Supporting software users is more complex—and more critical—than ever before. As products become more customizable and AI speeds up the pace of innovation, it inevitably increases the chances that users will hit friction points that lead to confusion, frustration, and a flood of support inquiries.
An overwhelming volume of support tickets and calls isn’t just a pain point for support teams (and it could be a sign of a larger software experience problem). For customer-facing teams, it means constantly reacting to issues instead of focusing on strategic initiatives. And for users, even minor friction points can lead to stalled adoption or even churn.
By delivering support directly inside software, though, companies can guide users in real time, reduce the number of repetitive requests, and create a smoother overall user experience.
What is in-app support?
In-app support refers to real-time help delivered directly within a software application, allowing users to access guidance, resources, or assistance without leaving the product experience.
Here are a few different types of in-app support:
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- Tooltips: These are brief, informational messages triggered by a user action and usually anchored to a specific element in the product. They’re an effective way to answer frequently asked questions or provide additional context, for example details about how to fill out a specific form field.
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- Walkthroughs: These multi-step in-app messages are designed to walk software users through a complete workflow or task, like how to set up your profile after logging in for the first time.
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- On-demand resources: This is when resources live inside the product where users can access them at any time. Pendo customers use the Resource Center, for example, to house onboarding materials, release notes, tutorial videos, and more directly inside their software.
In addition to being more scalable and efficient than traditional support methods (i.e. reactive, 1:1 assistance), in-app support also enables teams to take a data-driven approach to optimization. In-app support tools often come with analytics that show which content is being used, where users are getting stuck, and what gaps exist in your support experience. Pro tip: With Pendo, teams can deliver targeted in-app support, measure the impact, and implement improvements all in a single platform.
Now that we have the basics covered, let’s dig into four business outcomes you can drive with an in-app support strategy.
1. Reduce support costs
One of the most immediate benefits of in-app support is lowering support-related costs. By embedding self-service options—like contextual tooltips, guided walkthroughs, and context-specific knowledge base articles—users (whether they are customers or employees) can resolve common issues on their own, without reaching out to your support or IT team.
This deflects repetitive, low-effort inquiries that often bog down support teams and drive up costs. Over time, fewer tickets can mean leaner support operations, more efficient staffing, and a lower cost per resolution—all while maintaining (and even improving) the quality of your software experience.
🌎 Real-world example: Avero used Pendo Session Replay to reduce back and forth in support ticket communications with its end users, most of whom are busy operating restaurants. Armed with crucial context from this visual data, the company cut its average support ticket resolution time by 60%.
2. Accelerate product adoption
In-app support meets users at the moment of need, providing timely guidance that helps them understand and adopt the product faster.
Instead of relying on external documentation or reactive help from your team, users can learn by doing—with support appearing exactly when it’s relevant. Whether it’s guiding new users through onboarding or helping existing users complete a key task, in-app support clears the path to value. The result: users engage more deeply with the product and are more likely to see its full potential.
🌎 Real-world example: Elsevier used the Pendo Resource Center to create a custom in-app support solution (called In-Product Help) that gave users control over their support content, including a self-service onboarding experience. As a result, they saw a 67% reduction in time to first use on key features and a two-point increase in NPS.
3. Increase retention
Retention is closely tied to how quickly and consistently customers find value in your software. When users encounter friction, they’re more likely to disengage—or abandon the product entirely.
In-app support reduces this risk by offering just-in-time assistance that keeps users moving forward. By proactively solving problems and boosting user confidence, it creates a smoother, more rewarding software experience. Over time, this always-on guidance helps build trust, increases customer satisfaction, and directly contributes to long-term retention.
4. Improve employee productivity
In-app support doesn’t just benefit your external users—it also empowers your internal employees.
With in-app support, IT teams can deliver real-time guidance and training directly within business applications—reducing confusion, minimizing downtime, and cutting back on repetitive help desk tickets. Whether it’s rolling out new software or driving better usage across existing tools, in-app support enables employees to get unstuck quickly and stay focused on their work, boosting productivity across the organization.
🌎 Real-world example: Ferguson’s sales associates weren’t spending enough time with customers because they were bogged down with software training and difficult-to-navigate tools. The company leveraged usage insights in Pendo Analytics to know where employees were getting stuck, and then quickly implemented in-app guidance—helping Ferguson cut back on support and training costs and improve sales productivity.
With Pendo, you can proactively prevent support tickets by using product analytics to identify user friction and no-code in-app messaging to deliver timely support. Learn how to deflect support tickets at scale with Pendo or get a demo to see it in action.
