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BoldDesk Make integrationAutomate BoldDesk with Make.

Support tickets that open, update and answer themselves? The BoldDesk Make integration gives you 26 modules: 11 triggers, 12 actions and 3 searches. This guide is for support leads who know BoldDesk and want a working scenario without code.

Try the BoldDesk integration on MakeSee the 26 modules

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What you can automate

What can the BoldDesk Make integration do for your support team?

The BoldDesk Make integration links your help desk to the other tools you use, with no code. In Make you build a scenario, the automation itself, out of modules: each module is one brick, like a trigger that spots a new ticket or an action that writes a reply. BoldDesk brings 26 of them, covering tickets, contacts and contact groups.

Requests that land in the right place. A message arrives through another app, and Create a ticket files it in BoldDesk so no request lives only in someone's inbox.

A contact list that stays clean. Watch new contacts spots each person added in BoldDesk, and your CRM or spreadsheet receives the same record. Going the other way, Search contacts checks whether someone already exists before Create a contact adds them.

Replies and notes that write themselves. When Watch ticket replies sees an answer go out, a scenario can log it elsewhere; Create a ticket note leaves an internal trace your agents read without the customer seeing it.

Know the limits before you start. Every BoldDesk trigger is scheduled, so Make checks for changes on a timer instead of hearing about them instantly. Anything the 26 modules skip goes through Make an API call. The Make review gives the wider picture, and n8n vs Make helps if you are still choosing a tool. If you would rather hand the build to someone, see the Make agency.

Connect

How do you connect your BoldDesk account to Make?

  1. 01

    Create an API key in BoldDesk

    In BoldDesk, click your profile avatar, open View profile and Settings, then the API Keys tab. Click Create API Key, give it a name you will recognize, confirm, and copy the key displayed. You need a licensed agent account for this.

  2. 02

    Add a BoldDesk module in Make

    Open your scenario in Make, add any BoldDesk module and click Create a connection. A connection is your BoldDesk account linked to Make once, then reused by every BoldDesk module. The Connection name field is optional but handy.

  3. 03

    Paste the key and save

    Paste the API key you copied, follow what Make shows on screen and save. From then on, Make can read your tickets and contacts, and the module fields fill with lists you can pick from instead of typing IDs.

First scenario

Your first scenario: turn incoming requests into BoldDesk tickets

GoalWhen a request arrives in another app, Make opens a matching ticket in BoldDesk.

  1. 01

    Create the scenario

    On the Scenarios page, create a new scenario and click the big +. Pick the app where requests arrive first, such as your form tool or inbox, and choose its trigger module.

  2. 02

    Add Create a ticket

    Click the + on the right of that first module, search for BoldDesk and pick Create a ticket. Click Create a connection and paste your API key if this is your first BoldDesk module.

  3. 03

    Map the request into the ticket

    Fill the ticket fields by clicking into each one and choosing data from the first module, like the sender and the message text. Make lists what it can read from BoldDesk once the connection works.

  4. 04

    Test with Run once

    Send yourself a test request, then click Run once. Each module shows the bundles it received, a bundle being one item passing through, here one request. Open BoldDesk and check the new ticket.

  5. 05

    Schedule it and switch it on

    Open the clock on the first module to set how often it runs, every 15 minutes by default. Then switch the scenario on. Each module run counts as an operation, the unit Make bills against your plan.

Triggers

Which BoldDesk triggers can start a scenario?

11 modules start a scenario when something happens in BoldDesk. A scheduled trigger is checked by Make on the scenario's schedule; an instant one is called by BoldDesk as soon as it happens.

BoldDesk1Watch contact groups

Watch contact groups

triggerIn the docs only

Hands your scenario the contact groups BoldDesk holds, so you can mirror them in another tool. The doc gives no description, and the name alone does not say whether it covers new groups, edited groups or both.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks BoldDesk on the scenario's schedule, which is every 15 minutes by default.
When to use it
you want one feed of group activity and do not need to separate creations from edits.
Watch out
click Run once and read the bundles before relying on it; if you only care about one case, the new or updated variant is clearer.
BoldDesk2Watch contacts

Watch contacts

triggerIn the docs only

Gives you BoldDesk contacts as bundles, one person per bundle, ready to copy into a CRM or a sheet. Without a description in the doc, treat it as the general contact watcher and confirm what it returns on your own account.

