Freshdesk

Log in to your Freshdesk account at yourcompany.freshdesk.com. Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner and select 'Profile Settings.' Scroll down to find the 'Your API Key' section — it displays an alphanumeric string like `abc123xyz456def789`. Copy this key. Now you need to base64-encode the combination of your API key and the literal letter X, separated by a colon: `your_api_key:X`. The letter X is uppercase and is exactly one character — it is Freshdesk's documented authentication pattern for API token usage (as opposed to password-based auth). Encoding with just the key and no password is not supported — you must include the `:X` suffix. To encode: - In your browser's developer console (F12 → Console), type: `btoa('your_api_key:X')` and press Enter — this gives the base64 string. - Alternatively, use any online base64 encoder: encode the string `your_api_key:X`. The result is a base64 string that looks something like `YWJjMTIzeHl6NDU2ZGVmNzg5Olg=`. This is the value you will paste into Bubble. Keep both the original API key and the base64-encoded string — you will need the base64 version for the Bubble API Connector.

1// Base64 encoding your Freshdesk credentials:
2// Your API key example: YourApiKey123
3// Combined string: YourApiKey123:X   (note the colon and uppercase X)
4// Base64 result: encode('YourApiKey123:X')
5
6// Browser console method:
7btoa('YourApiKey123:X')
8// Result: 'WW91ckFwaUtleTEyMzpY'
9
10// The Authorization header value will be:
11// Basic WW91ckFwaUtleTEyMzpY
12
13// Your Freshdesk base URL:
14https://yourcompany.freshdesk.com/api/v2
15// Replace 'yourcompany' with your actual Freshdesk subdomain

In your Bubble editor, go to Plugins in the left sidebar. Click 'Add another API' and name it 'Freshdesk.' Under the API group settings, set the base URL to `https://yourcompany.freshdesk.com/api/v2` — replace `yourcompany` with your actual Freshdesk subdomain (visible in your browser URL when logged in to Freshdesk). Add a shared header at the API group level: - Header name: `Authorization` - Header value: `Basic ` followed by your base64-encoded string from the previous step Example: `Basic WW91ckFwaUtleTEyMzpY` - Check the **Private** checkbox next to this header Also add a shared header: - Header name: `Content-Type` - Header value: `application/json` Now add your first call. Click 'Add another call' and name it 'Get Tickets.' Set the method to GET and the URL to `/tickets` (relative to the base URL). Add URL parameters: - `filter`: text, with a default value of `open` (options: open, pending, resolved, all_tickets) - `page`: number, default 1 - `per_page`: number, default 30 Click 'Initialize call.' Leave the filter as 'open' and click 'Send.' Freshdesk returns an array of ticket objects — Bubble will detect the response array. Note that the response is a direct array (not wrapped in a key), so set 'Use as' to 'Data' and the list type to 'array of items.' If Initialize call returns 'There was an issue setting up your call,' double-check your base64 encoding. A common error is missing the space after `Basic ` in the header value, or encoding `api_key:x` with lowercase x instead of uppercase X.

1// API Connector: Freshdesk → Get Tickets
2// Method: GET
3// Base URL: https://yourcompany.freshdesk.com/api/v2
4// Call URL: /tickets
5//
6// Shared headers (at API group level):
7// Authorization: Basic <base64(api_key:X)>  // mark Private
8// Content-Type: application/json
9//
10// URL parameters:
11// filter: open          (or pending, resolved, all_tickets)
12// page: 1               (pagination)
13// per_page: 30          (max 100 per Freshdesk docs)
14//
15// Example response (array, not wrapped in a key):
16// [
17//   {
18//     "id": 12345,
19//     "subject": "My order hasn't arrived",
20//     "status": 2,
21//     "priority": 1,
22//     "requester_id": 6789,
23//     "created_at": "2026-07-10T09:00:00Z",
24//     "updated_at": "2026-07-10T11:30:00Z",
25//     "tags": ["billing", "urgent"]
26//   }
27// ]

