How to integrate SAS with Freshdesk

Freshdesk is an online customer resource management system that helps you stay organized by monitoring support tickets, updating your knowledgebase, creating reports, managing communications, and more. If your business uses this software, integrating your account with the Freshdesk app in the portal will automatically push data from your calls into your CRM system. This eliminates the need for you to do double the work, converting messages into Freshdesk entries.

In this article we'll discuss:

Connect Your Freshdesk with the SAS Freshdesk App
Set Contact Data Parameters
Create Your Freshdesk Tickets
Configure Custom Mappings (Optional)
Integrate Freshdesk into Your Script

Connect Freshdesk with Your SAS Account

In the SAS Desk portal, click Apps from the left side menu. From the Apps screen, click the Configure button under the Freshdesk logo.

On the next screen, type in your Freshdesk URL along with your API Key, and then click Connect to my account.

Setting Contact Data Parameters

Now that Freshdesk is connected to the app, click Add configuration to begin the setup. The Freshdesk Integration section will be displayed. This is where you'll set the parameters for how you'd like call data to be sent to Freshdesk.

First, select the Script that you'll be connecting.

Then, you'll need to tell the system how to manage the caller's contact details. Choose what email address Freshdesk will show in each task by selecting an option next to Send Data.

If Send call data on behalf of email provided by caller. is chosen, tasks will be created under the email address the caller provides. Note that if the caller does not provide an email address, data will be sent from notifications@sasdesk.com by default.

If Send call data from notifications@sasdesk.com is chosen, tasks will be created under the email address notifications@sasdesk.com.

If Send data from email address is chosen, tasks will be created under the static email address you enter.

Then decide whether you'd like the system to Update and Overwrite existing contact data.

If Don't update existing contacts. Create new ones. is chosen, SAS will look for an email match in your Freshdesk installation. If there is no match, it will create a new task and a new contact. If there is an email match, it will just create a new task.

If Update contacts by overwriting any data with details from SAS. is chosen, SAS will look for an email match in your Freshdesk installation. If there is a match, it will overwrite any existing customer data with data we've received from the call.

If Update contacts by appending details from SAS without overwriting existing data. is chosen, SAS will look for an email match in your Freshdesk installation. If there is a match, it won't overwrite data but will add any new details received.

Create Your Freshdesk Tickets

Once the configurations are set, you'll need to create the content of the ticket we'll be starting in Freshdesk.

Next to Ticket Body, you'll see a list of all of the custom step labels associated with the campaign you selected, in addition to default variables, such as [FirstName], [PhoneNumber], [Email], etc. If you have multiple paths in your script, they will each have a different set of variables. So, you'll need to access the call script builder to determine the step labels in the specific path you are mapping.

Keep in mind that you can build a separate integration for every script path, each with their corresponding step labels.

Click and drag the variables from the left side to the box on the right.

After you add the variables that you'd like to appear in the ticket, be sure to format them by placing each element on a separate line. You can also add headings such as, "Phone Number: [PhoneNumber]."

Freshdesk Custom Mappings (Optional)

Once the data section is complete, you can map your call data directly to specific Freshdesk fields by adding Custom mappings.

To begin, click Add new option.

In the first drop down box, select either SAS or Text.

SAS will allow you to use specific SAS script variables to populate Freshdesk's customer and ticket fields. If you select SAS, the second column will allow you to select a script variable.

Text gives you the option to type your own static data rather than using SAS variables. If you select Text, the second column will be a blank box where you can type specific information.

After you've completed the second column, you will set the Object, Type and Freshdesk Field.

The Object drop down gives you two options - Customer and Ticket.

The Type drop down gives you two options - Standard and Custom. Selecting Standard will bring up the default fields, and selecting Custom will bring up any custom Freshdesk fields you created.

The last drop down will display the Standard or Custom fields within your Freshdesk setup.

Integrate Freshdesk into Your Script

With all of your integration settings complete, you'll need to add the integration into your SAS script.

Click the Save configuration button in the lower right corner.

A pop-up will open containing the integration link. Right click to copy the link text, or highlight the link with your cursor and press CTRL+C. Then, click OK.

To complete the integration, follow the web pop instructions in this article. Keep in mind that you'll want to create the web pop step at the end of the script path and before the closing.

NOTE: Some integrations and access to external websites are restricted to designated operator distribution groups. If you are adding either to your script, please reach out so we can make sure your account is assigned to the proper distribution.