How it fires
scheduled. Make asks BoldDesk for contacts each time the scenario's timer comes around.
When to use it
a sync where any contact change should flow out of BoldDesk.
Watch out
run it once on a test account first, because Watch new contacts and Watch updated contacts exist for the narrower cases.
BoldDesk3Watch new contact groups

Watch new contact groups

triggerIn the docs only

Tells your scenario, at its next scheduled check, that a contact group was created in BoldDesk. That lets a newly set up group appear in your other tools without anyone retyping it.

How it fires
scheduled. On each run of the scenario, Make looks for groups created since the last check.
When to use it
your team creates a group for each new account and the billing or CRM side needs to know.
Watch out
edits to an existing group will not show up here; pair it with Watch updated contact groups if renames matter to you.
BoldDesk4Watch new contacts

Watch new contacts

triggerIn the docs only

Brings every freshly added BoldDesk contact into your scenario, so the person exists in your CRM or mailing list too. It is the cleanest starting point for a one-way contact sync.

How it fires
scheduled. Make polls BoldDesk on the scenario's schedule and returns contacts added since the previous run.
When to use it
a customer writes in for the first time and sales should see them without waiting for a manual export.
Watch out
if the other tool may already have that person, add a search step there before creating a duplicate.
BoldDesk5Watch new tickets

Watch new tickets

triggerIn the docs only

Puts each ticket opened in BoldDesk into your scenario, so you can alert a channel, log it in a sheet or send an extra reply. For most people this is the first trigger worth trying.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks BoldDesk for new tickets at the interval set on the scenario, 15 minutes at the shortest on the Free plan.
When to use it
your team wants a heads-up outside BoldDesk whenever a customer opens a request.
Watch out
a ticket created by your own scenario is new too, so do not feed this trigger into Create a ticket.
BoldDesk6Watch ticket notes

Watch ticket notes

triggerIn the docs only

Surfaces the internal notes agents leave on tickets, the comments customers never see. That turns private context into something your scenario can route, store or escalate.

How it fires
scheduled. Make asks BoldDesk for notes whenever the scenario runs on its timer.
When to use it
an agent flags a ticket for a manager in a note, and you want that flag to reach the manager's own tool.
Watch out
if a scenario of yours also writes notes with Create a ticket note, this trigger will pick those up as well, so filter them out or keep the two apart.
BoldDesk7Watch ticket replies

Watch ticket replies

triggerIn the docs only

Catches replies posted on BoldDesk tickets and passes each one along as a bundle. You get a record of every answer outside the help desk, which helps with reporting or quality review.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks for replies each time the scenario's schedule triggers a run.
When to use it
a team lead wants each sent answer copied to a review sheet.
Watch out
replies your scenario posts through Create a ticket reply land here too; chaining the two without a filter will make the scenario answer itself again and again.
BoldDesk8Watch tickets

Watch tickets

triggerIn the docs only

Returns BoldDesk tickets to your scenario as bundles, one ticket each, without narrowing to new or updated in its name. The doc does not describe it, so confirm on your account what it returns.

How it fires
scheduled. Make reads tickets from BoldDesk on the scenario's schedule.
When to use it
one broad ticket feed toward a dashboard or a spreadsheet is enough.
Watch out
before you go live, click Run once and look at what comes back; Watch new tickets or Watch updated tickets may match your need more precisely.
BoldDesk9Watch updated contact groups

Watch updated contact groups

triggerIn the docs only

Picks up contact groups that someone changed in BoldDesk, so a renamed or edited group stays in step with your other tools. Creations are left to its sibling trigger.

