Migration guide · Updated
Migrate from Intercom Articles to usedocs
Many teams love Intercom's inbox but not paying for its help center, or want articles that keep up with the product. You don't have to move everything at once: the help center can move to usedocs while chat stays where it is. Here's how.
Short answer
Most teams leaving Intercom Articles keep the Messenger and move only the help center. Paste an Intercom access token and usedocs pulls in every published article, or point it at your public help center to keep images and tables too. Articles land as drafts to review; once your help center domain points at usedocs, each old article address forwards to its new page, and the Messenger can link the new help center.
What moves over from Intercom Articles
Published articles
Every published article, with title, body, and description. Articles that aren't published in Intercom are skipped.
Old URLs become redirects
Each article's Intercom address is saved and its path becomes a redirect to the new article on your domain.
Collections, with the website import
The token import places articles in one collection to sort afterwards. The website import builds collections from your URL folders.
Conversations, if you want them
Separately, you can import Intercom conversations so the questions customers asked seed your list of missing articles.
How to move from Intercom Articles to usedocs
- Get an Intercom access token. In Intercom's Developer Hub, create an app for your workspace and copy its access token. Skip this if you'll import from the public site.
- Start the import. In the usedocs dashboard, open Help center, then Import, choose Intercom, and paste the token. Or choose Any docs site and paste your public help center URL.
- Review the drafts. Articles arrive as drafts. Sort them into collections, re-add images if you used the token import, and publish.
- Turn on the assistant in your app. Add the usedocs widget or link the help center from the Intercom Messenger, and connect GitHub so merged pull requests propose edits.
- Point your help center domain at usedocs. If your help center is on your own domain, point it at usedocs (custom domains are on Growth). Old article paths redirect to the new pages. Update the help center link in your Intercom Messenger.
What happens to your links and search rankings
Intercom help centers live either on an intercom.help address or on your own domain. Only the second kind can forward visitors: point help.yourapp.com at usedocs and every imported article answers its old address with a permanent redirect, so search results and bookmarks still land on the right page. An intercom.help address belongs to Intercom, so change what you control instead: the help link in your Messenger home, saved replies your team pastes, onboarding emails, and in app help buttons.
On usedocs every article gets its own title, description, and canonical URL, plus a sitemap, Markdown copies, and llms.txt for AI assistants.
What usedocs does once your docs are in
With the help center on usedocs, the assistant answers from your articles with a link to the source, on a flat plan instead of a fee per resolution, and says so when the articles don't cover a question. Those misses, plus any Intercom conversations you import, become ranked gaps with drafted articles. Connect GitHub and merged pull requests propose edits to the articles they affect, so the answers stay right after each release. You approve everything in one queue.
Limits worth knowing
- Up to 100 articles per import run.
- Images: the website import keeps images as links to where they're hosted today, so re-upload any you need before you close the old account. The Intercom API import brings text, headings, lists, links, and code, but not images or tables.
- The token import places all articles in one collection; organize them before publishing.
- Article audience targeting stays in Intercom; use private collections in usedocs for content only signed in customers should see.
When to stay on Intercom Articles
Stay on Intercom Articles if your team depends on articles inside the Intercom Messenger and Fin answering from the same content, and you're happy with the cost. If you only want the questions customers ask turned into articles, you can import Intercom conversations into usedocs without moving the help center.
FAQ
Can I keep Intercom for chat and use usedocs for the help center?
Yes. Move the help center to usedocs and link it from the Intercom Messenger. Many teams split it this way.
Will my Intercom article links keep working?
Links on a domain you control will, through redirects. Links to intercom.help addresses can't be redirected.
Should I use the token import or the website import?
The token import brings every published article. The website import keeps images and simple tables and builds collections from your URL folders.
Does usedocs replace Fin?
For answers from your docs, yes: the assistant answers from your help center with a link to the source, with 2,000 AI conversations included. It doesn't replace Intercom's inbox.
How long does an Intercom migration take?
The import takes minutes; reviewing drafts takes an afternoon for a few dozen articles.
What does usedocs cost?
Growth is $99/mo with a custom domain and 5 seats, after a 7 day free trial, no credit card.