VisualSP FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

About VisualSP

• Which web applications is the VisualSP help system available for?

  VisualSP is specifically designed to integrate with the Microsoft eco-system (Microsoft Dynamics 365, SharePoint, M365…). However, having deeper integration with Microsoft doesn’t mean you are limited to only Microsoft apps. It is easy to expand your VisualSP environment to apps from other vendors or even custom web apps. We have documented support for common apps like Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, SuccessFactors, NetSuite, Nintex, HubSpot. You can also create URL-based rules that allow it to be used almost anywhere else on the web.

• Does VisualSP work in desktop applications like Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.?

  VisualSP only works with web-based applications, except for the Teams app. We took this decision to prevent you from having maintenance and upgrade headaches. Here’s a blog entry which describes the challenges with supporting desktop applications.

• Where is the trash can icon and what does it do?

  

  In the Help panel slide out, click the person icon in the upper right corner. In the next screen click the gear icon. On the next screen you will then see the trash can icon. Clicking the trash can icon clears any server side data that is stored, which is mainly information about what help items you have viewed or loaded, and it will reset the auto-load counts for help items and the previously viewed flag that you see in the Help panel.

• Is GCC and GCC High supported?

  Government Cloud Computing (GCC) is one of the most secure and robust platforms available. Yes, VisualSP is compatible with both GCC (Government Community Cloud) and GCC High environments, meeting the security and compliance standards required by government and defense organizations. Learn more about GCC and GCC High.

Help Content

• Is the help content available everywhere or just in one site?

  The context sensitive solution is available everywhere to end users wherever they go. Once deployed, the help content is available in-context and on-demand throughout your environment.

• Can we buy just the video content without the VisualSP Help System?

  Yes, you can buy the 105 video tutorials package without purchasing the system.

• How long are the video tutorials?

  The end user level videos in the Help System are each 2 mins or less in duration – just long enough so the end users’ attention is not lost. In addition to video tutorials, we have lots of pre-built interactive guided walkthroughs and tip sheets.

• How easy is it for our company to add custom content so that it can be presented to our users?

  A VisualSP Administrator or Editor can modify and customize the product in minutes.

• Can I edit out-of-the-box content?

  Yes. When you edit out-of-the-box content, we consider it to be a custom help item at that point so it will no longer be updated by us. You have the option to revert to the original at any time.

• Is there audience targeting? Can you customize your content by role or user group?

  Within Dynamics and SharePoint, you are able to target by permission level. If you have a VisualSP Platinum license you can also setup static audiences or dynamic audiences based on imported user profile attributes.

• Can the solution detect whether this is the first time a person has been on this window/application?

  If it is a window or application that no one has visited before, then yes. This can be accomplished using our auto-show on load feature.

• Can users be alerted to new content?

  Whenever new content is available, the Help tab will pulse green in the scope with the new content.

• How is content organized? How much control do we have over that?

  Help items are displayed in the slide-out help panel and are arranged into Groups. You have complete control over assigning Help items to a Group, and you can create new Groups as needed.

• Do you allow for metadata tagging of content?

  Yes. See Work with term sets for more information.

• Where is VisualSP content stored?

  Content is stored on Azure.

• What happens to my content when I add a custom help item?

  Your custom help items are added to your subscription and can only be viewed by users in your subscription. Because it is custom, it can only be edited by you.

• Can walkthroughs span multiple products ie: SharePoint > Outlook > Teams?

  Walkthroughs can span multiple pages and multiple products as long as both are in the same browser window / tab.

• Can we get custom videos produced to plug into the Help System?

  Yes, we can produce a custom 10-pack for you (additional cost) and plug it directly into your Help System when we deliver the product.

• Do users see help items that point to or describe functionality that they don’t have access to?

  The help system is role sensitive within Dynamics 365 and SharePoint. So for example, if a user is an Editor, they would not see help items related to Administrator functionality.

• Where should we store the resources we use for our custom help items?

  Your custom help content artifacts can be stored in any location your users have access to. This could be a site assets library, document library, etc.

Analytics

• What type of analytics do you collect when the application is running? Do you use Google Analytics?