How it fires
scheduled. Each scheduled run, Make asks BoldDesk which groups changed since the last look.
When to use it
group details feed an account list elsewhere, and a stale copy causes confusion.
Watch out
if the same scenario writes back with Update a contact group, that write counts as a change and can trigger another run.
BoldDesk10Watch updated contacts

Watch updated contacts

triggerIn the docs only

Notices contacts edited in BoldDesk and forwards the changed record, so a record an agent corrected reaches your CRM as well. It keeps two systems from drifting apart.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks BoldDesk for changed contacts on the scenario's schedule, not the second they change.
When to use it
agents fix contact details while handling tickets and the sales tool should get the fix.
Watch out
avoid pairing it with Update a contact on the same person, or each update will wake the scenario again.
BoldDesk11Watch updated tickets

Watch updated tickets

triggerIn the docs only

Sends your scenario each BoldDesk ticket that changed, which is how you react when a ticket moves forward rather than when it opens. Useful for follow-ups and alerts after the first contact.

How it fires
scheduled. On every scheduled run, Make pulls tickets modified since the previous check.
When to use it
a manager wants to hear when an important ticket changes hands or state.
Watch out
every change counts, including the ones your own Update a ticket step makes, so add a filter after the trigger to keep only the changes you care about.
Modules

What else can Make do in BoldDesk?

BoldDesk gives you 15 modules. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

BoldDesk1

Create a contact

ActionIn the docs only

Adds a person to BoldDesk from data your scenario already has, so agents see a known customer instead of a stranger when that person writes in.

When to use it
a new customer signs up in another tool and should exist in the help desk before the first ticket.
Watch out
run Search contacts first, or repeat runs will create the same person twice.
BoldDesk2

Create a contact group

ActionIn the docs only

Sets up a new contact group in BoldDesk straight from a scenario, which saves someone recreating by hand a group that already exists in another tool.

When to use it
a new client account is opened in your CRM and support needs a matching group.
Watch out
check with Search contact groups beforehand so a rerun does not leave you with two groups of the same name.
BoldDesk3

Create a ticket

ActionIn the docs only

Opens a BoldDesk ticket from anything your scenario receives: a form entry, an email, a row in a sheet. The request lands in the queue your agents already work from.

When to use it
customers reach you through a channel BoldDesk does not collect by itself.
Watch out
keep it away from Watch new tickets in the same scenario, or each ticket will spawn the next one.
BoldDesk4

Create a ticket note

ActionIn the docs only

Writes an internal note on a ticket, visible to agents only, so context from another tool sits right next to the conversation without the customer reading it.

When to use it
your CRM holds the customer's history and the agent handling the ticket should see it.
Watch out
the module needs a ticket to attach to, so place it after a trigger or a step that hands over the ticket.
BoldDesk5

Create a ticket reply

ActionIn the docs only

Posts a reply on a BoldDesk ticket, which means the customer gets an answer without an agent typing it. Best kept for messages you would send the same way every time.

When to use it
a confirmation or a status message after a clear event, such as an order shipped in another tool.
Watch out
customers read these, so test with Run once on a test ticket before switching the scenario on.
BoldDesk6

Get a contact

ActionIn the docs only

Fetches one BoldDesk contact when you already know which one you want, giving the rest of the scenario that person's full record to map from.

When to use it
a ticket trigger hands you the requester and you need their details for the next step.
Watch out
it retrieves a single known contact; if you only have a name or an email to go on, Search contacts is the right tool.
BoldDesk7

Get a contact group

ActionIn the docs only

Reads a single contact group from BoldDesk, so the scenario can use what the group holds when it builds a message or a record elsewhere.

When to use it
an earlier module points to a group and you need the rest of its information.
Watch out
this reads one group you can already identify; to look through several, reach for Search contact groups instead.
BoldDesk8

Get a ticket

ActionIn the docs only

Loads the full record of one ticket, which fills the gaps when the module before it only passed along part of the story.

When to use it
a note or reply trigger gives you the ticket reference and you want the whole ticket before alerting a manager.
Watch out
each lookup is one more operation per bundle, so skip it when the trigger already delivers what you need.
BoldDesk9

Make an API call

ActionIn the docs only

Reaches any part of the BoldDesk API through the connection you already set up, so you are not stuck when no listed module does the job.

When to use it
you need something outside tickets, contacts and groups beyond what the other BoldDesk modules cover.
Watch out
this is the one module where you need the BoldDesk API documentation to know what to send; the rest of the page does not cover its settings.
BoldDesk10

Search contact groups

SearchIn the docs only

Looks through your BoldDesk contact groups and returns what matches, which is how a scenario finds out whether a group exists before acting.

