The average IT team wastes 15 hours per week manually copying tickets between systems, updating status fields, and chasing down information trapped in disconnected ITSM tools.
But here’s the reality: your teams don’t need to abandon their preferred platforms to work together effectively. Freshservice connectors bridge the gap between your ITSM platform and the rest of your tech stack—automatically syncing tickets, incidents, and service requests across Jira, ServiceNow, Zendesk, and dozens of other systems.
Whether you’re a small IT team struggling with basic automations or an enterprise managing complex multi-vendor integrations, the right connector eliminates manual work, protects your SLAs, and transforms Freshservice into a collaborative hub that orchestrates work across your entire organization.
Key Takeaways
- Freshservice connectors are integration tools that enable automatic data exchange between your ITSM platform and other business systems using APIs, webhooks, and automation workflows.
- Connectors eliminate tool silos, reduce manual work and human error, protect SLAs through faster handoffs, and transform Freshservice into a collaborative hub for your entire technology ecosystem.
- When choosing a Freshservice connector, evaluate integration scope, customization needs, sync capabilities, field mapping options, pricing models, deployment requirements, and support quality to match your organization’s technical maturity.
- The top Freshservice connectors include native Connector Apps for official support, Exalate for script-based enterprise customization, Unito for fast no-code setup, and Zapier for simple automations.
- Common connector challenges include task consumption overruns, field mapping conflicts, authentication failures, sync delays, duplicate records, and version compatibility issues—all solvable with proper monitoring, transformation rules, and testing.
- Implementation best practices require understanding integration versus automation needs, assessing your maturity level, involving stakeholders early, starting with high-impact workflows, defining clear field mappings, and testing thoroughly in sandbox environments.
- Common Freshservice connector use cases include ITSM-to-dev escalation for production incidents, multi-vendor ticket management for MSPs, customer-to-IT routing for support escalation, employee onboarding automation, and DevOps collaboration for change management.
What Is a Freshservice Connector?
A Freshservice connector is an integration tool that enables your IT service management platform to communicate and exchange data with other business systems.
Think of it as a bridge that connects Freshservice to the rest of your tech stack—whether that’s your development tools, HR systems, customer support platforms, or monitoring solutions.
Here’s how it works:
When an event happens in one system, the connector automatically triggers an action in Freshservice (such as creating a ticket with all the necessary context and details). No manual data entry, no copying and pasting between tabs, no tickets falling through the cracks.
Freshservice connectors rely on a few key technologies to make integration happen:
- APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): Connectors use Freshservice’s REST API to read, create, update, and delete data. When a ticket status changes in Freshservice, the API sends that information to the connector, which then updates the connected system accordingly.
- Webhooks: These are event-driven triggers that notify the connector immediately when something happens. For example, when a high-priority incident is created in Freshservice, a webhook can instantly alert your development team’s project management tool.
Types of Freshservice Connectors
A typical Freshservice connector can take any of the following forms:
- Native Connector Apps: These are Freshservice’s official pre-built integrations available in the Freshworks Marketplace. They come with out-of-the-box recipes for common workflows like employee onboarding or ticket escalation. Examples include connectors for Jira, ServiceNow, Workday, and BambooHR.
- Template-Based Connectors: Third-party platforms like Workato, Make, and Tray.io offer Freshservice connectors as part of their broader integration ecosystems. These are ideal when you need to connect Freshservice with multiple other systems and manage all your integrations from one central platform.
- Script-Based Connectors: Solutions like Exalate give you complete control over your integration logic through scripting. Instead of being limited to pre-built templates, you can write custom rules for exactly what data syncs, when it syncs, and how it’s transformed between systems.
- RPA (Robotic Process Automation) Connectors: Tools like UiPath offer connectors that can automate Freshservice interactions alongside other desktop applications. These are particularly useful when you need to integrate with legacy systems that don’t have modern APIs.
- Custom API Integrations: For organizations with vast development resources, Freshservice’s REST API allows you to build completely custom connectors tailored to your specific needs. This gives you unlimited flexibility but requires ongoing maintenance and technical expertise.
How to Choose the Right Freshservice Connector for Your ITSM Systems
Picking the right Freshservice connector comes down to matching the tool to your team’s needs, technical skills, and budget. Here are some questions to ask:
- What systems do you need to connect? If you’re only linking Freshservice and Jira for support to dev escalations, a single-purpose connector works fine. But if you need to sync with multiple platforms—Jira, ServiceNow, and Zendesk—an iPaaS solution that manages everything from one dashboard makes more sense.