  We use Telerik tools to provide you the graphical data you need about your subscription and your users. You will see that information when you use the admin menu to View Analytics. Our application does not use Google Analytics.

• What information does VisualSP collect about the user? Does it collect location data?

  The VisualSP application extracts only the username, first name and last name, and email of the user that’s logged in to activate you and associate you with your organization’s subscription (if it has one). This information is stored in our Azure database for the user. There is no “location” data that we collect about the user. The only thing we are determining is what page the user is browsing to in your application in order to serve them the contextual help information. We do that by looking at the URL and other page specific variables.

• Can the analytics be surfaced into our own enterprise applications, for example?

  The analytics can be exported to CSV and then used as a data source for other reporting tools.

Security

• What is your privacy policy?

  You can read our privacy policy here.

• How do I control which users get access to VisualSP?

  Users are activated automatically the first time they visit a place where the VisualSP tab loads. You can control this by either controlling destinations / user lists where VisualSP is deployed. For more complex scenarios, it is also possible to configure your subscription to block everyone except for a list of authorized users. Read What Happens When ‘Block New Users’ is Enabled for details.

• How does VisualSP authenticate users?

  VisualSP does not authenticate end users, it relies on the host application to authenticate them. VisualSP detects that pre-authenticated username and uses it to assign the user to the appropriate subscription. That activation is then stored in cookies. Users without authenticated cookies have only limited access to basic functionality and content in the subscription system. Editors and admins are required to authenticate using their organization’s Entra ID before accessing screens for their work.

• How is data protected in transit?

  All traffic is encrypted using SSL via a 2048 bit sha256RSA certificate.

• Do you scan for malicious code in your Help editor?

  Yes, we white-list acceptable tags. Scripts are not allowed.

• Are there different user groups or only ‘Read’ and ‘Edit mode’?

  From an administrative perspective, there are Subscription Admins, App Admins, and Editors.

• If a user leaves our organization, will their VisualSP subscription automatically be deleted?

  No. Once someone becomes a subscription user, there is no way for VisualSP to know if they have left your organization. The VisualSP Administrator for your organization will need to manually block the user to free up the license. They can do this from the Users tab in the VisualSP Online Help System Management window.

• If we decide not to renew our subscription, what happens to the content that we created? How is it removed from our environment? How is it removed from your environment?

  Any custom help content artifacts such as documents, images, or PDFs that reside in your environment, remain in your environment. You can do with that content whatever you wish. Custom content that resides in the cloud, such as Rich HTML help items, will no longer be available to you after your subscription expires. We maintain your content for no more than 90 days after your subscription end date, at which time all your subscription information and content is deleted from our system.

• What if I’m supporting an internal app hosted with on-prem servers that do not have internet access?

  No problem. VisualSP is loaded and processed client-side so traffic is not generated from or on the server, unless you are currently using a browser on the server.

• Does this have any security implications? We have sensitive data.

  No. Your custom content is unique to your subscription. No else can see your custom content. Access to your content is secured through your organization’s authentication protocols.

• Has your organization ever had a security breach?

  No, our customer data and content has never had a security breach.

• What is your uptime record?

  99.86%

Installation and Updating

• What are the technical requirements for installing VisualSP?

  VisualSP can be installed in a variety of ways, such as with a browser extension, through an installation wizard, or PowerShell. Here are details about your options.

• How long does it take?

  Depends upon the size of your environment and your deployment method. Could be as short as a minute or two, or as long as 20-30 minutes.

• How does VisualSP affect performance of our system?

  The VisualSP elements are loaded only after everything else on the page has loaded. You should be able to confirm this by noticing that the VisualSP help tab doesn’t appear until after everything else on the page has been rendered. Libraries and graphics that are used throughout the application are cached locally for each user so they don’t have to be loaded each time a page loads.

  VisualSP runs in its own iframe on the page, so it is isolated from the rest of the page. It does interact with browser-based applications, but that is done asynchronously so nothing else that is native to the application is affected.

• How does installation work for a large group of users?

  VisualSP can be deployed to destinations your users visit. For example, you can deploy as a custom SPFx application extension in the SharePoint app catalog and/or as a managed solution in Dynamics 365. You can also just drop the script tag in any web application that you have backend access to.

