This document provides a high-level overview of the Freshworks-Jira integration, also referred to as the Atlassian Jira Plus App, covering its installation, configuration, and key features.
Overview
The Freshworks-Jira integration enables seamless synchronization between Freshworks support tickets and issues in Atlassian Jira, allowing support and development teams to collaborate efficiently without leaving their respective platforms.
Installation and Configuration
The video outlines the steps required to install and configure the integration. Key configuration points include:
Installation: Installing the app from the Freshworks marketplace.
Authentication: Connecting the Freshworks instance with the Atlassian Jira instance.
Project Mapping: Defining which Freshworks products map to a specific Jira instance and project.
Key Features
The integration enables several core functionalities:
Ticket-to-Issue Linking: Easily link a Freshworks ticket to a corresponding Jira issue directly from the ticket interface.
Bidirectional Comment Sync: Comments added in the Freshworks ticket or the linked Jira issue are synchronized across both platforms, ensuring all stakeholders have the latest updates. This also includes the ability to edit comments in JIRA and view the updated notes inside the Freshdesk ticket.
Real-time Status Updates: Changes in status or other critical fields on one side are reflected in the other, streamlining workflows. This also covers Syncing ticket and issue status to keep agents and customers updated.
Customizable Field Mapping: Allows administrators to map fields between Freshworks and Jira (e.g., status, priority, description) to ensure consistency and correct data transfer upon ticket or issue creation/linking.
Advanced Field Mapping: Map custom Freshdesk fields (such as Source, Group, Agent, Freshdesk Ticket Number, Customer Name, Customer Email Address, Customer Phone number, and Company Name) with custom JIRA text fields for comprehensive data transfer and viewing.
Priority Sync: Optionally sync priorities to ensure JIRA issue priority reflects the severity of impact on customers in Freshdesk.
Issue Creation from Freshdesk: Create JIRA issues from your Freshdesk account and link one or more Freshdesk tickets to a JIRA issue. This includes the ability to create JIRA issues with properties (like group and label) that can be auto-filled and auto-completed without having to fill them manually.
Enhanced Visibility for Engineers:
In JIRA, engineers get a complete view of all customer conversations related to an issue. You can expand any ticket to view all conversations between the customer and the support team as well as all relevant ticket information.
JIRA Issue Visibility: Freshdesk tickets can be found in the ‘Freshdesk for JIRA’ tab in JIRA.
Tagging for Tracking: Add tags to the Freshdesk ticket whenever a JIRA issue is created or linked so that it can be easier to filter, fetch, and track issues in Freshdesk.
Search Functionality: Search JIRA issues within Freshdesk using the text given in 'Summary' or with the JIRA issue number.
Inline Image Support: View and access inline images which are part of Freshdesk tickets, directly in the JIRA issue (Note: Maximum size of images allowed is 10MB).
Customizable Ticket Details in JIRA: Choose which Freshdesk ticket fields you want to display in the JIRA issue.
Steps to Install the app and connect a Jira instance
A. Install the Atlassian Jira Plus App in Freshdesk
Go to Freshworks marketplace and search for Atlassian Jira Plus app. Click on Install and enter your Freshdesk URL. This will take you to the Admin > Apps section of your Freshdesk instance. Alternatively, you can also login as Account administrator to your Freshdesk instance and search for Apps in Admin settings.
Click Install on the Atlassian Jira Plus App listing.
B. Authenticate Freshdesk domain
After clicking on ‘Install’, you will be prompted to authenticate your Freshdesk account.
Authenticate Freshdesk account with Freshdesk domain and API Key.
Once authenticated, you can proceed to the configuration steps under Section B.
C. Connect a Jira Account
Select Jira Cloud or On-Prem
Add a Jira account by providing the Jira domain URL, admin email, and admin API key. (The Admin API key can be created from id.atlassian.com). The Jira account is authenticated and connected.
IP Allowlist for Jira On-Prem
To ensure Freshdesk can connect to your JIRA server, you must add a firewall exception for the following VPC IP addresses. The specific IPs required depend on the location of your Freshdesk account.
Configure account settings by selecting a Freshdesk product for the connected Jira account.
