---
title: "Freshdesk"
slug: freshdesk
section: Integrations
status: stable
description: "Support ticketing for applicants and staff — API connectivity, UI, and automated workflows"
last-updated: 2026-10-07
---

# Freshdesk

Support ticketing for applicants and staff — API connectivity, UI, and automated workflows

*Status: design specification only. No Freshdesk integration is built in BackOfficePrototype, PPPToo, HostPortalPrototype or the n8n workflows, and none of the capabilities below exist in code. The Applicant Portal Help & Support entry (/help) is disabled in navigation.*

## Overview

Freshdesk is the support ticketing platform for applicants and staff. It provides ticket creation, tracking, and resolution workflows. The integration is routed through n8n and covers API connectivity only — Freshdesk platform configuration is handled by a separate team. Globus remains the authority for all compliance and participant data.

> **Authority Boundary**
>
> Freshdesk owns ticket data and resolution workflows. Globus does not store ticket content — it only references ticket IDs for participant context. Support interactions do not modify compliance or application state.

## API Integration

The Freshdesk API client provides full ticket lifecycle management. All API calls are routed through n8n to maintain the ecosystem's event-driven architecture and keep Freshdesk as a replaceable external service.

REST API client with ticket CRUD operations (create, read, update, delete) / Contact synchronization — applicant profiles are mirrored as Freshdesk contacts / Custom field mapping for program context (brand, program type, application status) / Rate limiting and request throttling aligned with Freshdesk API quotas / API key management via environment secrets — never stored in code or config files
## Applicant Support UI

Applicants access support through a dedicated /help page in the Applicant Portal. This page provides ticket submission and tracking without requiring applicants to leave the portal or create a separate Freshdesk account.

In-app ticket submission form with category selection and description / Ticket status tracking — applicants see open, pending, and resolved tickets / File attachment support for screenshots and documents / Contextual pre-fill — ticket form auto-populates with applicant's program and application details / Mobile-responsive design consistent with the Applicant Portal experience
## Staff Ticket Visibility

Globus staff see support ticket context alongside participant records. This provides support awareness without requiring staff to switch between Globus and Freshdesk for routine participant interactions.

Participant detail view shows recent support tickets and their status / Staff can navigate directly to the Freshdesk ticket for detailed resolution / Ticket count and severity indicators on participant list views / Escalation workflows for high-priority or compliance-related tickets
## Automated Ticket Generation

Certain compliance and lifecycle events automatically generate support tickets in Freshdesk. This ensures that issues requiring human attention are surfaced proactively rather than waiting for manual reporting.

SEVIS status change failures trigger compliance support tickets / Document review rejections create follow-up tickets for applicant guidance / Check-in deadline misses generate escalation tickets for staff review / Automated tickets include full event context — applicant, program, event type, and timestamp
## Fault Tolerance

The Freshdesk integration uses fault-tolerant delivery patterns to ensure tickets are not lost during API outages or network failures.

Circuit breaker pattern — stops sending requests after repeated failures to prevent cascade / Exponential backoff retry logic for transient failures / Dual persistence — ticket creation requests are queued locally before sending to Freshdesk API / Dead letter queue for permanently failed ticket creations with alerting / Health check monitoring for Freshdesk API availability
See the Delivery Overview for the project breakdown and timeline.