Self-Serve Hub

PLAN AVAILABILITY COMPONENT. DO NOT EDIT ME

Overview

The self-serve hub is an app on end user devices where users install software and run actions that you pre-approve. You choose which items appear in the hub and which devices or groups see each item. The hub runs on Windows and macOS devices managed in PDQ Connect.

Common uses:

  • Letting users install approved apps without admin rights.
  • Letting users run a fix-it script (add a printer, map a drive, clear a cache) without a ticket.

This feature is currently in Early Access 
Please click here if you want to sign up

How the self-serve hub works

You add software or actions to the self-serve catalog, the hub installs on devices, and end users click Install or Run. Connect then deploys the package to that one device.

  1. You add software or actions to the self-serve catalog and choose which groups (or all devices) can see them.
  2. The self-serve hub is installed on devices, automatically or manually. See Install the self-serve hub automatically and Install the self-serve hub manually.
  3. The end user opens the hub, sees the items available to their device, and clicks Install or Run.
  4. Connect deploys that package to that one device. The deployment appears in the Connect deployment log as deployed by the currently logged-in user.

Your role needs the Manage self-serve hub permission. The Admin and Member roles have it by default. Custom roles do not, so add it under Settings > Roles.

Add software to self-serve

Empty Self-serve page under Actions in the left navigation, with the Add and Add to self-serve buttons.

To add software, go to Self-serve, select Add to self-serve (or Add in the page header) and choose Software:
 

Add to self-serve dialog with the Software option selected. Software is described as allowing the user to install a specific software.

  1. Use the Windows and macOS tabs, search, and the sort option. You can select several packages at once. Software already in self-serve is labeled Already added.
     

    Select software to self-serve dialog with Windows and macOS tabs, a search box, a sort button, and software already added marked Already added.

  2. Assign the software to select groups or to All devices.
     

    Assign selected software dialog with a search box, an All devices option, and a list of device groups to select.
  3. Finish the wizard. Each selected package becomes its own item.
  4. Optional: Assign a category to the new items. 

Things to know about adding software:

  • Only software from the PDQ package library can be added this way. To offer anything else, add it as an Action
  • The package name and icon come from the package and cannot be edited.
  • Connect creates one item per operating system.

Add an action to self-serve

To add an action, go to Self-serve, select Add to self-serve and choose Action:

Add to self-serve dialog with the Action option selected. Action is described as enabling end users to do specific actions, such as run a cleaning script.
  1. Fill in the following:
    • Name (required)
    • Package (required): any custom package you can access, including packages shared from a parent organization

    • Description (optional): up to 512 characters
       

      Action dialog with the Action name field, an Action package menu, and an optional Description field, with Back, Cancel, and Continue buttons.

  2. Assign the action to groups or All devices.
  3. Finish the wizard.
  4. Optional: Assign a category to the new item. See Assign a category to a self-serve item.

If the package has versions for both Windows and macOS, Connect creates one item per OS.

You can use an action for a custom software package, but the hub will not disable the Install button if the device already has the software installed.

Manage categories

To manage categories, open the Self-serve page menu (three dots) and select Manage categories. End users see items grouped by category in the hub.
 

Manage categories dialog listing the categories Browser and Scripts, with a new category field, an Add category button, and a Save button.
  • Add, rename, or delete categories.
  • Deleting a category does not delete its items. They become uncategorized.

Assign a category to a self-serve item

To assign a category, click the category cell for the item on the Self-serve page, or select several rows and select Edit category to edit them in bulk.
Self-serve items table with the Category cell menu open, offering No category, Browser, and a search box to type or create a new category.

Customize self-serve branding

To customize the hub, open the Self-serve page menu and select Customize self-serve. You can also find these settings under Settings > Self-serve. You can set a display name, a logo, and a color theme.

Customize self-serve dialog with an icon upload, an organization name field, nine color theme options, and a preview of the hub with Light mode and Dark mode buttons.
  • Display name: Required. Defaults to your organization name.
  • Logo: Optional. PNG, JPEG, or GIF.
  • Color theme: Choose one of 9 presets or Custom with your own header and button colors.

