Getting Help & Support
When you need help with e-picos, you have three options built right into the dashboard, plus a fourth path for users who need bespoke help.
Choosing the right channel
| You need help with... | Best channel | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Knowing which module to use, or what a result means | E-PICOS Assistant | Dashboard -- Need Help? button |
| A technical problem, a bug, a payment issue, or something not working | Support Center | Dashboard -- Support button |
| A complex research project that needs expert input | Professional Consultancy | Dashboard -- Need Help? -- Professional Help |
| Searching for academic literature | PicoSearch | Dashboard -- PicoSearch button |
The Support Center is for anything that needs a human at e-picos to help you.
The Support Center
Open the Support Center by clicking the Support button (the middle of the three shortcuts on your dashboard). A large dialog appears, occupying about 80% of the screen.
The dialog has three views: a list of your tickets, a form to create a new ticket, and a chat view for an individual ticket.
| Header element | Action |
|---|---|
| + New Ticket (only on list view) | Switches to the New Ticket form |
| Back arrow (only on new/chat views) | Returns to the ticket list |
| X (all views) | Closes the Support Center entirely |
You can also close the dialog by clicking on the dark area outside it.
Creating a new ticket
Click + New Ticket to open the New Support Ticket form. The form has three sections.
Subject
A short summary of your issue (the equivalent of an email subject line).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Required | Yes |
| Maximum length | 200 characters |
| Placeholder | "Brief description of your issue" |
| Live counter | Shows "X/200 characters" below the field |
Description
The detailed explanation of your issue.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Required | Yes |
| Maximum length | 2000 characters |
| Format | Multi-line text (6 rows shown by default) |
| Placeholder | "Please describe your issue in detail..." |
| Live counter | Shows "X/2000 characters" below the field |
Tip: Include the steps you took before the problem appeared, what you expected to happen, and what actually happened. The more specific you are, the faster support can help.
Attach Image (Optional)
You can attach one image to your ticket -- useful for screenshots of error messages, unexpected results, or visual bugs.
| Constraint | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum file size | 3 MB |
| Allowed formats | JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP |
| Number of images | One per ticket creation |
When you select a file, a preview appears showing the thumbnail, original filename, file size, and an X button to remove it.
If you try to attach a file that does not meet the constraints:
| Error | Cause |
|---|---|
| "File size must be less than 3MB" | The selected file is larger than 3 MB |
| "Only image files (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP) are allowed" | The selected file is not in an allowed format |
Submitting
Once the Subject and Description are filled in, the Create Support Ticket button becomes active:
- The button changes to "Creating Ticket..." while the ticket is being created
- On success, the form closes and you return to the ticket list, where your new ticket appears at the top
- On failure, an error banner appears explaining what went wrong
The ticket list
The ticket list shows all your existing tickets, most recently active first.
If you have not yet created any tickets, you see: "No Support Tickets -- You haven't created any support tickets yet."
Each ticket row shows:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Status indicator + label | One of Open, In Progress, or Closed |
| Subject | The subject you entered when creating the ticket |
| Created date | When the ticket was first opened |
| Last activity | When the most recent message in the ticket was sent |
Ticket statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | The ticket has been created but not yet picked up by the support team |
| In Progress | A support agent is actively working on your issue |
| Closed | The issue has been resolved and the ticket is closed |
Smart date formatting
- Within the last 24 hours: Shown as a time (e.g. "2:14 PM")
- Within the last 7 days: Shown as a day-of-week with time (e.g. "Mon 9:32 AM")
- Older than 7 days: Shown as a date (e.g. "Mar 15" or "Mar 15, 2025" if the year differs)
Click any ticket row to open the chat view for that ticket.
The ticket chat
The chat view shows the full conversation between you and the support team for a single ticket. The ticket's subject is shown as the dialog title.
Message bubbles
- Your messages appear on the right with a user icon
- Support messages appear on the left with a headset icon
- Below each bubble, the time the message was sent is shown in your local time zone
Long messages preserve line breaks exactly as you typed them. The first message in any ticket is always your original description.
Attached images
If a message has an attached image, the image is displayed directly inside the bubble. Clicking the image opens it in a new browser tab at full size.
Sending a reply
At the bottom of the chat view:
| Element | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Message text area | Multi-line input, up to 1000 characters, placeholder "Type your message..." |
| Attach image button | Lets you attach one image -- same 3 MB / JPEG-PNG-GIF-WebP constraints |
| Send button | Sends the message -- disabled until you have either text or an attached image |
While sending, the Send button shows a loading state. On success, the new message appears immediately. On failure, an error banner appears above the input area.
You can reply with an image only (no text). In that case, the message text shows as "(Image attached)" in the conversation.
What you cannot do from the Support Center
| Task | Where to do it |
|---|---|
| Cancel a subscription | Stripe Customer Portal |
| Update your payment method | Stripe Customer Portal |
| Reset your password | Sign-in page -- "Forgot your password?" link |
| Change your profile details | Settings -- Profile |
| Delete your account | Contact support to discuss your options |
Tips for getting faster help
- Be specific in the subject -- "Power module shows error when I click Calculate" is much easier to handle than "It doesn't work."
- Include a screenshot -- for any visual problem, a screenshot saves multiple back-and-forth messages.
- One issue per ticket -- open separate tickets for separate problems. They get tracked, prioritised, and closed independently.
- Use the ticket chat for the same issue -- if you have follow-up questions about the same problem, reply inside the existing ticket rather than opening a new one.
- Reference your Profile Number -- your unique Profile Number (shown in Settings -- Profile) helps support find your account quickly.