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Intercom Inbox App

How the Intercom Inbox app works

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

Overview

What is the Intercom Inbox App?

The Intercom Inbox App is an embedded integration that appears in your Intercom inbox sidebar. It shows HubSpot data directly in Intercom, allowing support agents to view contact information, manage tickets, and link conversations—all without leaving Intercom.

Who can access the Inbox App?

Any Intercom agent/admin who has Intercom access can use the Inbox App. No separate login or HubSpot access is required.

Is the Inbox App available on all plans?

No. The Inbox App is available on Pro and Enterprise plans only.

How do I install the Inbox App?

The Inbox App is installed automatically when you create an Intercom connection in Interhubz. After connecting Intercom:

  1. Open any conversation in Intercom

  2. Look for the Interhubz app in the right sidebar

  3. The app will display HubSpot data for that conversation

Viewing Contact & Company Information

What contact information can I see?

The Inbox App displays:

  • Matched HubSpot Contact: The HubSpot contact record that matches the current Intercom contact

  • Contact Details: Name, email, and key properties

  • Quick Link: Direct link to open the contact in HubSpot

How do I know if a contact was matched successfully?

The app will clearly show:

  • Matched: Displays the HubSpot contact name and details

  • Not Matched: Shows "No matching contact found" with explanation

  • Multiple Matches: Shows collision warning with guidance

Can I see company information?

Yes. If the matched contact is associated with a company in HubSpot, that company information is displayed, along with a quick link to view the company in HubSpot.

What if the wrong contact is matched?

If the wrong contact appears matched:

  1. Review your matching configuration (Matching → Contact Matching)

  2. Check for duplicate contacts in HubSpot with the same email

  3. Adjust your collision resolution settings

  4. Consider using External ID matching for more precise control

Contact support if you need help resolving matching issues.

Managing Tickets

What ticket information can I see?

The Inbox App shows all HubSpot tickets linked to the current conversation, including:

  • Ticket number and title

  • Current status/stage

  • Priority level

  • Ticket owner (assignee)

  • Pipeline name

  • Team assignment

  • Quick link to open ticket in HubSpot

Can I see tickets that aren't linked to this conversation?

Yes. Use the Search Tickets feature to search across all HubSpot tickets by keyword. The search looks in ticket subjects and content, showing the 10 most relevant results.

How do I create a new ticket?

  1. Open a conversation in Intercom

  2. Open the Interhubz app in the sidebar

  3. Click Create Ticket

  4. Fill in the form:

    • Select pipeline

    • Select stage/status

    • Set priority (Low, Medium, High, Urgent)

    • Assign owner (optional)

    • Assign team (optional)

    • Add subject and description

  5. Click Create

The ticket is automatically:

  • Created in HubSpot

  • Linked to the conversation

  • Associated with the matched contact and company

How do I link an existing ticket?

  1. Open a conversation in Intercom

  2. Open the Interhubz app in the sidebar

  3. Click Link Existing Ticket

  4. Search for the ticket by keyword or number

  5. Click on the ticket you want to link

The ticket is now linked and will appear in the "Linked Tickets" section.

Can I unlink a ticket?

Yes. In the "Linked Tickets" section, each ticket has an "Unlink" button. Clicking it removes the association between the conversation and ticket. The ticket itself remains in HubSpot unchanged.

Creating Tickets

Are ticket fields pre-populated?

Yes! When creating a ticket:

  • Subject: Auto-populated from conversation subject/first message

  • Description: Auto-populated from conversation summary

  • Contact: Automatically associated with matched contact

  • Company: Automatically associated with matched company

You can edit all fields before creating.

What if I don't see the pipeline/stage I need?

Pipeline not visible:

  • Ensure the pipeline exists in HubSpot

  • Verify your HubSpot OAuth scopes include ticket access

  • Check that the pipeline is active (not archived)

Stage not visible:

  • Stages load after selecting a pipeline

  • Ensure the pipeline has stages configured in HubSpot

Can I set custom properties when creating a ticket?

Currently, the Inbox App supports the core ticket properties (pipeline, stage, priority, owner, team, subject, description). Additional custom properties can be set via HubSpot workflows or manually in HubSpot after creation.

What happens if ticket creation fails?

If creation fails (e.g., due to API errors), you'll see an error message in the Inbox App with details. Common issues:

  • HubSpot authentication expired → Re-authenticate

  • Required fields missing → Ensure all required fields are filled

  • API rate limits → Wait a moment and try again

Searching Tickets

How does ticket search work?

The search feature:

  • Searches across ticket subjects and content

  • Returns the 10 most relevant results

  • Prioritizes subject line matches over content matches

  • Sorts by relevance

Can I search by ticket number?

Yes! Enter the ticket number in the search field (e.g., "12345"). Ticket numbers are included in the search.

Can I search by contact or company?

The search focuses on ticket content. To find tickets for a specific contact or company, use HubSpot's native search or filters. The Inbox App shows tickets linked to the current conversation automatically.

Why don't I see recent tickets in search?