Select the Freshdesk product to be linked to the connected Jira account.
Select from the list of Jira Spaces/Projects to be displayed to the Freshdesk agents.
Select Jira issue fields to be displayed in Freshdesk.
Select a custom tag to be added to every Freshdesk ticket upon linking with Jira.
Map Jira statuses with Freshdesk statuses (one to one mapping).
Map custom Freshdesk fields with custom Jira fields for sync.
Save the config with all these settings.
Multiple such Jira accounts can be added, and each Jira account can be mapped to a Freshdesk product for ticket-issue linking.
D. Global Settings (Sync Settings)
These are sync settings applicable to all Jira accounts added:
When ticket status is updated in Freshdesk: User can choose to 'Do Nothing', 'Update status in Jira', or 'Add a comment in Jira'.
When a note is added in Freshdesk: User can choose to 'Do Nothing', 'Update status in Jira', or 'Add a comment in Jira'.
When issue status is updated in Jira: User can choose to 'Do Nothing', 'Update status in Freshdesk', or 'Add a comment in Freshdesk'.
When a comment is added in Jira: User can choose to 'Do Nothing', 'Update status in Freshdesk', or 'Add a comment in Freshdesk'.
When priority is updated in both Jira and Freshdesk: User can choose 'Do nothing' or 'Always sync priority'.
While syncing exclude ticket attachments: User can enable or disable this toggle.
Sync notes from Freshdesk workflows as comments in Jira: User can enable or disable this toggle.
Select roles who can delete Jira issues: User can select Freshdesk agent roles who can delete issues in Jira from the app.
E. Install ‘Freshdesk by Freshworks’ app on your Jira Instance:
After completing the setup in Freshdesk, proceed to install the Freshdesk by Freshworks app (available on the Atlassian Marketplace) within your Jira instance. This will allow you to view the linked Freshdesk ticket details directly inside the Jira issue.
F. Linking or Creating a Jira Issue from a Freshdesk Ticket
Once installed, the Atlassian Jira Plus app is displayed in the ticket sidebar in Freshdesk, offering two main options: Create Issue and Link Issue.
To link an existing Jira issue:
Select the Link Issue option in the app.
Search for the existing Jira issue by its Issue ID or Issue Summary.
The matching results are displayed; select the correct issue and link it to the Freshdesk ticket.
To create a new Jira issue:
Select the Create Issue option in the app.
Select the Jira Project.
Fill in the necessary fields, including Issue Type, Summary, Reporter, Assignee, Description, and any other optional fields.
Create and link the new issue to the Freshdesk ticket.
G. Post-Linking Functionality:
The issue is created and linked to the Freshdesk ticket. The pre-configured tag from the setup is also added to the ticket. The Jira issue ID is added as a tag on your Freshdesk ticket as soon as it’s linked.
You can link up to 5 Jira issues to a single Freshdesk ticket.
Based on the Global settings selected during setup, the status, priority, notes/comments, and ticket attachments are synced between Freshdesk and Jira automatically.
Agents in Freshdesk also have the option to unlink a Jira issue from the Freshdesk ticket.
Based on roles selected in Global settings at config, agents will see the option to delete a Jira issue from Freshdesk.
Freshdesk ticket details in Jira Issue:
In Jira, users will be able to view details of the customer tickets linked to an issue. You can choose to have up to ten Freshdesk ticket fields made visible in Jira.
Note: This is not available for on-prem JIRA accounts.
From Freshdesk to JIRA (Adding Comments): If comment synchronization is enabled in your Global settings, any time a Freshdesk agent adds a private note or updates a ticket's status, a corresponding comment is added to the linked JIRA issue. This ensures seamless communication between support and engineering teams regarding the customer's issue.
From JIRA to Freshdesk (Updating Agents and Customers): When an issue is updated in JIRA, you have options for notifying your stakeholders:
Agents: Can be notified via a private note in the Freshdesk ticket.
Customers: Can be updated either by adding a public note or by sending them a direct email. For instance, when a product bug is marked as "Resolved" in JIRA, you can automatically send an email notification to the affected customers.