Freshdesk Integration

Last modified on 2022/10/27 17:52
Contents

SM_IntegrationIntroduction_OnlyEN

You can integrate third-party systems with Service Manager in many ways. The method you select will depend on business requirements, architectural and security constraints as well as the characteristics specific to each third-party application or service.

This document describes an integration process that has already been implemented in a customer context. 

To find out more about this integration (e.g. scripts to be used), please do not hesitate to contact your EasyVista contact, or your service provider and integrator.

Integration Summary

This integration is used to retrieve all available information from your Freshdesk domain using the Freshdesk REST API (GET method).

example    Retrieve and display a list of open tickets in an Service Apps app

Integration Data Feed (direction) Authentication Type Integration Connector Options

Favicon EasyVista - 32.png Service Apps

Up arrow.png

Logo - FreshDesk.png

Check icon.png   Basic Access Authentication

Check icon.png   Personal API Key/Token Access Authentication

REST data source   Apps - Datasource - JSON Online icon.png

SaaS Version of Third-Party Product

On-premise Version of Third-Party Product

Check icon.png

Not check icon.png

API detailed description

Item Comments
About the software and company

Logo - FreshDesk.png

Freshdesk is an online Service Desk software with multi-channel customer service to provide support by email, phone, chat, Web and Twitter.
Information about the REST API

Date on which the information was retrieved from the software company's website: July 2015

Last known REST API name/version/date: No API Version
Main useful links to software company information about REST

Freshdesk REST API Introduction
Format and sample of API resources/endpoints

https://{subdomain}.freshdesk.com/helpdesk/tickets.json

Notes:
  • When documenting a resource, Freshdesk uses curly brackets { } for identifiers.
  • Replace {subdomain} in the URI with your subdomain name provided by Freshdesk.
API assets

N/A
API recommendations (limitations, advice, tips)
  • API calls: The number of API calls per hour is restricted to 1000.
  • Pagination: Responses for APIs that return a list such as ticket listing and contact listing are paginated. By default, list endpoints return a maximum of 30 records per page. To scroll through the records, add GET request parameter page=[number] to your request. Page number starts with 1.
  • Some queries require you to create a "view" in Freshdesk. Once you have created that view, you can copy its URL into

    Service Apps{{/velocity.

    • Only Freshdesk Agent Role users can perform API requests. Depending on your profile (e.g. “Newbie Agent”), you may not be authorized to submit certain API requests such as answers to tickets.
      )))

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    • No API versioning.
    • The total number of records is not returned in the JSON file.
    • For Personal API Key/API Token Authentication, only one API key can be used at a given time and it can be reset.
    • In order to use and access the Freshdesk API (using the Personal API Key/Token Access Authentication mechanism enabled by Freshdesk), you must obtain API credentials (a token) by subscribing to the service. You must not share this token and keep this token and all login information secure.

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Step-by-step integration process

Freshdesk can be integrated with Service Apps in 4 easy steps:


Step 1: Check the list of prerequisites

  • This documentation assumes that you already have a Freshdesk domain.
  • You need a validated Freshdesk user account to submit API requests.
  • Only Freshdesk Agent Role users can perform API requests.


Step 2: Start the process for creating the REST data source

  Open url.png  For details about the creation, see the wiki page REST data source

  • Click Apps - Add datasource icon.png in the Objects pane. 
  • Open the Online category and select the REST data source Apps - Datasource - JSON Online icon.png.
  • Name the data source.

example    Freshdesk_List of Tickets


Step 3: Authenticate to Freshdesk

Authenticate to Freshdesk with Basic Access Authentication

  • Select the type of authentication: Authentication Type = Basic.
  • Click Apps - Edit icon.png next to the Basic Authentication Parameters field. 
  • Enter the User Name using the following format: firstname.lastname@company.com. Enter the Password.
             Basic Access Authentication.png
    • The user name is the Freshdesk account/login (Freshdesk Agent Role user) you want to use for this data source.
    • The password is the password set for this account.
    • Once you validate, the *** symbols will appear in the field.

Authenticate to Freshdesk with the Freshdesk Personal API Key/Token Access Authentication

  • To find your Freshdesk personal API key:
    • Log in to your support portal.
    • Click your profile photo at the top right of the portal.
    • Select the Profile settings page. Your API key is displayed to the right and below the pane for changing your password.

            Open url.png  For details about Freshdesk Token Access Authentication, see Freshdesk REST API Authentication

  • To authenticate with the Freshdesk personal API key:
    • Select the type of authentication: Authentication Type = Basic. 
    • Click Apps - Edit icon.png next to the Basic Authentication Parameters field.
    • Enter the User Name. Enter the Password.
               EVApps - datasource REST - Basic Parameters.png
      • The user name is your API key provided by Freshdesk.
      • No password is required. You can use any set of characters as a dummy password or an empty string.
      • Once you validate, the *** symbols will appear in the field.


Step 4: Create a query string using Freshdesk documentation

         Open url.png  See the Freshdesk API documentation
        Open url.png  See Examples of use cases

  • Create a query string as a data source, i.e. a resource to access, in the URL field.

example    You want to create a data source that will retrieve a list of all tickets  ==>  Enter the following text in the URL field. Note: Replace {subdomain} with the name of your Freshdesk domain.

https://{subdomain}.freshdesk.comhelpdesk/tickets.json?filter_name=all_tickets

Best Practice

       Open url.png  See Best Practice for the REST data source

  • By default, Freshdesk list endpoints return a maximum of 30 records per page. Therefore, to keep the number of records as low as possible, we recommend that you define as many parameters as possible..
  • You must not share the Personal API token. You must keep this token and all information on credentials secure.

Samples of most relevant use cases and resources

Notes: 

  • Replace {subdomain} in the URI with your subdomain name provided by Freshdesk.
  • Replace {Company_name} with the name of the company whose tickets you are querying.

Method: GET

Use Case Sample Endpoint
Retrieve a list of all tickets

  • sorted chronologically by creation date
  • from oldest to newest

Authentication Type: Basic
Basic Authentication Parameters: User Name: {email_address}

Password: {password}
URI: https://{subdomain}.freshdesk.com/helpdesk/tickets.json?filter_name=all_tickets
Selector: N/A
Retrieve a list of tickets for a specific company/customer

  • sorted chronologically by creation date
  • from oldest to newest

Authentication Type: Basic
Basic Authentication Parameters: User Name: {email_address}

Password: {password}
URI: https://{subdomain}.freshdesk.com/helpdesk/tickets.json?company_name={company_name}&filter_name=all_tickets
Selector: N/A
Retrieve a list of users

Authentication Type: Basic
Basic Authentication Parameters: User Name: {email_address}

Password: {password}
URI: https://{subdomain}.freshdesk.com/contacts.json
Selector: N/A
SAS_IntegrationRESTAboutTheUse_OnlyEN

About the use of the software companies API REST

Note: The possible cost of the use of the third-parties API REST via Service Apps is not taken care by EasyVista.

  • Numerous software companies limit the access to the API REST of their software, generally by basing itself on a number of calls by hour/day/month.
  • Only specific editions of their software can be eligible in the use of the API REST (with or without additional cost).
  • Some software companies set up plans, e.g., Classic, Professional, Enterprise, for which the number of possible calls to the REST API or even to specific resources (i.e. endpoints) can be more or less numerous.
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