The ticket creation endpoint is the most important write call for a customer portal — customers submit new support requests through a Bubble form and the ticket appears in Freshdesk automatically. Add a new call under the Freshdesk API group: name it 'Create Ticket,' method POST, URL `/tickets`. The JSON body must include these fields: - `subject`: text (required) — the ticket title - `description_html`: text (required) — the ticket body **as HTML**. Note: `description` (plain text) is deprecated in v2; always use `description_html`. Even if your content is plain text, wrap it in `<p>your text</p>` tags. - `email`: text (required) — the requester's email address - `priority`: number (required) — 1=Low, 2=Medium, 3=High, 4=Urgent - `status`: number (required) — 2=Open is the correct starting state for new tickets Optional fields: - `tags`: list of text strings for categorization - `type`: text — custom ticket type defined in your Freshdesk settings In your Bubble form page, add Text Input fields for Subject and Description, and a Dropdown for Priority. Wire the Submit button to a Backend Workflow that calls Create Ticket, passing the form values as dynamic parameters. Store the returned `id` in the User record or a Custom State so the UI can immediately show the new ticket without a full page refresh. To show the new ticket to the customer right away, add a 'Refresh the page' or update a Custom State list to append the new ticket object to the existing displayed list.

1// API Connector: Freshdesk → Create Ticket
2// Method: POST
3// URL: /tickets  (relative to base URL)
4// Authorization: Basic <base64(api_key:X)>  // shared Private header
5// Content-Type: application/json
6//
7// JSON body:
8{
9  "subject": "<dynamic_ticket_subject>",
10  "description_html": "<p><dynamic_ticket_description></p>",
11  "email": "<dynamic_requester_email>",
12  "priority": 2,
13  "status": 2
14}
15
16// Note: 'description' (plain text) is deprecated in v2.
17// Always use 'description_html' — even for plain text wrap in <p> tags.
18
19// Priority codes: 1=Low, 2=Medium, 3=High, 4=Urgent
20// Status codes: 2=Open, 3=Pending, 4=Resolved, 5=Closed
21
22// Successful response includes:
23// {
24//   "id": 67890,
25//   "subject": "...",
26//   "status": 2,
27//   "created_at": "2026-07-10T12:00:00Z"
28// }

The core of your customer support portal is a list of the current customer's tickets. Freshdesk returns tickets by filter, so you need to filter by the requester's email to show only the logged-in user's own tickets. Add a call 'Search Tickets' using GET `/search/tickets` with the query parameter: - `query`: `"requester_id:6789"` — or use the email-based search: `"requester:[email]"` where `[email]` is the current user's email address surrounded by single quotes. Example URL: `/search/tickets?query="requester:'customer@example.com'"` This returns a search results object with `results` (array of tickets) and `total` (count). In Bubble, initialize this call with a real email that has existing tickets to get Bubble to detect the `results` array correctly. Bind a Repeating Group to this call's `results` array. Inside each row, display: - Subject (text element) - Status badge: use a Conditional on a Group's background color — green for Resolved, yellow for Pending, red for Open - Priority badge: similar conditional coloring - Created date formatted as 'MMM D, YYYY' - A 'View Details' button that navigates to a detail page, passing the ticket ID as a URL parameter For pagination, Freshdesk's search endpoint does not use page/per_page params — it returns up to 30 results per request by default. For the filter-based GET /tickets endpoint, use `page` and `per_page` params and add 'Previous' and 'Next' buttons that increment/decrement a page number Custom State. Because Freshdesk's free and Growth plans allow only 40 requests per minute, avoid automatic refresh timers. Instead, show a 'Refresh' button that lets the customer manually reload the ticket list.

1// API Connector: Freshdesk → Search Customer Tickets
2// Method: GET
3// URL: /search/tickets
4// Query parameter:
5// query: "requester:'customer@example.com'"
6//   (single quotes around email are required by Freshdesk search syntax)
7//
8// Example constructed URL:
9// https://yourcompany.freshdesk.com/api/v2/search/tickets
10//   ?query="requester:'jane@example.com'"
11//
12// Response:
13// {
14//   "results": [
15//     { "id": 123, "subject": "...", "status": 2, ... }
16//   ],
17//   "total": 5
18// }
19
20// For paginated list (GET /tickets with filter):
21// URL: /tickets
22// Parameters:
23// email: <current_user's_email>   // filter by requester email
24// page: <page_state>              // Custom State integer, starts at 1
25// per_page: 20

