Setting Up the Autotask Integration with CloudRadial Chat

To connect CloudRadial Chat to your Autotask PSA (henceforth just called Autotask) instance, we need to set up a new Autotask API Integration. This will allow tickets to be submitted to the PSA from Chat and connect Chat users to their respective tickets within Autotask.

You may also watch the video below to get a walkthrough of this process.

• Step 1: Creating a Specific Security Role for Chat
  • Optional: Allowing Chat to Use Impersonation
• Step 2: Creating an API User and Getting API Keys from Autotask
• Step 3: Entering Autotask API Keys into CloudRadial Chat's Connector

Step 1: Creating a Specific Security Role for Chat

Why are we doing this? Creating a specific security role for Chat will ensure that the permissions are limited to solely what is necessary, reducing any risk for security complications.

1. Log into Autotask as an Admin-level user
2. Navigate to Admin > Account Users & Settings from the menu at the top left
   
                                  
   
   
3. Select the dropdown for Resources/Users (HR)
4. Find the Security section and select Security Levels
5. Locate the user titled API User (system) (API-only) 
6. Use the context menu on the left to Copy the user role
   
   
   
   
   • This will open a new page where you can name the new security level. The name is up to you, but we recommend something easily identifiable, such as CloudRadial Chat Security User
     
7. Scroll down to the section of this page that is labeled Other and expand this section
8. Locate the Webhooks section
   • If you would like to receive updates and notifications from Autotask when tickets change, turn on this option and enter a number in the Maximum number of Webhooks field that is not zero.
     
9. Next, locate another section dropdown for Web Services API
   • In the table labeled Resource Impersonation, scroll down to the sections marked Service Desk and Other/Shared.
     • If you would like Chat to be able to indicate what Microsoft Teams users are performing actions, such as updating the status of a ticket, then you should check all the boxes for the following:
       • Tickets, Ticket Notes, and Attachments.
         
         
         
         
10. Once you are satisfied with your options, select Save to finalize your selections

Optional: Allowing Chat to Impersonate Users

Why are we doing this? If you choose, you can allow CloudRadial Chat to impersonate a Microsoft Teams user on the MSP side to enhance the user experience.

• Enabling this impersonation makes it so that when a Teams user of the same security level as Chat takes an action, such as updating ticket status, that action will display that it was they who took the action.
• Note: Users in Microsoft Teams are matched with their Autotask user account by primary email address.

Follow these steps to enable impersonations:

1. In the list of Security Levels under Admin > Account Settings & Users, Resources/Users (HR) > Security Levels, find the level(s) that match the levels of your Autotask/Teams users
2. Under the Web Services API section at the bottom of the page for their levels, look for the section for Contact Impersonation
   • You will need to enable the permissions listed:

Step 2: Creating an API User and Getting API Keys from Autotask

Why are we doing this? Creating the API user with appropriate security permissions will allow Chat to connect to Autotask to make the integration work as intended.

1. Log into Autotask as an Admin-level user
2. Navigate to Admin > Account Users & Settings from the menu at the top left
   
                                
     
3. Select the dropdown for Resources/Users (HR)
4. Hover over the + New button dropdown at the top left and select New API User
   
                                                    
   
   
5. This will open a new page where we can enter the information about the API User
   • Fill out the necessary fields under the General area
     
     • Set the First Name to Chat
     • Set the Last Name to Client
     • Set the Email Address to your preference
     • Set the Security Level to the level that we created in the previous step in this article
     • Set the Primary Internal Location to your preference
   • Fill out the necessary fields in the Credentials area 
     • Select the Generate Key button to generate a Username (key)
       • Make sure to retain a copy of that key for usage in Chat in a few more steps.
     • Select the Generate Secret button to generate a Password (secret) 
       • Make sure to retain a copy of that key for usage in Chat in a few more steps. This will not be visible later so DO NOT MISS THIS STEP!
   • Fill out the necessary fields in the API Tracking Identifier field
     
     • Ensure that Integration Vendor is selected
     • Scroll through the list to find and select ChatStyle - Messaging and Collaboration
       
       
6. Lastly, select Save & Close at the top left of the window to save the new API user

Step 3: Entering Autotask API Keys into CloudRadial Chat's Connector

Once you have your Username (Key) and Password (Secret) from Autotask, you can set up your connection within Chat. To do so:

1. Log into your CloudRadial Chat account
2. Navigate to Connectors from the left-hand feature set menu and locate/select Autotask
   • You may need to add the Connector via the button at the top right
3. Enter the information as required, toggle the Subscribe button, and select Save to finalize the Connector