How to Create a Free Help Desk Backend in SharePoint

How to Create a Free Help Desk Backend in SharePoint

Last Updated on August 26, 2023

Are you looking for a way to create a help desk solution without overstretching your budget?

You might have checked the market already and there is no denying that almost all help desk platforms out there cost a lot. That may be okay for well-established businesses that have lots of issues coming in.

But what if your company is new and you have a tight budget…

Fortunately, you can create a free help desk backend in SharePoint and hook it up with other tools like Microsoft Forms that will do the issue collection for you.

Let’s get started.

What tools can you use to create a help desk solution in SharePoint?

Before, there used to be two apps you can use to create a help desk solution in SharePoint.

One of them, the Custom List app, is still accessible up to this day by adding an app through the classic experience.

SharePoint apps available in the classic experience

Right now, there is a new list template called Issue Tracker that you can use right within the modern experience.

Its predecessor, Issue Tracking (app), is a more archaic version and does not allow item-level permissions. That isn’t an issue anymore with the new Issue Tracker template.

Although you can still use the Custom List app, the Issue Tracker template is the most optimal choice. With the classic app, you still have to build custom metadata from scratch.

That is all good if you are not in the rush and you can be bothered with more work configuring the different columns and putting up formulas to make them functional.

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    How to Create a Help Desk Solution With SharePoint

    To start, go to the SharePoint site where you want to build the help desk backend.

    Now that you’re on the site, the first thing to do is add a new list.

    Click the “New” button on the menu and click the “List” option.

    How to add a new list in SharePoint

    After that, you will be able to select from various list templates.

    Select the “Issue tracker” template. You can check out the various columns that come with this template.

    Then, click the “Use template” button.

    How to use the issue tracker list template in SharePoint

    After that, you now have an issue tracker list that you can connect with various platforms. Naturally, you must train your users on how to use the tracker.

    Note: Go here for a full tutorial on site creation from a template: How to Create a SharePoint Site From Template: Full Tutorial.

    Add a Comments Field

    The default columns included with the template are already detailed. But it doesn’t have everything.

    For instance, there is no comments field or column.

    To start, add a multiple lines of text column, just like how you add any type of simple list column in SharePoint.

    How to add a multiple lines of text column

    Give the column a name (probably “Comments”) and make sure to enable the option to append changes to existing text.

    Don’t forget to save the changes to the column.

    Enable the append changes to existing text option to create a working comments column

    That’s it! With previous versions of SharePoint, you have to do more to set up a simple help desk backend. But now, most of the features you need come with the Issue Tracker template.

    If you have any questions related to creating a help desk solution in SharePoint, feel free to comment below. You can also send me a message directly through my contact page.

    About Ryan Clark

    As the Modern Workplace Architect at Mr. SharePoint, I help companies of all sizes better leverage Modern Workplace and Digital Process Automation investments. I am also a Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP) for M365 Apps & Services.

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    Deirdre Clark
    Deirdre Clark
    1 year ago

    Thanks! This is very helpful in creating a free issue tracker.

    Sallyg_83@hotmail.com
    9 months ago

    Can you load a document with track changes in a collection signature? What us the best way for an approved to view track changes before electronically signing a document in SharePoint?

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