When to use it
right before Create a contact group, to avoid a duplicate.
Watch out
a search can return zero, one or several bundles; plan for all three, because every module after it runs once per result.
BoldDesk11

Search contacts

SearchIn the docs only

Finds BoldDesk contacts that match what you give it, so you can tell whether a customer is already known before creating or updating anyone.

When to use it
a lead arrives from a form and you want to attach the request to an existing contact if there is one.
Watch out
it may find nobody at all, so decide what the scenario should do for a brand new person.
BoldDesk12

Search tickets

SearchIn the docs only

Pulls a set of BoldDesk tickets matching your criteria into the scenario, ready for a report, a bulk update or a check before opening a new one.

When to use it
you want to know whether a customer already has a ticket open before Create a ticket adds another.
Watch out
several matches mean several bundles, and every later module runs for each one, which adds operations fast.
BoldDesk13

Update a contact

ActionIn the docs only

Changes an existing BoldDesk contact with fresher data from another tool, so agents stop working from an outdated profile.

When to use it
a customer edits their details in your CRM or billing tool and support should see the same thing.
Watch out
you need the contact to update, usually from Search contacts or Get a contact before this step, so place one of them earlier in the scenario.
BoldDesk14

Update a contact group

ActionIn the docs only

Edits a contact group already in BoldDesk, keeping its details aligned with the account it represents in your other systems.

When to use it
an account is renamed in the CRM and the matching group should follow.
Watch out
if the scenario starts with Watch updated contact groups, this update will trigger it again, so add a filter or split the scenarios.
BoldDesk15

Update a ticket

ActionIn the docs only

Modifies a BoldDesk ticket from outside the help desk, so a ticket reflects what happened in another tool without an agent touching it.

When to use it
an issue is resolved elsewhere, for example a refund processed in your billing app, and the ticket should show it.
Watch out
the change counts as an update for Watch updated tickets, so do not let that trigger feed back into this module.
Need help

Need help automating BoldDesk with Make?

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FAQ

BoldDesk and Make: common questions

01Is the BoldDesk Make integration free?
Yes, on the Make side. BoldDesk is a standard app, so it works on the Free plan, which allows 2 active scenarios, 15 minutes at the shortest between scheduled runs, 5 minutes per execution, files up to 5 MB and 512 MB of data transfer. Paid plans go down to a 1 minute interval and allow unlimited active scenarios. Make counts usage in operations, one per module run on one bundle. BoldDesk itself needs a licensed agent account, and its own pricing is set by BoldDesk.
02What do you need to connect BoldDesk to Make?
A licensed BoldDesk agent account and an API key. You create the key in BoldDesk under your profile avatar, View profile and Settings, then the API Keys tab and Create API Key. In Make, add any BoldDesk module, click Create a connection, optionally name it, and paste the key. That single connection is then reused by all 26 BoldDesk modules, so you only go through this setup once per BoldDesk account.
03Do BoldDesk triggers in Make react in real time?
No. All 11 BoldDesk triggers are scheduled: Make checks BoldDesk on the scenario's timer rather than being called the moment something happens. A new scenario checks every 15 minutes by default. Paid plans let you shorten that to 1 minute, while the Free plan keeps 15 minutes as the minimum. So a new ticket or reply reaches your scenario at the next check, not instantly. Plan your alerts with that delay in mind.
04What if the BoldDesk module you need is missing in Make?
Use Make an API call. It sends a request to any endpoint of the BoldDesk API with the connection you already created, so there is no second login. The catch is that you need BoldDesk's API documentation to know what to send. Also note that Make's own page for BoldDesk says it was produced by AI from vendor documentation and may contain mistakes, so confirm key details with BoldDesk before relying on them.
05Should you use Make or n8n for BoldDesk?
It depends on what you already run. This page only covers the Make side: 26 BoldDesk modules, all triggers scheduled, a generic API call module for the rest, and access from the Free plan. Whether n8n offers a BoldDesk node is not covered here, so check that before comparing. The n8n vs Make comparison linked above on this page lays out the general criteria for choosing between the two tools, without ranking one over the other.
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