  VisualSP can also be deployed to users via a browser extension. This allows those users to benefit from the VisualSP tab in almost any application. This user-based deployment can be done with Group Policy, Intune, or other similar tools. Here are your installation options.

• Where is the solution hosted?

  VisualSP is a SaaS application and is hosted in the Microsoft Azure cloud.

• There are certain sites we don’t want to have contextual help. Can the tab be turned off for certain parts (per App like Word, OneDrive, Outlook) or per SharePoint site?

  Yes, you can control which parts will display the help tab. Please see How and why to use the ‘hide VisualSP tab’ functionality for details.

• Suppose you want to use VisualSP in multiple browsers. Is this possible? Do changes to help content have to be made uniquely for each browser?

  VisualSP has extensions for both Chrome and Edge. If VisualSP is deployed to a destination, such as SharePoint or Dynamics, it won’t matter what browser is used. In all deployment scenarios, it is possible to filter specific items to specific browsers, if needed.

• How do we handle updates from the VisualSP product? What needs to be done by us once there is an update? How easy is it to update?

  Product updates couldn’t get any easier. New content/updates are available immediately and automatically. There is no need to do anything on your part.

• How often is the tool updated?

  Our normal release day is Thursdays, however we will not always have a new release every week. When we have an update to our online code, the panel and underlying system will update automatically. No action is required on your part. When an update requires a new release of our browser extension, it will update automatically through its appropriate browser store.

• What is the process for updating VisualSP when our underlying enterprise applications are upgraded?

  No action is required on your part. Our extension lays on top of your applications and is independent of the underlying application.

• After we install VisualSP, we will need someone to create custom training content for us. Do you provide that service?

  Most of the time, we believe that the best model is for us to help you become proficient in creating content that addresses your needs. However, we realize sometimes it is difficult to find the time to create all that you would like your users to see. It is quick and easy to purchase service hours so we can create custom content for you. We know that there’s tremendous value in getting a little personal help from a VisualSP content expert – usually your dedicated Customer Success Manager. Please contact [email protected] for further information.

• Can you exclude sites because you may not want to make tab / content available there?

  Yes, you can control which parts will display the help tab. Please see How and why to use the ‘hide VisualSP tab’ functionality for details.

Administration

• What is the administrative overhead for this platform?

  That depends upon you and your company’s goals. If you choose to only use out-of-the-box content, your overhead is minimal. If you choose to be more active in providing help content, it could be more.

• Does the platform administrator need to be a developer?

  Not at all. Our application is a no code / low code solution. It is very easy to change the default walkthrough bubble design without ever touching a line of code. If you have someone on your team with HTML / CSS skills, there are more advanced things they can accomplish.

• Does the platform require a dedicated resource?

  No. Management of VisualSP is minimal so a dedicated resource is not required.

Troubleshooting

• Are there any URLs we should add to the ‘allow’ list on our network security appliances / policies?

  Most customers do not need to take any special steps to allow traffic. However, if you have a strict network security scheme, or if you are experiencing intermittent problems where the VisualSP panel does not always display when / where expected – then the following domain names should be explicitly allowed:

  media.contextall.com
  static.contextall.com
  api.contextall.com
  visualsponline.azurewebsites.net
  visualsponlineteams.azurewebsites.net
  visualspmedia.azurewebsites.net

• VisualSP doesn’t seem to be working as expected. What troubleshooting steps can I take before I submit a support ticket?

  If VisualSP isn’t working, open the Developer tools (F12) on your browser and look for any errors in the Console tab. Often the errors you see won’t be associated with our product, however it could be helpful for our support team to see the error messages  generated by the browser. You can filter out everything but errors, copy it into a text file and email it to [email protected].

• I am seeing an error message in Analytics on only one of my browsers. It seems to be localized to my environment because no one else with the same browser is seeing the error. What could be the problem?

• Have you installed another 3rd party browser extension recently? In particular, a popup blocker has been known to throw errors on the Analytics page.

• Why do some names in the Permissions Group show up as Unknown, Unknown?

  

  While we are able to auto-activate users through their email address, we may not always be able to get the name and that’s where the unknown comes from. Those users would need to update their names manually.