- How much customization do you need? Pre-built templates offer standard workflows with fast setup but limited flexibility. Script-based connectors give you complete control through scripting for complex custom requirements that don’t fit templates.
- What data needs to move and when? Consider whether you need one-way sync or two-way sync. Real-time sync is also critical for urgent incidents, while scheduled sync works for routine updates. Check if the connector supports event-based sync triggers or just polling-based checks at intervals.
- Can it handle your custom fields? Basic connectors only sync standard Freshservice fields like ticket ID, status, and priority. If you’ve customized Freshservice with fields like “business impact”, you need a connector with custom field support, auto-mapping capabilities, data transformation rules, and support for complex field types.
- What’s your budget? Task-based pricing charges per operation is cost-effective for low volumes but expensive with heavy usage. Flat-rate pricing offers unlimited syncs for predictable budgeting. At the same time, iPaaS platforms charge monthly or annual subscriptions for access to their entire platform, with Freshservice as one of many connectors.
- Do you need advanced scripting capabilities? Look for conditional logic, advanced triggers, error handling with automatic retries, audit trails for compliance, security features (SSO, encryption, role-based access), and bulk operations for data migrations.
- Can you get assistance when needed? Check if the vendor provides detailed setup guides, comprehensive documentation, video tutorials, active community forums, responsive technical support, and professional services for complex implementations. Read user reviews to gauge real-world support quality, which is critical for enterprise-level integrations.
- Can you test before committing? Set up a test integration with real workflows and get feedback from the people who’ll actually use it. If setup feels overly complicated during the trial, that’s your answer.
8 Best Freshservice Connectors
1. Freshservice Connector Apps (Official Freshworks Solution)
Freshservice Connector Apps are Freshworks’ native pre-built integration solution available exclusively for Pro and Enterprise plan customers.
These official connectors provide out-of-the-box workflows (recipes) that automate data sync and workflow processes between Freshservice and popular third-party applications like Jira, ServiceNow, BambooHR, monday.com, and ClickUp.
Key Features
- Pre-built recipes with customizable workflows for common use cases
- Task-based execution (a “task” is any single operation performed by the recipe)
- Auto-recharge capability to avoid running out of tasks
Pricing
- 500 free tasks as a one-time trial credit
- Additional tasks: $80 for 5,000 tasks (valid for billing cycle)
- Auto-recharge available (default limits: 4 packs/day, 15 packs/month)
Pros
- Official Freshworks support for integration issues
- Fast setup with pre-configured recipes
- No separate licensing on connected systems
- Included in Pro/Enterprise plans (task add-ons only)
- Dashboard for monitoring task consumption and job status
Cons
- Limited to Pro and Enterprise Freshservice plans only
- Task-based pricing can become expensive with high-volume syncs
- Moderate customization compared to script-based solutions
- Freshworks only supports Freshservice-side issues (not third-party app problems)
- Recipes may not cover complex or unique use cases
2. Freshservice REST API (Custom Development)
The Freshservice REST API (v2) provides developers with complete programmatic access to Freshservice objects, enabling fully custom integrations tailored to specific business requirements.
This solution requires development resources but offers unlimited flexibility for organizations with unique integration needs that pre-built connectors can’t address.
Key Features
- Full CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) on all Freshservice objects
- Webhook support for event-driven integrations
- Complete control over field mapping and data transformations
- Integration with any system that supports REST APIs
Pricing
- Free to use (included with all Freshservice plans)
- Costs limited to development resources and maintenance
Pros
- Unlimited customization and flexibility
- No ongoing subscription costs for the API itself
- Build exactly what your business needs
- Full control over security and data handling
- Can integrate with any system, including legacy or proprietary tools
Cons
- Requires significant development expertise
- Ongoing maintenance responsibility
- Time-consuming initial development
- No pre-built templates or shortcuts
- Development costs can be substantial
- Must handle error handling, retry logic, and monitoring yourself
3. Exalate for Freshservice
Exalate is a script-based integration platform that enables real-time, bidirectional synchronization between Freshservice and other ITSM systems like Freshdesk, Zendesk, Jira Service Management, and ServiceNow.
It also supports integrations with DevOps and CRM systems like Jira, GitHub, Salesforce, Azure DevOps, Ivanti, and more.
