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Ticket linking

How ticket creation and linking works

Tarek Khalil avatar
Written by Tarek Khalil
Updated over a month ago

Ticket Linking Overview

What is ticket linking?

Ticket linking creates a persistent association between an Intercom conversation and one or more HubSpot tickets. Once linked, the conversation and ticket stay connected, enabling automatic stage synchronization and unified timeline views.

Why link tickets to conversations?

Ticket linking enables:

  • Automatic Stage Sync: HubSpot ticket stages update when Intercom conversation states change

  • Unified Timeline: Conversation notes appear on ticket timelines

  • Context Preservation: Support and sales teams see the complete history

  • Workflow Automation: Trigger HubSpot workflows based on conversation activity

Can one conversation be linked to multiple tickets?

Yes! A single Intercom conversation can be linked to multiple HubSpot tickets. This is useful for:

  • Escalations (support ticket → engineering ticket)

  • Cross-functional issues (support + billing + product)

  • Parent-child ticket relationships

Creating & Linking Tickets

How do I link a ticket to a conversation?

There are two ways:

1. Create New Ticket (via Intercom Inbox App):

  • Open the conversation in Intercom

  • Open the Interhubz app in the sidebar

  • Click "Create Ticket"

  • Fill in ticket details

  • Ticket is automatically linked when created

2. Link Existing Ticket (via Intercom Inbox App):

  • Open the conversation in Intercom

  • Open the Interhubz app in the sidebar

  • Click "Link Existing Ticket"

  • Search for the ticket by keyword

  • Select the ticket to link

What information can I set when creating a ticket?

When creating a ticket from the Intercom Inbox App, you can configure:

  • Pipeline: Which HubSpot ticket pipeline to use

  • Stage: Initial status/stage for the ticket

  • Priority: Low, Medium, High, or Urgent

  • Ticket Owner: Assign to a specific HubSpot user

  • Team: Assign to a HubSpot team

  • Subject/Title: Auto-populated from conversation or custom

  • Description: Auto-populated from conversation or custom

The ticket is automatically associated with the matched contact and company.

Can I unlink a ticket?

Yes. In the Intercom Inbox App, you can view all linked tickets and unlink any of them. Unlinking removes the association but doesn't delete the ticket—it remains in HubSpot.

Is ticket linking available on all plans?

No. Ticket linking and all ticket-related features are available on Pro and Enterprise plans only.

Stage Synchronization

What is ticket stage sync?

Stage sync automatically updates HubSpot ticket stages when Intercom conversation states change. For example:

  • Intercom conversation closed → HubSpot ticket moved to "Resolved" stage

  • Intercom conversation reopened → HubSpot ticket moved to "In Progress" stage

How do I configure stage sync?

Navigate to Connections → [Connection] → Tickets → Stage Mapping and map:

  • Intercom conversation states (Open, Closed, Snoozed, Submitted)

  • To HubSpot pipeline stages

You can configure different mappings for each HubSpot pipeline.

Do I need to set up stage mapping for every pipeline?

Only for pipelines you want to use. If a ticket is in a pipeline without configured stage mapping, stage sync won't occur for that ticket (but all other features still work).

What Intercom states can be mapped?

You can map these Intercom conversation states:

  • Open: Conversation is active

  • Closed: Conversation is closed

  • Snoozed: Conversation is snoozed/waiting

  • Submitted: Form submission (before agent reply)

Does stage sync happen in real-time?

Stage sync happens near real-time:

  1. Intercom conversation state changes

  2. Webhook triggers within seconds

  3. Interhubz processes the webhook

  4. HubSpot ticket stage is updated

Typical delay: 5-30 seconds.

Multi-Ticket Scenarios

What happens when a conversation has multiple linked tickets?

You can configure the Multi-Ticket Sync Policy:

  • Primary Only: Update only the first/primary linked ticket

  • All Linked: Update all tickets linked to the conversation

Set this in Tickets → Stage Mapping settings.

Which ticket is the "primary" ticket?

The primary ticket is the first ticket linked to the conversation (chronologically). This is typically the original ticket created from the conversation.

Can I choose which tickets get updated?

Not individually, but you can use the "Primary Only" policy to limit updates to just the main ticket.

Safeguards & Protection

Will stage sync overwrite closed tickets?

You can configure Closed Ticket Protection to prevent updating tickets that are already in a closed/resolved stage. Enable this in your stage mapping settings to avoid accidentally reopening resolved tickets.

What if a ticket is already in the target stage?

The system skips the update if the ticket is already in the mapped stage—no unnecessary API calls or changelog entries.

Can stage sync break HubSpot workflows?

Stage sync updates use standard HubSpot API operations, so they:

  • Will trigger workflow enrollments based on stage changes

  • Will trigger notifications configured for stage changes

  • Will appear in ticket history/changelog

This is usually desired behavior. If you need to prevent workflows from triggering, configure the workflows in HubSpot to filter out specific update sources.