A preview with a light/dark toggle shows the result before you save. Text color adjusts automatically for contrast. The hub follows the end user's system light or dark mode.

Install the self-serve hub automatically

To install the hub automatically, go to Settings > Self-serve, turn on Auto-install self-serve hub, choose a mode, and select Save changes. Connect then installs the hub on matching devices.

Choose one of the following modes:

  • If self-serve item is assigned: Installs the hub on devices that have a self-serve item assigned to them.
  • On all devices: Installs the hub on every Windows and macOS device where it is missing, including devices added later.

  • Windows shortcuts: You can also add Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts for Windows devices.

    Auto-install self-serve hub turned on with On all devices selected, and the Desktop shortcut and Start menu shortcut options under Windows shortcuts turned on.

For large environments, the rollout happens in batches and can take some time. A job runs approximately every 4 hours to find devices missing the hub, so new devices, or devices newly added to a group targeted by a self-serve item, might see a delay before the hub appears.

Install the self-serve hub manually

To install the hub manually, select one or more devices on the Devices list and choose Install self-serve hub, or open a device page and use the Self-serve tab.

  • From the Devices list: Select one or more devices and choose Install self-serve hub.
  • From a device page: Open the Self-serve tab. The banner at the top shows whether the hub is uninstalled and whether any errors occurred during installation.

Check which devices have the self-serve hub

The Devices list has a Self-serve hub column that shows the hub install status for each device.

Devices list with the Self-serve hub column showing a check mark for each device that has the hub installed.

To see which items a single device can use, open the device page and select the Self-serve tab. It lists the items available to that device and the group (or All devices) that grants each one.

Review self-serve deployments in the deployment log

Self-serve deployments appear in the deployment log with a storefront icon and the logged-on user in Deployed by. If no user was logged on, Deployed by shows Self-serve. You can filter the log to show only self-serve deployments.
Deployment log filter set to Deployed by is type Self-serve, with one self-serve deployment listed.

Review self-serve activity in the audit log

The audit log records admin and end user self-serve activity. End user entries describe an attempt, not a confirmed result.

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  • Adding, updating, and removing items
  • Category and branding changes
  • Auto-install setting changes
  • Hub install and uninstall
  • End user actions: "triggered self-serve install" and "triggered self-serve action"

What happens to self-serve data when you downgrade

If your organization leaves a plan that includes self-serve, Connect deletes your self-serve items, categories, settings, and logo.

 

Use the self-serve hub

To use the self-serve hub on your device, open the hub, find the item you want, and click Install (software) or Run (actions).
Self-serve hub on an end user device listing software, with an Install button on items not yet installed and Installed shown on items already on the device.

  1. Open the hub from the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS). On Windows, you might also find the hub in the Start menu or on the desktop.
  2. Browse Software and Actions, or search. Items are grouped by the categories your IT team set up.
  3. Click Install (software) or Run (actions). The button shows Installing or Running while it works, then Installed or Ran.
  4. If the item will restart your device, you get a confirmation: "Your device will be rebooted".
    Your device will be rebooted confirmation dialog for the Reboot action, with Cancel and Run buttons.

Status also reflects software installed outside the hub, so an app you already have shows as installed.

FAQ

Do end users need local admin rights to install software from the hub?

No. The end user only triggers the install. Connect runs the package using the package's own settings (typically as the local system account), so the user's own permissions do not matter.

Can I make the hub available to only some people, such as our support team?

Not by user. The hub is not user-aware yet, so you assign items to devices, not people. To limit who gets the hub, use device groups (or device attributes such as Department) to target only the devices you want. Anyone who logs in to a targeted device sees the items assigned to that device.

Is the hub available in other languages?

No. Language options, including following the device's system language, are not currently available. If you need this, submit a feature request.

Can I set a custom icon for an action?

No. Actions use a generic icon.

Can I add custom packages as software?

No. Only software from the PDQ package library can be added as Software. To offer anything else, add your custom package as an Action. In a later version you will be able to add custom packages as software.

Valentin Scurtu
Updated
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