Key Features
- Granular script-based customization using Groovy (with AI assisting the script generation process)
- Bidirectional real-time sync with unlimited connections and triggers
- Advanced conditional logic and custom field mapping
- Support for inline images, attachments, comments (with private comment filtering), tags, custom fields, and much more. Find out the full list of entities supported here.
- AI-assisted integration to generate sync scripts without manual coding
- Free trial available with the full capability of Script Mode
- Comprehensive documentation, community forum, and user guides.
- ISO-certified security architecture.
- Monitoring dashboard for tracking active syncs.
Pricing
- Professional Plan: Unlimited issue syncs, pricing depends on platforms
- Enterprise Plan: Priority support, proactive monitoring, dedicated customer success manager
*Find out more from the Exalate pricing and licensing page.
Pros
- Complete control over sync logic and field transformations
- Handles complex, unique enterprise requirements
- AI-assisted integration reduces scripting complexity
- Scales from peer-to-peer to full integration networks
- Supports federated ticketing across multiple organizations
Cons
- Scripting might lead to a longer learning curve, but it gets easier with AI Assist
- Best for teams with enterprise-level, complex, intricate workflow integrations
- Might not be used to its full potential for simple use cases.
4. Unito
Unito is a two-way sync platform that connects Freshservice with 60+ tools, including Jira, Azure DevOps, Salesforce, ServiceNow, GitHub, monday.com, and more.
This integration solution offers both pre-built workflows and customizable field mappings through an intuitive visual interface.
Key Features
- Real-time bidirectional sync across 60+ pre-built connectors
- No-code setup with intuitive interface
- Custom field mapping and transformation rules
- Sync filtering based on rules and conditions
- Historical data sync option (open, completed, archived items)
Pricing
- Pricing based on “items in sync” (individual work items kept aligned)
- Free trial available (no credit card required)
- Custom enterprise pricing available
*Contact sales for a detailed quote based on usage.
Pros
- No coding or technical skills required
- Strong customer support with dedicated integration consultants
- Scales well for multiple integrations
- Clean, user-friendly interface
- Free trial to test before committing
Cons
- Pricing based on item count can be hard to predict
- May become expensive with high ticket volumes
- Less customization than script-based platforms
- Limited to pre-built connectors (60+ supported)
- Complex multi-system workflows may hit limitations
5. Integrately
Integrately is an automation platform that connects Freshservice with 1,000+ apps through pre-built automation templates called “integrations.”
Integrately focuses on simplicity and speed, making it ideal for small to mid-sized teams that need straightforward Freshservice integrations without deep technical complexity.
Key Features
- 1,000+ app connections with pre-built automation templates
- One-click automation setup for common workflows
- Multi-step workflows with conditional logic
- Real-time data sync
- Custom field mapping
- Webhook support
Pricing
- Free plan available
- Paid plans range from $0 to $239/month
- Pricing based on the number of tasks and active integrations
- Free trial for paid plans
Pros
- Extremely user-friendly, no-code interface
- Fast setup with one-click automation templates
- Responsive customer support
- Affordable pricing for small teams
- Good for teams with straightforward use cases
Cons
- Less advanced than enterprise iPaaS solutions
- Some interface elements can be confusing initially
- Limited customization for complex use cases
- Fewer enterprise-grade features compared to Exalate
- May not handle high-volume, mission-critical integrations
6. ZigiOps
ZigiOps is a flexible, no-code integration platform specializing in enterprise-grade connections between ITSM, DevOps, monitoring, cloud, and CRM systems.
It excels at deep integrations with advanced data mapping capabilities, making it ideal for organizations with complex integration requirements.
Key Features
- No-code integration platform with a drag-and-drop interface
- Bidirectional and unidirectional sync options
- Advanced field mapping and data filtering
- Integration dashboard with statistics and monitoring
- Different triggers: listeners/webhooks, polling
- On-premise and cloud deployment options
Pricing
- Starting at $300/month
- Pricing based on number of syncs
*Contact the vendor for a detailed pricing quote
Pros
- Strong support for complex data relationships
- Fast setup with templates
- Excellent customer support and onboarding
- On-premise deployment option for data sovereignty
Cons
- Higher starting price than some competitors
- Less extensive app marketplace than major iPaaS platforms
- May be overkill for simple integration needs
7. Workato
Workato is a low-code integration and automation platform trusted by businesses. It comes with a Freshservice connector as well as 1,200+ other pre-built connectors and customizable “recipes.”
