> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://doc.aissist.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://doc.aissist.io/tutorial/deploy.md).

# Deploy

Deploy an Aissist workspace into your help desk with a gateway - connect, choose what the agent manages, set escalation and handover, test, then go live.

*Last updated: November 1, 2026*

A gateway puts your workspace to work inside the help desk your team already uses. This page covers the steps every gateway shares. Each help desk then has its own page for what is different there.

For what a gateway is and why it matters, see [Gateways](/capabilities/gateways.md).

### Before you start

* Build and test the workspace first: [Create a Workspace](/tutorial/create-workspace.md), then [Try](/tutorial/try.md).
* Have an admin login for the help desk. Most help desks connect by signing in (OAuth); a few use an API key.
* Decide where Aissist should work: one inbox, group, team or queue is the best start.

### Create a gateway

Go to **Deploy → Gateways** and click **Add Gateway**. The new gateway walks you through these steps in order.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Platform

Pick the help desk. The platform is settled when the gateway is created.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Gateway

Give the gateway a **Name** and choose the **Deploy Workspace** - the workspace that answers through this gateway.

Under **Configure Gateway** you can also set:

* **Initial Delay (seconds)**: wait before the first reply (0-120).
* **Delay per interaction (seconds)**: wait before each following reply (0-60).
* **Output Format**: **Auto** (adjusts to the channel), **Original**, **HTML** or **Plain Text**.
* **Show Aissist Ads?**: adds "by aissist.io" under messages. It is always on for the Free plan.
* **Enable Co-Pilot**: on means this gateway is used by default for [in-note commands](/capabilities/in-note-command.md). It is only useful if you have deployed more than one gateway on the same help desk account.

All of these can be changed later.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Connect

Choose the project connector the gateway signs in with, or click **Create a new ... connector** to make one here. The connector holds the credentials, signs in and refreshes tokens, once for everything that uses it (gateways, actions, assets). See [Connectors](/capabilities/connectors.md).

Some help desks show extra setup here, such as a webhook to create on the vendor's side. The help desk's page says what.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Managing

Choose the **Managing Points**: the inboxes, groups, teams or queues Aissist handles. By default it manages all of them. Aissist only works on conversations in these points.

Most help desks also offer **Stop at the following tag(s)**: tags that make Aissist skip a conversation. Use it rarely.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Actor

Choose the **Actor**: the help desk user Aissist answers as. It is required - the gateway cannot be created without one. A dedicated user for Aissist works best.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Escalation

Set the **Escalation** target: the group, team, inbox or queue that gets a conversation when Aissist escalates. If you leave it empty, Aissist only unassigns itself.

Add **Handover Rules** when different sub-agents should hand over to different teams: each rule maps one or more sub-agents to a target. For example, billing to the billing team and returns to the returns team. See [Escalation and Handover](/capabilities/escalation-and-handover.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Chat Only

Messages that only apply to chat channels:

* **Thinking Message**: sent when Aissist takes longer than usual, so the customer knows it is working.
* **Handover Message** (called **Transfer Message** on some help desks): sent when Aissist produces no reply, so the customer is not left waiting.

Both are rephrased into the customer's language before they are sent.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

Click **Create Gateway**. You can create it as soon as it has a name, a connector and an actor; the later steps can be set afterwards on the gateway's own page.

A saved gateway has four tabs: **Settings**, **Connect**, **Agent** and **Additional Steps**. The history button shows every change made to it.

### Operating mode

New gateways run in **Auto-Pilot**: Aissist replies on its own and hands over when it should. Auto-Draft (Draft Mode and auto-draft tags), where Aissist only drafts replies for an agent to send, is deprecated: existing setups keep working and are shown read-only, and no new ones can be created. See [Why was Auto-Draft deprecated?](/faq.md) in the FAQ. **Enable Co-Pilot** is not part of it.

### Test, then go live

1. Test the workspace in [Try](/tutorial/try.md) with real questions.
2. Point the gateway at one narrow managing point, for example a test inbox or a group you route a few tickets to.
3. Send a few test conversations through the help desk and check them in **Deploy → Sessions**.
4. Widen the managing points step by step.

Each gateway card on **Deploy → Gateways** has a **Deployed** switch to pause or resume it.

### Gateways

| Help desk                                                     | Managing point  | Escalation target | Status |
| ------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | ----------------- | ------ |
| [Intercom](/tutorial/deploy/intercom.md)                      | Team inbox      | Team              |        |
| [Zendesk](/tutorial/deploy/zendesk.md), tickets and messaging | Group           | Group             |        |
| [Front](/tutorial/deploy/front.md)                            | Inbox           | Inbox             |        |
| [Gorgias](/tutorial/deploy/gorgias.md)                        | Team            | Team              |        |
| [Freshdesk Omni](/tutorial/deploy/freshdesk-omni.md)          | Group           | Group             |        |
| [Kustomer](/tutorial/deploy/kustomer.md)                      | Queue           | Queue             |        |
| [Salesforce](/tutorial/deploy/salesforce.md)                  | Queue           | Queue             | beta   |
| [HubSpot](/tutorial/deploy/hubspot.md)                        | Inbox           | Inbox             | beta   |
| [WATI](/tutorial/deploy/wati.md)                              | WhatsApp number | Operator email    | beta   |
| [Chatwoot](/tutorial/deploy/chatwoot.md)                      | Inbox           | none              | beta   |

{% hint style="info" %}
Freshchat is being retired. Existing Freshchat gateways keep working, but new deployments should use another gateway, such as Freshdesk Omni.
{% endhint %}

### Do it with Ask Engine

Ask Engine knows your gateways. Open **Ask** and try:

> What gateways does this workspace have, and how are they configured?

Ask Engine lists each gateway, whether it is deployed, whether its connection is still valid, and its settings (mode, output format, delays).

> Why were these conversations not answered yesterday?

Ask Engine checks the gateway settings and the conversations themselves to explain it. To see why conversations went to your team, ask "Why were conversations escalated last week?". See [Ask Engine](/capabilities/ask.md).

### Best practice

* Use one gateway per managing point. Avoid two gateways on the same inbox, group or queue.
* Narrow the traffic in the help desk first (a routing rule, a tag, an inbox), then use that as the managing point.
* Give Aissist its own help desk user as the actor.
* Start with one managing point, review the live conversations, improve the workspace, then expand.

### Related

* [Gateways](/capabilities/gateways.md)
* [Connectors](/capabilities/connectors.md)
* [Escalation and Handover](/capabilities/escalation-and-handover.md)
* [Success Metrics](/success-metrics.md)