Step by Step Guide to Building a Help Scout API Integration in Ruby

Aug 14, 2024 • 6 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your customer support workflow? Let's dive into building a Help Scout API integration using Ruby. We'll be leveraging the awesome help_scout-sdk package to make our lives easier. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

Before we jump in, make sure you've got:

Ruby 2.5 or higher installed
A Help Scout account with API credentials handy

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project set up:

gem install help_scout-sdk
mkdir help_scout_integration
cd help_scout_integration
touch app.rb

Configuring the Help Scout client

Open up app.rb and let's get cooking:

require 'help_scout'

HelpScout.configure do |config|
  config.app_id = 'YOUR_APP_ID'
  config.app_secret = 'YOUR_APP_SECRET'
end

client = HelpScout::Client.new

Replace those placeholders with your actual credentials, and you're good to go!

Basic API operations

Now for the fun part. Let's start with some basic operations:

# Fetch conversations
conversations = client.conversations.list

# Create a new conversation
new_conversation = client.conversations.create(
  subject: 'Need help!',
  customer: { email: '[email protected]' },
  mailbox_id: 123456,
  type: 'email',
  status: 'active',
  threads: [{ type: 'customer', text: 'Hi there, I need some assistance.' }]
)

# Update a conversation
client.conversations.update(new_conversation.id, tags: ['urgent'])

Working with customers

Customers are the heart of support. Here's how to interact with their data:

# Fetch a customer
customer = client.customers.get('[email protected]')

# Create or update a customer
client.customers.create_or_update(
  email: '[email protected]',
  first_name: 'Jane',
  last_name: 'Doe'
)

Managing mailboxes

Mailboxes keep things organized. Let's see how to work with them:

# List all mailboxes
mailboxes = client.mailboxes.list

# Get mailbox fields
fields = client.mailbox_fields.list(mailbox_id: mailboxes.first.id)

Handling attachments

Got files to share? No problem:

# Upload an attachment
attachment = client.attachments.create(
  file: File.open('path/to/file.pdf'),
  file_name: 'important_doc.pdf'
)

# Add attachment to a thread
client.threads.create(
  conversation_id: conversation_id,
  type: 'reply',
  customer: { email: '[email protected]' },
  text: 'Please find the attached document.',
  attachments: [attachment.id]
)

Error handling and best practices

Always be prepared for the unexpected:

begin
  # Your API call here
rescue HelpScout::Error => e
  puts "Oops! #{e.message}"
end

And remember, respect those rate limits! The SDK handles most of this for you, but it's good to keep in mind.

Advanced usage

Want to level up? Check out webhooks for real-time updates:

# Set up a webhook (you'll need a server to receive POST requests)
client.webhooks.create(
  url: 'https://your-server.com/webhook',
  events: ['conversation.created', 'customer.updated']
)

Testing and debugging

Don't forget to test your integration! Here's a quick example using RSpec:

RSpec.describe 'Help Scout Integration' do
  it 'creates a conversation' do
    conversation = client.conversations.create(...)
    expect(conversation).to be_a(HelpScout::Conversation)
    expect(conversation.id).not_to be_nil
  end
end

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build a robust Help Scout integration in Ruby. Remember, this is just scratching the surface – there's so much more you can do with the API. Don't be afraid to explore and experiment.

For more details, check out the help_scout-sdk documentation and the official Help Scout API docs.

Now go forth and create something awesome! Happy coding! 🚀