Workato enables organizations to build sophisticated, multi-step workflows across ITSM, CRM, HR, finance, and other business systems. The platform is designed for both technical and non-technical users.
Key Features
- Low-code recipe builder with visual interface
- Freshservice connector with comprehensive triggers and actions
- Multi-step workflow automation
- Real-time and scheduled sync options
- Custom connector development via API
- Industry-specific templates and workflows
- Embedded platform for building customer-facing integrations
Pricing
- Workspace plan required (base subscription)
- Task-based pricing: Starting at 1 million tasks
- Annual subscription typically ranges from $15,000 to $50,000+
- Enterprise pricing available with custom requirements
Pros
- Can handle complex, multi-system workflows
- Scales well for enterprise environments
- Strong security and compliance features
- Pre-built recipes reduce implementation time
- Excellent for organizations managing multiple integrations
- Industry-specific templates available
Cons
- Expensive, especially for smaller teams
- High minimum task commitment (1 million tasks)
- Steep learning curve for advanced features
- Pricing not transparent (requires sales contact)
- Task consumption can grow quickly with complex workflows
8. Zapier
Zapier is one of the most popular no-code automation platforms, connecting 7,000+ apps through simple “if this, then that” workflows called Zaps.
The Freshservice-Zapier integration enables teams to automate ticket creation, user management, and notifications across hundreds of business applications without writing code.
Key Features
- 7,000+ app integrations
- Simple trigger-action workflow automation
- Freshservice triggers: New ticket, updated ticket, new user, updated user
- Freshservice actions: Create ticket, create requester, add notes, create problem
- Multi-step Zaps with filters and formatting
- Built-in error handling and auto-replay (on higher plans)
Pricing
- Free plan: 100 tasks/month, 2-step Zaps, 15-minute updates
- Starter: $19.99/month (750 tasks), 3 premium apps
- Professional: $49+/month (2,000-2M tasks), unlimited Zaps, 2-minute updates
- Team: $69+/month (2,000+ tasks), collaboration features, 1-minute updates
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, advanced admin controls
*Annual billing offers ~20% discount
Pros
- Easy to learn and use (very user-friendly)
- Massive app library (7,000+ integrations)
- Free plan available for testing
- Fast setup with pre-built templates
- Great for simple, straightforward automations
- No technical skills required
Cons
- Pricing escalates quickly with task volume
- Limited customization for complex workflows
- Each step in a Zap consumes a task (costs add up)
- Not ideal for enterprise-grade integrations
- Support limited on lower-tier plans
- Can become expensive compared to alternatives
- Task overage charges can surprise users
Why Are Freshservice Connectors Important?
Here are some benefits of using Freshservice connectors:
Break Down Tool Silos
Most organizations have different ITSM systems spread across departments. Your IT team uses Freshservice for incident management, developers work in Jira or Azure DevOps, and the support staff uses Freshdesk.
Without connectors, these systems operate as isolated islands. Data gets trapped, updates require manual copying between platforms, and teams waste time going back and forth across chat channels.
Freshservice connectors make it possible to eliminate these silos that usually hamper smooth collaboration in a typical ITSM environment by automatically syncing information where it needs to go.
Eliminate Manual Work and Human Error
Every time someone manually copies a ticket from Freshservice to Jira, there’s a chance for mistakes. Wrong priority levels, missing details, typos in descriptions—these minor errors compound into bigger problems.
Manual updates also mean delays. If a developer closes a Jira issue but forgets to update the Freshservice ticket, your service desk is left in the dark.
However, connectors can automate these handoffs entirely, ensuring data flows accurately and instantly between systems without human intervention.
Protect Your SLAs
Service level agreements live or die by response times. When an urgent incident needs developer attention, every minute counts. Manual processes—logging into multiple systems, copying information, notifying teams—eat up precious time.
But with a real-time Freshservice connector, you can automatically escalate Freshservice tickets to the right system the moment specific conditions are met. Your SLAs stay intact because automation moves faster than manual workflows ever could.
Enable Real-Time Visibility Across Teams
IT managers need a complete picture of what’s happening across their infrastructure. But when information lives in disconnected systems, getting that view means jumping between tabs, running reports from multiple tools, and manually piecing together the story.
When a ticket status changes in Freshservice, the connected Jira Service Management ticket updates immediately. Everyone sees the same information at the same time, regardless of which tool they’re using.
Support Multi-Tool Enterprise Environments
Large organizations often have good reasons for using multiple ITSM or project management tools.