To receive real-time events from Freshdesk (ticket created, ticket updated, status changed), you expose a Backend Workflow endpoint in Bubble and register it as a webhook target in Freshdesk's Automation rules. This requires a **Bubble paid plan** — Backend Workflows are not available on the Free plan. In Bubble, go to Settings → API and check 'This app exposes a Workflow API.' Your API base URL will be: `https://yourappname.bubbleapps.io/api/1.1/wf/` Open the Backend Workflows section and click 'Add workflow.' Name it `freshdesk_webhook`. In the workflow, click 'Detect data' — Bubble will listen for the next incoming POST request and auto-detect the schema. Meanwhile, in Freshdesk Admin Settings → Automations → Ticket Automations, create a new automation rule. Set the trigger (e.g., 'When a ticket is created' or 'When status changes to Resolved'). Under 'Perform these actions,' choose 'Trigger Webhook.' Enter your Bubble Backend Workflow URL: `https://yourappname.bubbleapps.io/api/1.1/wf/freshdesk_webhook`. Set the webhook method to POST, Content-Type to JSON, and add the ticket fields you want to receive in the body: `ticket_id`, `status`, `subject`, `requester_email`, `priority`. Send a test event from Freshdesk (create a test ticket or trigger the automation manually). Bubble's 'Detect data' captures the incoming JSON and auto-detects the schema fields. After detection, add workflow actions to process the event — for example, updating a Bubble 'Support_Ticket' data type record, sending a Slack notification, or updating the user's ticket count. Add a 'Return data from API' action that responds with `{"status": "ok"}` to acknowledge receipt. Freshdesk expects a 200 response within a few seconds.

1// Bubble Backend Workflow endpoint URL:
2https://yourappname.bubbleapps.io/api/1.1/wf/freshdesk_webhook
3
4// Freshdesk webhook payload (example for ticket created event):
5// POST to your Backend Workflow URL
6// Content-Type: application/json
7// Body:
8{
9  "ticket_id": 12345,
10  "subject": "My order hasn't arrived",
11  "status": 2,
12  "priority": 2,
13  "requester_email": "customer@example.com",
14  "created_at": "2026-07-10T09:00:00Z"
15}
16
17// Backend Workflow response (to acknowledge receipt):
18{ "status": "ok" }
19
20// Freshdesk Automation setup path:
21// Admin Settings → Automations → Ticket Automations
22// → New Rule → Trigger: On ticket creation
23// → Action: Trigger Webhook → POST to Bubble URL

Before going live, run through this validation checklist: **1. Privacy check:** Open your deployed Bubble app in a browser, open DevTools (F12 → Network tab), and trigger a ticket-loading workflow. Filter network requests by `freshdesk.com`. You should see NO requests going directly to Freshdesk from the browser — all calls should go through Bubble's server. If you see direct browser requests, your API calls are not running server-side. Move them to Backend Workflows and ensure the Private checkbox is set on the Authorization header. **2. Rate limit awareness:** Freshdesk's free and Growth plans allow 40 requests per minute. If multiple users load your portal simultaneously and each triggers a ticket-list API call, you can easily hit this limit. Implement 'lazy loading' — only load tickets when a user explicitly clicks 'Load Tickets' rather than automatically on page load. Pro and Enterprise plans allow 100 req/min. **3. Privacy rules for stored ticket data:** If you cache Freshdesk ticket data in Bubble's database (a common pattern to reduce API calls), add Data tab → Privacy rules to the Ticket data type. Ensure customers can only read their own tickets by setting a rule: 'This thing is visible to Current User when Email = requester_email.' **4. Error handling:** Add workflow error handlers for 401 (check API key encoding), 403 (check account plan limits), 404 (ticket not found — it may have been deleted in Freshdesk), and 429 (rate limit exceeded — add a delay and retry). Display user-friendly messages rather than raw HTTP status codes. **5. Test the complete create-to-display flow:** Create a ticket through your Bubble form, verify it appears in Freshdesk's agent dashboard, then refresh your Bubble portal list to confirm the ticket appears for the customer.

1// Freshdesk API error codes:
2// 401 Unauthorized — check base64 encoding; ensure 'X' is uppercase
3// 403 Forbidden — check account plan; some endpoints require higher plans
4// 404 Not Found — ticket was deleted in Freshdesk or wrong ID
5// 429 Too Many Requests — rate limit exceeded (40 req/min on free/Growth)
6//
7// Privacy rule pattern for Bubble (Data tab → Ticket type → Privacy):
8// Rule: 'This Thing is visible to user when
9//   Ticket's requester_email = Current User's email'
10//
11// WU economy tip:
12// Each Freshdesk API call from Bubble consumes Bubble Workload Units.
13// Cache ticket list results in Custom States and refresh only on
14// explicit user action — not automatically on every page render.