Help Scout, we call our knowledge base a Docs site and in our opinion, a Docs site is essential—it’s where all your important knowledge lives for customers to access at any time. Beacon can be just as helpful, providing live chat and a contact form for direct support. But you can also use Beacon to seamlessly deliver helpful Docs content in multiple ways.

Control Access to Docs with Beacon

Using Help Scout’s Beacon with a private Docs site lets you keep certain support content exclusive to logged-in users. It’s a great way to make sure only the right people see sensitive info while still making it easy for them to find the help they need. A few examples:

Healthcare Portals: If you manage a healthcare platform, you might have a dedicated knowledge base with FAQs, appointment guides, or post-care instructions that only active patients should access. Using a hidden Docs site within Beacon ensures that only logged-in patients can view this sensitive information.
Online Learning Platforms: Running an online course? Keep your support materials exclusive to enrolled students by linking Beacon to a private Docs site. This way, students can easily access lecture notes, troubleshooting guides, and FAQs—without exposing them to the public.
University Student Portals: Universities can restrict access to course materials, financial aid application details, and administrative forms so that only enrolled students can see them. This setup ensures that academic and financial support content is available only to those who need it, streamlining the student experience.

Using a private Docs site with Beacon helps keep sensitive information secure while ensuring users get the support they need—when and where they need it. With this setup, authenticated users can instantly access the help they need while keeping sensitive information protected.

Learn More: Control Access to Docs Using Beacon

Customize Content Suggestions with Beacon

With Help Scout's Beacon, you can customize content suggestions to match what your users are doing in real time. That means they get the right help at the right moment, without having to search for it. By serving up relevant Docs articles based on the page they’re on, you make their experience smoother while cutting down on support requests. Here are a few great ways to put this feature to work:

E-Commerce Product Support

An online retailer can suggest helpful Docs content based on what a shopper is viewing, reducing friction in the buying process.

Example: A customer browsing a 4K Ultra HD Smart TV page might see links to:

Setup guides to help with installation
Troubleshooting tips for common connectivity issues
Warranty details for easy access to coverage information

Software Application Feature Guidance

A SaaS company can provide targeted help articles based on the feature a user is working with, improving user adoption and reducing support requests.

Example: A user in the Analytics Dashboard might get suggested articles on:

Customizing reports to fit their specific needs
Interpreting data to make informed business decisions
Setting up alerts to stay on top of key metrics

Educational Platform Course Assistance

An online learning platform can serve up course-specific support content, helping students stay engaged and on track.

Example: A student viewing a module related to Advanced Calculus might find:

Complex integrals explained step by step
Sample problems with solutions to practice key concepts
Study strategies to prepare effectively for exams

By customizing content suggestions in Beacon, you can surface the most relevant Docs articles exactly when and where users need them—improving their experience and reducing support requests.

For a more detailed guide on setting this up, check out this article: Customizing Content Suggestions in Beacon.

Smarter Self-Service with AI Answers

Bringing together Docs + AI Answers in Help Scout helps you deliver instant, accurate responses while lightening the load on your support team. With AI Answers gathering information from your Docs site, customers get the information they need without waiting for a reply. This powerful combination improves customer support in a few different ways:

Instant Answers for Common Questions

Got a question? AI Answers has you covered—no searching, no waiting. Instead of reaching out to support, customers get instant answers to things like password resets, billing updates, or login issues. That means less back-and-forth and more time for your team to tackle the trickier stuff.

Smoother Onboarding and User Education

New to something? No problem! AI Answers displays the right Docs articles at the right time—think setup guides, feature walkthroughs, and account navigation tips—so customers can get up and running without the guesswork (or support emails!).

24/7 Global Support

Support that never sleeps! AI Answers makes sure customers get instant help, anytime, anywhere. Whether it’s pricing details, subscription plans, or troubleshooting steps, customers can find what they need—even when your team is off the clock. Fewer emails, and a lot more efficiency.

Get set up with AI Answers.

Use Beacon’s API to Make Docs Even More Helpful

Leveraging Help Scout's Beacon JavaScript API allows you to dynamically serve Docs content, proactively helping people where they may need it most. Focusing on the search , suggest , and article methods, you can customize the assistance provided to users based on their specific interactions and needs.

‘Search’

The search method enables you to programmatically perform a search within your Docs knowledge base and display the results directly within Beacon. This is particularly useful for providing immediate answers related to user actions.

Suppose a user encounters an error code "E404" within your application. You can automatically trigger a search for this error code, presenting relevant articles to assist the user without requiring manual input.

‘Suggest’

The suggest method allows you to display a curated list of articles within the Beacon, tailored to the user's current context or behavior. This proactive support can significantly enhance user satisfaction by anticipating their needs.

Imagine a user is navigating the billing section of your platform. You can use the suggest method to present articles related to billing inquiries.

'Article'

The article method enables you to open a specific Docs article within the Beacon, providing users with direct access to detailed information without navigating away from the current page.

If a user is on a page discussing a particular feature, you can offer a "Learn More" link that opens a related article directly within the Beacon. You can even display specific Docs content in various formats:

Inline: Ideal for tooltips or brief explanations.