- Different departments have different needs.
- Acquired companies bring their own systems.
- Service providers work with clients who use different platforms.
But when you have a multi-platform Freshservice connector, you can keep different systems in sync. A managed service provider can sync their internal Freshservice instance with a client’s ServiceNow environment, maintaining separate systems while ensuring seamless communication.
Improve Customer and Employee Experience
When someone submits a support ticket, they don’t care about your internal tooling—they just want their problem solved quickly. Connectors speed up resolution by eliminating delays between teams. Faster resolutions mean happier customers and employees.
It usually goes something like this: A customer reports a bug through Freshservice. The connector automatically creates a Jira issue for the dev team. Developers fix it and mark the issue resolved. The Freshservice ticket updates instantly, and the customer gets notified—all without a single manual handoff.
Reduce Operational Costs
Every hour your team spends copying information between systems is an hour they’re not solving problems or improving services.
Freshservice Connectors automate these repetitive tasks, freeing your team to focus on work that actually requires human intelligence. The payoff is fewer hours wasted, fewer errors to fix, and better resource allocation.
Enable Scalability
As your organization grows, manual processes break down. What worked when you had 50 employees becomes impossible with 500.
But you can maintain effortless scalability when you have Freshservice Connectors suited to ticket surges and unprecedented fluctuations. Whether you’re syncing 10 tickets per day or 1,000, the integration handles it without additional overhead. You can add new systems to your integration network without rebuilding everything from scratch.
Common Freshservice Connector Use Cases
1. ITSM to Dev Escalation: Freshservice to Jira Integration for Production Incidents
When production issues require development work, service desk teams need to escalate tickets to development teams working in Jira.
A connector automatically converts high-priority Freshservice incidents into linked Jira work items when specific conditions are met (like Needs Development status or Critical priority). You can also sync priorities by mapping them accordingly across both platforms.
As developers work on the issue, status updates, comments, and resolution notes sync back to Freshservice in real-time. IT teams and end users stay informed without manual updates, SLAs are protected through faster handoffs, and nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Multi-Vendor Ticket Management: Freshservice to ServiceNow to Jira Service Management Sync for MSP Scenarios
Managed service providers (MSPs) often use Freshservice internally while clients use ServiceNow or Jira Service Management. Instead of maintaining duplicate systems or forcing clients to switch platforms, connectors enable seamless collaboration across multiple ITSM tools.
So when a client creates an incident in ServiceNow, it automatically appears as a ticket in the MSP’s Freshservice instance with all relevant details. If that ticket requires escalation to another client using Jira Service Management, the connector creates a linked request there as well.
The status of the ticket will be mapped across systems as it moves from team to team. This approach works for multi-company scenarios, development-to-production environment syncing, or department-specific tool preferences.
3. Customer-to-IT Service Request Routing: Freshservice to Freshdesk/Zendesk Integration for Support Escalation
Customer support teams using Freshdesk or Zendesk handle general inquiries, but technical issues need IT attention in Freshservice. Connectors automatically route technical tickets from customer support platforms to IT teams.
When a customer reports a software bug or infrastructure problem, the support agent categorizes it appropriately, and the connector creates a linked Freshservice incident with all context (customer details, conversation history, attachments).
Once IT resolves the issue, status updates and public comments flow back to the customer support ticket automatically, keeping support agents and customers informed.
4. Service Request Routing: Freshservice to Jira Service Management Integration for Multi-Department Support
Organizations using both Freshservice for IT and Jira Service Management for other departments (HR, Facilities, Legal) need seamless handoffs.
The head of operations can configure the Freshservice connector so that when an IT service request requires action from another department, it will automatically create corresponding requests in Jira Service Management.
So fields from the service request, including custom fields, will all be mapped to fields in Jira Service Management. This enables cross-departmental workflows without forcing all teams onto a single platform.
5. Problem Management Integration: Freshservice to Jira Connection for Root Cause Analysis
System administrators can use Freshservice connectors to manage problems. When multiple related incidents occur, IT teams need to identify underlying problems and track long-term fixes.
Freshservice problem records will be synced with Jira tickets for coordinated root cause analysis and resolution. Development teams work on permanent fixes in Jira while IT operations track problem resolution in Freshservice, with both teams maintaining visibility into progress.