The Inbox App caches HubSpot data for performance (1-hour cache). Very recently created tickets may not appear immediately. Refresh after a few minutes to see the latest tickets.

Stage Sync Behavior

When does stage sync happen?

Stage sync occurs automatically when:

  1. An Intercom conversation state changes (e.g., open → closed)

  2. The conversation has one or more linked tickets

  3. Stage mapping is configured for the ticket's pipeline

The sync happens within 5-30 seconds of the state change.

What if I manually change the ticket stage in HubSpot?

Manual changes in HubSpot are not synced back to Intercom. Stage sync is one-way: Intercom → HubSpot only.

If you manually change a ticket stage in HubSpot and then the Intercom conversation state changes, the stage sync will overwrite your manual change with the mapped stage.

Can I prevent certain tickets from syncing?

Yes, you have two options:

  1. Unlink the Ticket: Unlinked tickets won't sync

  2. Closed Ticket Protection: Enable this setting to prevent updates to already-closed tickets

What happens if multiple tickets are linked with "All Linked" policy?

When the Intercom conversation state changes:

  1. System looks up the stage mapping for that state

  2. Updates all linked tickets to the mapped stage (for each ticket's respective pipeline)

  3. Skips tickets that are already in the target stage

  4. Skips closed tickets (if Closed Ticket Protection enabled)

User Experience

What if only one pipeline exists in my HubSpot?

The app automatically selects it for you! When creating a ticket:

  • Pipeline is auto-selected

  • Stages load automatically

  • First stage is auto-selected

You can change these selections if needed.

Do my form inputs save if I change selections?

Yes! The app preserves your inputs when you:

  • Change pipeline selection

  • Change stage selection

  • Switch between fields

Your data won't be lost.

Can I use the Inbox App on mobile?

The Inbox App works in Intercom's mobile interface, but the experience is optimized for desktop. Some features may be harder to use on small screens.

Troubleshooting

The Inbox App isn't showing in Intercom

Check these issues:

  1. Installation: Ensure you've completed the Intercom OAuth flow in Interhubz

  2. Plan: Verify you're on a Pro or Enterprise plan

  3. Browser: Try refreshing Intercom or clearing your browser cache

  4. Workspace: Ensure you're in the correct Intercom workspace

The app shows "No matching contact found"

This means Interhubz couldn't match the Intercom contact to a HubSpot contact. Possible reasons:

  • Contact doesn't exist in HubSpot

  • Email/phone/external ID doesn't match

  • Matching strategies not configured correctly

  • Contact creation policy set to "Never Create"

Review your matching configuration and creation policies.

Ticket creation is stuck or not responding

If ticket creation hangs:

  1. Refresh the Intercom page

  2. Check HubSpot to see if the ticket was created (it may have succeeded despite UI issue)

  3. Verify HubSpot authentication is active

  4. Try again after a few minutes

I created a ticket but it's not linked

This shouldn't happen—linking is automatic. If it occurs:

  1. Refresh the Inbox App

  2. Check the "Linked Tickets" section

  3. Use "Link Existing Ticket" to manually link it if needed

  4. Contact support if the issue persists

Can't assign ticket to a specific user

Check these issues:

  1. User Inactive: The HubSpot user may be inactive or deleted

  2. Permissions: The user may not have permissions for the selected pipeline

  3. Cache: User list may be cached; refresh and try again

Best Practices

Should I create tickets for every conversation?

Not necessarily. Create tickets when:

  • Issue requires follow-up beyond the conversation

  • Multiple teams need to collaborate

  • SLA tracking is important

  • Escalation is needed

For simple, resolved-in-one-conversation issues, ticket creation may not be necessary.

What priority should I set for new tickets?

Suggested Priority Mapping:

  • Urgent: Service outages, critical bugs affecting multiple customers

  • High: Single customer blocked, revenue-impacting issues

  • Medium: Feature requests, non-blocking bugs

  • Low: Documentation requests, minor cosmetic issues

Align with your team's existing priority conventions.

Should I assign tickets immediately or leave unassigned?

Assign Immediately if:

  • You know the right owner

  • Your workflow requires upfront assignment

  • SLA tracking depends on assignment

Leave Unassigned if:

  • Your team uses a triage/round-robin process

  • HubSpot workflows handle auto-assignment

  • Team assignment is sufficient

How can I make ticket creation faster?

  1. Configure Ticket Policies: Set defaults for pipeline, stage, and naming

  2. Use Templates: Set up a ticket name template with variables

  3. Auto-Assignment: Use HubSpot workflows to auto-assign based on properties

  4. Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn Intercom keyboard shortcuts to navigate quickly

Feature Requests

Can the app show more HubSpot data?

We're constantly improving the Inbox App. Feature requests for additional HubSpot data (deals, tasks, etc.) can be submitted via support.

Can I edit tickets from the Inbox App?

Currently, the app supports viewing and creating tickets. To edit ticket details, click the quick link to open the ticket in HubSpot.

Can I create notes from the Inbox App?

Conversation capture automatically creates notes on HubSpot timelines. For additional manual notes, use HubSpot directly.

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