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Getting StartedHome → FAQ → Technical Issues → How to create multiple tickets from a single submission using Zapier
3.5. How to create multiple tickets from a single submission using Zapier
This documentation describes a configuration for generating two tickets from one email using our Zapier integration. At a basic level, you can use a free Zapier account to generate a duplicate ticket based on an initial inbound email ticket that matches your specific conditions. You also have the option of defining a special Status type or Custom Field that you can set to a specific value to trigger the processes (i.e., Status = "Duplication To Support" or Custom Field: Duplicate Predefined List = "Pending", etc.).
Outlined below is the general configuration of this setup. Feel free to reach out if any of the below is unclear or if you'd like to set up a Zoom meeting for further discussion or help setting it up.
In this example, we have created a Zap within Zapier using a free account. Additional functionality and different script maintenance requirements may constitute the need for a paid Zapier account depending upon your needs/preferences. Prior to creating the Zapier account, you will need to generate an API key within your HelpSpot staff account preferences. The API key will enable your Zapier account to perform actions within HelpSpot as your staff user.
In Zapier, create a new Zap. In the new Zap, click the Trigger button and search for the HelpSpot integration to use for the trigger.
Select the event that will fire this trigger. You can run the trigger based on a new request being created or based on an existing request being updated. Here the New Request event has been selected, but we will refine this trigger later within HelpSpot for more accurate results.
Proceed to the Account step to connect the new Zap to your HelpSpot instance using the HelpSpot API key you created.
Once you've added a HelpSpot account connection in Zapier, it will remain available for configuring future Zaps as well.
Testing the trigger will pull some sample data from your existing tickets into Zapier for further Zap configuration and testing. Select one of the results and continue to the Action step.
The Action step will also use the HelpSpot integration, but for the action, you'll select the Create New Request event.
You can use the same Account selection that you chose for the Trigger step. Within the Create New Request action, you will define how you want the secondary request to be generated. You can use Zapier placeholders from the HelpSpot integration to fill values in the new ticket fields using the same values from the triggering ticket fields.
You can also combine new text with the placeholders, so the subject line could be "Secondary Ticket - [This is the original subject]".
The only required fields for generating a new ticket are Note Body, Category, and Customer Email address. However, you can pass other ticket values through from the triggering ticket to the secondary ticket as needed. In the below screenshot, the customer first name, last name, etc., are being passed from the triggering ticket into the newly created ticket. Some other fields/options, like Category, Note Type, Status, etc. are statically set to predetermined values as needed.
Also note that the note body allows HTML entry, so you can build links, use bold/italics, etc.
Testing the Action step will use the sample data you selected as the "new" triggering request details, and will generate the secondary ticket in your HelpSpot instance according to the definition you configured in the Create New Request action.
Once you've successfully tested the action step, you can publish your Zap. Publishing the Zap will generate a new trigger within your HelpSpot instance. IMPORTANT: before testing your new Zap, you'll want to edit the generated trigger within HelpSpot to ensure it doesn't create an internal New Request Loop.
The default trigger created by Zapier will be named "Webhook Creation Subscription - Created By API" and will only include one condition:
That will obviously fire the trigger on every new request creation (even when the Zap is the source of the new request). To prevent it from causing an endless loop, you'll need to replace that Open/Closed ... Now Is Not ... All condition with something more focused.
In this example, we've elected to only fire the Secondary Ticket Generation Zap if a new request is created within the Development category and placed into a Pending Clarification status. You can use any valid combination of conditions to limit how the Zap functions. You can also change the name of the trigger to something more meaningful for future reference.
DO NOT change or remove the POST webhook action in the trigger. You CAN add more actions in the trigger if needed (i.e., set status to "Clarification Processed" or "Second Ticket Generated", or set custom field values in the original ticket if required).
Here's the inital triggering request as manually entered into HelpSpot by a logged-in staffer.
And here's the resulting secondary ticket generated by the Zapier integration trigger.
If you require multiple "secondary tickets" created from one initial triggering ticket, you can build each Zap with the "Create New Request" action configured to generate each secondary ticket as needed, then combine all the separate Zapier POST webhook action steps into a single HelpSpot trigger (with multiple POST webhook actions).
Important caveats to be aware of:
- Publishing the Zap in Zapier will add the corresponding trigger within HelpSpot. The trigger will be active with the over-generalized Open/Closed ... Now Is Not ... All condition, so you'll want to modify the newly generated HelpSpot trigger soon after publishing your Zap to prevent a New Request Loop.
- With the Zap selected in Zapier, you can use the toggle button on the top left corner to enable/disable the Zap. If you "Turn Zap Off" there, it will deactivate the corresponding trigger within HelpSpot (you can still access it via the Show Inactive Triggers link on the Admin > Triggers & Rules > Triggers page).
- If you "Turn Zap On" within Zapier using the Zap toggle button, it will create a new trigger with the same default automated name as your initially published zap. That is to say, turning off a Zap deactivates the corresponding trigger, but turning on a Zap generates an entirely new trigger each time. Bear this in mind as you customize the trigger conditions within HelpSpot.
- Upgrading your Zapier account to a paid version will grant you access to additional features, like multi-step Zaps (which would enable generating multiple secondary tickets with a single Zap to maintain, for example).
After reviewing this guide, let us know if you have any other questions or need any additional information. We'll be happy to schedule a call if you'd like assistance setting up your own test or if you need help configuring/troubleshooting in your own instance.