Ticket Policies & Defaults

What are ticket policies?

Ticket policies define default settings for new tickets created via the Intercom Inbox App. Configure these in Tickets → Policy.

What can I configure in ticket policies?

  • Default Pipeline: Which pipeline new tickets are created in

  • Initial Stage: Starting stage for new tickets (e.g., "New", "Open")

  • Ticket Name Template: Customize ticket titles with variables

What variables can I use in ticket name templates?

You can use these dynamic variables:

  • {contact_name}: Contact's full name

  • {contact_email}: Contact's email

  • {company_name}: Company name

  • {subject}: Conversation subject/first message

  • {conversation_id}: Intercom conversation ID

  • {assigned_to}: Assigned agent name

  • {created_at}: Conversation creation date

  • {closed_at}: Conversation close date

  • {tags}: Conversation tags

  • {rating}: Customer satisfaction rating

Example Template:

Support Request: {subject} - {contact_name}

Do ticket policies affect existing tickets?

No. Ticket policies only apply to newly created tickets. Existing tickets are not affected when you change policies.

Searching & Finding Tickets

How does ticket search work in the Inbox App?

The Inbox App includes a ticket search feature that:

  • Searches ticket subjects and content by keyword

  • Returns the 10 most relevant results

  • Prioritizes subject line matches

  • Displays ticket metadata (pipeline, priority, owner, status)

Can I search tickets by number?

Yes. Enter the ticket number (e.g., "12345") in the search field. Ticket numbers are searched along with subjects and content.

Why don't I see all tickets in search results?

Search results are limited to 10 tickets for performance. If you need to find a specific ticket:

  • Use more specific keywords

  • Include the ticket number

  • Use HubSpot's native search for comprehensive results

Troubleshooting

Why isn't my ticket stage updating?

Check these common issues:

  1. Stage Mapping Not Configured: Ensure you've mapped the Intercom state to a HubSpot stage for the ticket's pipeline

  2. Ticket Not Linked: Verify the ticket is linked to the conversation

  3. Closed Ticket Protection: If enabled, closed tickets won't update

  4. Authentication: Ensure HubSpot authentication is active

  5. Webhook Processing: Check that webhooks are being received (may be delayed)

A ticket was created but not linked to the conversation

This shouldn't happen—linking is automatic. If you encounter this:

  1. Refresh the Inbox App

  2. Check the linked tickets section

  3. If still not linked, use "Link Existing Ticket" to manually link it

Can I link tickets retroactively to old conversations?

Yes! Use the "Link Existing Ticket" feature in the Inbox App to link any HubSpot ticket to any Intercom conversation, regardless of when they were created.

Stage sync updated the wrong ticket

If you have multiple linked tickets and "All Linked" policy enabled, all tickets will update. To prevent this:

  • Switch to "Primary Only" policy

  • Unlink tickets that shouldn't sync

  • Configure closed ticket protection

Best Practices

When should I link tickets to conversations?

Always Link When:

  • Conversation requires escalation

  • Multiple departments involved

  • SLA tracking needed

  • Workflow automation required

Optional Linking:

  • Simple, quick support questions (resolved in one conversation)

  • Informational conversations

  • Conversations that don't require follow-up

Should I use one ticket per conversation or multiple?

One Ticket (recommended for most cases):

  • Simpler tracking

  • Clearer ownership

  • Easier reporting

Multiple Tickets:

  • Complex issues requiring multiple teams

  • Parent-child ticket hierarchies

  • Escalation workflows

What's the best stage mapping configuration?

Recommended Mapping:

Intercom State

HubSpot Stage

Submitted

New

Open

In Progress

Snoozed

Waiting on Customer

Closed

Closed

Adjust based on your specific pipeline stages and workflow.

Should I enable "Closed Ticket Protection"?

Enable if:

  • You have strict SLA/completion tracking

  • Closed tickets should never change

  • Multiple teams manage tickets

Disable if:

  • Conversations frequently reopen

  • You want complete state parity between platforms

  • Tickets represent ongoing relationships (not one-time issues)

Integration with Conversation Capture

How do tickets affect conversation capture?

When a ticket is linked, it affects destination routing:

Container Destination:

  • You can route the full conversation note to the Ticket timeline

  • Alternate destinations still available (Contact, Company)

Stub Notes:

  • Create reference notes on Ticket timeline while full note lives elsewhere

If I link a ticket after a conversation is captured, will it update?

No. Ticket linking affects future captures. To recapture with the new ticket link:

  • Use API Push to trigger a new capture

  • The system will respect your "Same Conversation Policy" (append or create new)

Can I create a ticket from an already-captured conversation?

Yes! Use the Inbox App to create or link a ticket at any time. Then use API Push to recapture the conversation with the ticket link in place.

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