In this step-by-step tutorial you'll learn how to show data from a Google Sheets spreadsheet in Zendesk Support, Zendesk Sell and Zendesk Chat. We'll use the no-code data-pipeline tool FactBranch to query a Google Sheets spreadsheet in real-time and show the results in the FactBranch app inside Zendesk.
In short we'll take this spreadsheet:
and turn it into this beautiful output inside a Zendesk ticket:
Let's make it happen!
If you haven't already, create a FactBranch account to start your free trial. You don't need to enter a credit card to start a trial.
Then head to the list of data sources in your FactBranch account and add a new data source. Select Google Sheets and click on Connect to allow FactBranch to access your spreadsheets.
Now, let's create a data pipeline! FactBranch data pipelines - also called flows - can be made up of multiple nodes that access, transform, and output data. In this case, we'll query your spreadsheet and generate a display for the FactBranch Zendesk app.
To do this, go to your list of flows in FactBranch and add a new flow. Select Show data in the FactBranch Zendesk app.
If you want to learn more about the flow system, head over to the introduction to the flow system and how to edit a flow in our docs.
Adding a Google Sheets node is easy – simply click on the Create node button and select Google Sheets. It will initially be placed outside the data flow in the unused nodes pile. Drag and drop it between the Zendesk App Trigger and the Zendesk App Display nodes to add it to the flow.
To enter its configuration, click on Edit. Then, tell the Google Sheets node to use the Google Sheets account you've connected earlier. To do this, click on Authentication > Select a data source > Google Sheets.
In the Config section, copy and paste the URL to your spreadsheet. Click Load and select the sheet you'd like to use, then click Use sheet. FactBranch will now load the sheet's structure and column titles.
To query your spreadsheet, add a condition. In our example, select the column
that contains the email addresses, and in the right field insert $data.email
to match your email column against the email address of the ticket requester.
Try running the query to see if it returns results from your spreadsheet. If you need to edit the input data and use a different email address, you can do so by clicking Edit above the input data.
When you're happy with the test results, move onto the Display node by clicking on NEXT NODE: Zendesk App Display.
In the Zendesk App Display node you'll find the test query results and a Generate template button. Click the button and FactBranch will generate a simple HTML template to show the matching rows from the Google Sheets node.
Our engine will try its best to create a sensible UI - for example by detecting normal fields and links.
You can also write your own HTML template here. The templating language is similar to Liquid and Jinja2. To find out more, check out our Docs for advanced HTML templating.
FactBranch has three different apps in the Zendesk Marketplace:
Click the Install button and follow the installation process. You'll need to log in to your Zendesk account.
When prompted for the FactBranch API-key, copy/paste the API-key from the trigger config page in FactBranch. To find it go to your flow and click on Config in the Zendesk App Trigger box to find it.
Optionally, inside Zendesk you can also select the roles and groups to install the app in your Zendesk account. Hit Install to finish the setup.
Now, with FactBranch, you'll save time and effort by automatically loading relevant data from Google spreadsheets whenever your work in Zendesk Support, Sell or Chat.
You've got the basics of showing data from a spreadsheet in Zendesk with FactBranch!
Now, why not take things further? Here are some ideas:
If you need help or have questions and ideas, don't hesitate to contact our support at support@factbranch.com. We're always happy to help.
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