A lot of interactions in the service desk involve sharing files, like executables and PDFs, with fellow agents and end users. Even end users could use the option to attach files to requests, to provide more context.
For organizations in the Google ecosystem, the integration of Google drive with Freshservice makes sharing files extremely simple. It brings the benefits of both the apps right into your service desk:
You can maintain a secure inventory of all documents that your team uses.
You can readily attach software licenses, user guides etc. wherever required, and share them with fellow agents and end users.
Your users can now share large files like screencast videos to explain the issue better.
Your team can collaborate on content across locations. They can even access the most up-to-date version of the documents whenever they need it.
NOTE: Agents & end users will have to sign in to their individual Google Drive accounts to attach files.
Installation Procedure:
There are two parts to the procedure for installing this app. The first part helps you get the Google Drive permissions necessary for this app to run and the second part helps you set up the app in your service desk. You will need administrator access on your service desk for this procedure.
On the Google Developer Console:
Login to your Google account and go to https://console.cloud.google.com
Click on Select a project at the top left of the screen and click on the NEW PROJECT button in the popup window to create a new project
Enter a name for your project (e.g. Freshservice Drive) and click Create
Click on Select a project again and open the project you just created.
This will redirect you to the dashboard, click on APIs & Services > Enabled APIs and Services
Click +ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES on the top of the dashboard to access the API library
Search for the Google Drive API and the Google Picker API in the app library, and click Enable in the respective app pages
Go to the Credentials tab in the left menu
Click on the Create credentials dropdown in this tab and select API key from the options
Copy the displayed API key to your clipboard
Click on +Create credentials at the top of the screen and select OAuth client ID this time
Click on Configure consent screen
On the OAuth consent screen choose the User Type for your app and click on CREATE
In the next page of the OAuth consent screen enter your email ID and the App name (e.g. Acme's service desk - Drive app) and click Save
You will be redirected to the Consent screen. Add any field that you want to configure, else just click Save and continue
On the Test users screen again add any field that you want to configure, else just click Save and continue
When the next screen appears click on Credentials on the left pane. Click on +Create Credentials on the top of the screen and click OAuth client ID
On the Create OAuth client ID page, select Web application under Application type
- Enter a name for the app (e.g. Acme's service desk - Drive app)
- In the Authorized Javascript Origins text box, enter your service desk domain name (e.g. https://acmecc.freshservice.com)
In the Authorized Redirect URIs text box, enter your service desk domain and append /oauth2callback at the end (e.g. https://acmecc.freshservice.com/oauth2callback)
Click Create and copy the displayed Client ID
You have completed the settings in the Google Developer Console. Navigate to your service desk and complete the rest of the setup.
To install the Google Drive app on Freshservice:
Step 1: Navigate to Admin section on your Freshservice instance.
Step 2: Under Service Desk Productivity section, click on Apps.
Step 3: This should take you to the integrations page. Click on Get More Apps.
Step 4: Search for Google Drive in the app gallery and click on the app listing.
Step 5: Click on Install.
Step 7: Enter the Client ID and API key in the Client textbox and Developer key textbox respectively. (You can get the ClientID and API key details by following the first section of the solution article that lists the instructions to set up the Google Drive permissions necessary for installing the app on Freshservice)
Step 8: Click on Enable.
Google Drive is now integrated with your Freshservice instance.
Using The Feature:
To attach a file from Google Drive:
Click on the Google Drive icon in the text editor. This will open up the Google account selector in a separate window
If you are using the app for the first time, you will prompted to sign in to the Google account from which you want to attach files. Also, users would need to re-authenticate with their Google account if they refresh the page.
After signing in to the required account, click Allow to permit Freshservice to access your Google Drive account
Navigate to the required file among the available folders
Choose the file or folder and click on Select to add it as an attachment. You can add multiple attachments in one go by choosing all the files before clicking Select
Learn more about other file sharing apps in Freshservice.