6. Asset Lifecycle Management: Freshservice to ServiceNow Integration for CMDB Population
IT managers can use ServiceNow to manage hardware, software, and cloud assets. With a connector in the center, you will be able to populate the Freshservice Configuration Management Database (CMDB) with discovered configuration items, keeping inventory accurate without manual entry.
When assets are decommissioned or changed, updates flow to Freshservice in real-time, providing accurate data for incident management, change impact analysis, and compliance reporting.
Freshservice Connector Implementation Best Practices
- Understand integration vs. automation: Clarify whether you need ongoing bidirectional sync (integration) or one-time triggered actions (automation). Integration maintains continuous data flow between systems—tickets created in Freshservice automatically appear in Jira, and updates sync both ways. Automation triggers specific actions based on events—like sending a Slack alert when a high-priority ticket is created.
- Involve the right stakeholders from the beginning: Get buy-in and input from everyone affected by the integration before you start building. Include IT/service desk teams who use Freshservice daily, IT leadership for budget and ROI alignment, and security/compliance teams to review data flows and API access.
- Start with high-impact workflows: Focus on integrations that deliver immediate value and build momentum for broader initiatives. Prioritize incident escalation, customer-to-IT routing, and asset provisioning workflows. Choose workflows that save the most time or protect critical SLAs.
- Define clear field mapping and data governance rules: Document exactly how data translates between systems before you start syncing. Map standard fields first (ticket ID, status, priority, assignee, description), then tackle custom fields. Create transformation rules for fields with different formats between systems. Set conditional triggers that determine when syncs should fire.
- Create an integration requirements document: Build comprehensive documentation that captures your entire integration plan. Include business objectives, systems inventory with versions, data flow diagrams, complete field mappings, sync specification, error handling procedures, user permission definitions, and success metrics. Treat this as a living document that evolves with your requirements. This documentation becomes critical for troubleshooting, training new team members, and scaling your integrations.
- Dry run important integration use cases: Walk through complete workflows from start to finish before going live. Test incident escalation from Freshservice ticket creation through Jira work item to resolution. Document each step and verify data accuracy at every stage. Involve actual end-users in dry runs to catch usability issues, then fix all problems before launch.
- Plan for platform updates and version compatibility: Stay ahead of changes that could break your integrations. Subscribe to release notes for Freshservice and all connected systems. Maintain a compatibility matrix showing which connector versions work with which platform versions. Schedule connector updates during maintenance windows with user notification. Keep rollback plans and previous configurations ready.
Common Connector Challenges and Solutions
Task Consumption Management (For Freshservice Connector Apps)
Challenge: Task-based pricing can spiral out of control quickly. Each operation the connector performs—checking for updates, creating tickets, syncing fields—consumes a task. A single workflow might burn through dozens of tasks, and before you know it, you’ve exhausted your monthly allocation.
Solution: Monitor your task consumption dashboard religiously. Enable auto-recharge to avoid workflow interruptions, but set monthly limits to prevent runaway costs. Optimize your recipes by consolidating multiple checks into single operations where possible.
For high-volume scenarios, consider flat-rate connectors like Exalate instead of task-based pricing.
Field Mapping Conflicts
Challenge: Freshservice uses different field names, data types, or value formats than your connected system. For example, Freshservice might use “Low/Medium/High/Urgent” for priority, while Jira uses “Minor/Major/Critical/Blocker.”
Solution: Use transformation rules to convert data between formats. Most connectors support field mapping with transformation logic—for instance, mapping Freshservice “Urgent” to Jira “Blocker.”
For complex transformations, script-based connectors like Exalate give you complete control. Make sure to document your field mappings in a shared wiki so your team knows how data translates between systems.
Custom Field Support Limitations
Challenge: Your Freshservice instance has custom fields specific to your organization—cost center, business unit, affected services—but your connector only syncs standard fields. Critical context gets lost in translation.
Solution: Choose connectors that explicitly support custom fields. Exalate can handle custom fields. During setup, you can use AI Assist to map your custom fields manually and test thoroughly with sample data.
Sync Delays and Performance Issues
Challenge: Updates take too long to sync between systems. Tickets created in Freshservice don’t appear in Jira for 15 minutes. Real-time collaboration breaks down when data isn’t truly real-time.
Solution: Check your connector’s sync frequency settings. Exalate supports real-time (or near real-time sync). This means that the team on the other side will receive updates as fast as possible, assuming there are no errors blocking the sync..
Handling Attachments and Rich Text
Challenge: Attachments don’t sync between systems, or they sync but break. Rich text formatting (bold, italics, tables) gets stripped out, leaving plain text that’s hard to read.
Solution: Verify your connector supports attachment sync—not all do. Exalate explicitly supports attachments and inline images. It also preserves rich text formatting.
Error Handling and Failed Syncs
Challenge: A sync fails—maybe the API timed out, or required field data was missing—and you don’t notice for days. Tickets pile up without syncing, creating a massive backlog that’s hard to recover.
Solution: Configure error notifications immediately. Most connectors can email or Slack you when syncs fail. Set up monitoring dashboards to track sync health. For critical integrations, implement automatic retry logic (available in tools like Exalate and ZigiOps).
Scaling Issues with High Volumes
Challenge: Your connector handles 50 tickets per day fine, but when a major incident creates 500 tickets, syncs slow to a crawl or fail entirely.
Solution: Load-test your integration before peak periods. Understand your connector’s rate limits and throughput capacity. For high-volume scenarios, use connectors specifically designed for enterprise-scale synchronizations, just like Exalate. Implement queue management and throttling to prevent overwhelming the API.
Lack of Visibility into Sync Status
Challenge: Users don’t know if their ticket has synced. They create a Freshservice ticket, but can’t tell if it made it to Jira. They end up manually checking both systems anyway, defeating the purpose of automation.
Solution: Enable sync status widgets or notifications. Many connectors offer visual indicators on tickets showing sync status. You can even monitor the status of all your syncs using the dashboard provided by Exalate.
Complex Multi-System Workflows
Challenge: You need to sync Freshservice with Jira SM, ServiceNow, and Freshdesk simultaneously. Each pair requires different logic. Managing three separate integrations becomes a nightmare.
Solution: Use an iPaaS platform that handles multi-system workflows from one dashboard. A Freshservice connector like Exalate supports integration networks, not just peer-to-peer connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Freshservice connector?
A Freshservice connector is an integration tool that enables automatic data exchange between Freshservice and other business systems. It works by using APIs, webhooks, and automation workflows to sync tickets, incidents, service requests, and other data across platforms like Jira, ServiceNow, Zendesk, and HR systems without manual intervention.
What’s the difference between Freshservice Connector Apps and third-party connectors?
Freshservice Connector Apps are official pre-built integrations from Freshworks available exclusively for Pro and Enterprise plan customers. They offer out-of-the-box recipes with official support but moderate customization. Third-party connectors like Exalate provide more flexibility, support broader integration scenarios, and work independently of your Freshservice plan tier.
Which Freshservice connector is best for Jira integration?
For standard workflows with quick setup, use Freshservice Connector Apps (if you have Pro/Enterprise) or Zapier for simple automations. For complex enterprise scenarios requiring custom field mappings and advanced logic, Exalate offers the most control through script-based configuration.
How much do Freshservice connectors cost?
The cost of Exalate depends on the systems in sync and other factors. The Professional plan for Exalate’s Jira app starts at $6 per month for each system. To find out about the cost of the Enterprise plan, read more about Exalate pricing on our website.
Can Exalate handle attachments and comments?
Yes, you can use Exalate to sync file attachments bidirectionally between Freshservice and connected platforms, handle inline attachments like images embedded within comments, sync Freshservice notes with corresponding comment fields in other systems, and preserve rich text formatting during the sync process. You can also configure which types of comments sync and apply transformation rules to handle formatting differences between platforms.
What’s the difference between one-way and two-way sync?
One-way sync sends data in a single direction (like Freshservice to Jira only), useful when one system is the source of truth. Two-way sync updates both systems bidirectionally—changes in either system reflect in the other. Two-way sync is more complex and requires conflict resolution rules for simultaneous updates. Choose based on your workflow: one-way for reporting or escalation, two-way for collaborative work across teams.
Can I migrate data using Freshservice connectors?
Yes, Exalate supports data migration beyond ongoing sync. The platform can handle bulk transfers of historical data, including incidents, service requests, comments, attachments, and custom fields. Exalate’s script-based approach gives you control over how historical data is transformed and mapped during migration. For large-scale migrations, their Enterprise plan includes dedicated customer success managers and integration engineers to assist with planning and execution.
Does Exalate require coding or technical skills?
Script-based connectors like Exalate require scripting knowledge (Groovy) for advanced customization, though AI Assist can generate scripts. Custom API development requires significant technical expertise. Choose based on your team’s capabilities.
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