How to set up Freshdesk automation to route WhatsApp tickets to a group

So, you're using WhatsApp for customer support. Good call. It’s quick, everyone's on it, and it feels personal. But, if you're trying to juggle those chats in Freshdesk, you’ve probably run into a pretty annoying roadblock.

You have different WhatsApp numbers for different things, maybe one for sales and another for support, or perhaps one for each brand you manage. The logical next step is to get new tickets from each number to the right team automatically. But when you dive into Freshdesk’s automation rules, you find… you can’t. All your WhatsApp tickets just pile up in the same queue, and it's on your team to manually sort through the mess.

A screenshot of the Freshdesk ticket dashboard where WhatsApp tickets get queued up without proper routing rules.

It’s a surprisingly common problem. The good news is, there's a way to fix it that doesn't involve complex code or switching helpdesks.

This guide will show you exactly why Freshdesk’s own tools fall short here. Then, we’ll walk through a clear, step-by-step process to build the intelligent routing you actually need.

What you'll need

Alright, before we get started, here's the short list of what you'll need to have handy:

• A Freshdesk account (any paid plan, like Growth, Pro, or Enterprise) with admin permissions.

• An active WhatsApp Business Account that's already connected to your Freshdesk setup.

• An AI integration tool that can build the custom logic. We’ll be using eesel AI in this walkthrough because it's built for this kind of task.

The limits of native Freshdesk automation

If you’ve tried to tackle this already, your first stop was probably the automation section in Freshdesk. Let’s quickly retrace those steps to see what you can do, and where the whole thing falls apart.

The basic (and limited) Freshdesk automation

For simple workflows, Freshdesk’s automation is pretty decent. You can easily create a rule that catches all incoming WhatsApp messages. You'd go to "Admin > Automations", start a new rule for when a ticket is created, and set a condition like:

"If "Source" is "WhatsApp""

Then, you can add an action, like "Assign to group: "General Support"." This works perfectly fine if you only have one WhatsApp number or if you want every single WhatsApp message to go to one team. You set the rule, and that’s it. All messages are routed to a single group. Simple.

The main limitation of Freshdesk automation

But what if you have two, three, or even more WhatsApp numbers hooked up to Freshdesk? Maybe "+1-555-0101" is for your US customers and "+44-20-7946-0102" is for your UK customers.

You want to create rules that look something like this:

• "If a ticket comes from WhatsApp number "+1-555-0101", send it to the US Support group."

• "If a ticket comes from WhatsApp number "+44-20-7946-0102", send it to the UK Support group."

This is the exact point where you hit a wall. As plenty of people have pointed out in the Freshworks Community forums, Freshdesk can tell that a ticket’s source is "WhatsApp," but it has no idea which specific number received the message. That condition just isn't an option in the rule builder.

So you're left with a jumbled inbox where every WhatsApp message lands in the same pile. Your team then has to waste time playing traffic cop, figuring out who should handle which ticket before they can even think about replying. It’s slow, a pain to manage, and definitely won't work as you grow. To fix this, you need to add a smarter layer on top of Freshdesk.

How to set up WhatsApp ticket routing with an AI agent

Here’s where we get past what Freshdesk can do on its own and build the workflow that actually solves the problem. We'll use an AI integration tool to handle the logic that Freshdesk is missing.

Step 1: Connect an AI platform

First things first, you need a tool that can fill that gap in Freshdesk's automation. For this guide, we're using eesel AI. It's designed to connect to your helpdesk and let you build custom support workflows without a big, complicated setup.

Getting started is refreshingly simple. No need to file a ticket with your dev team or sit through a long sales demo just to get access.

1. Head over to eesel AI and sign up for a free account.

2. Go to the integrations section and pick Freshdesk from the list.

3. Click "Connect" and follow the prompts to authorize the connection.

And you're done. Your Freshdesk account is now linked, and you’re ready to build the automation.

Step 2: Create a smart workflow

This is where we build the actual logic. You'll use a visual builder, so it's all about clicking and selecting options, not writing code.

1. From your eesel AI dashboard, start a new AI agent or workflow.

2. For the trigger, you'll want it to kick off "When a new ticket is created in Freshdesk." This tells the system to look at every new ticket that comes in.

3. Next, you'll add the conditions. This is where you get the control you were missing. eesel AI can see all the ticket details, including the specific WhatsApp number it was sent to.

Now you can build the precise rules you couldn't before. For each of your WhatsApp numbers, you'll create a simple rule block that looks like this:

• IF "Ticket Source" is "WhatsApp" AND the "Recipient Number" contains "+15550101" (your first number)

• THEN use the Freshdesk action "Assign to Group" and pick your US Support group from the dropdown.

You can then clone this block and repeat the process for your other numbers. Just change the "Recipient Number" and the "Assign to Group" action for each one. You can get as detailed as you want, even adding extra conditions to check for keywords in the message body or to route based on the customer’s language. With a tool like eesel AI, you can build the exact workflow your business needs.

Step 3: Test your new automation

Changing how your support tickets are routed can feel a little risky. What if you make a mistake and tickets start disappearing or going to the wrong team?

Instead of just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, you can test everything safely first. eesel AI has a simulation mode that lets you test your new rules on old tickets.

1. In the workflow editor, just click the "Simulate" button.

2. The system will take your new rules and run them against a batch of your past tickets in a safe environment. Nothing live will be affected.

3. You'll get back a clear report showing you what would have happened. You can see, "Okay, this ticket from number X would have gone to the US team, and this one from number Y would have gone to the UK team."

This gives you a chance to confirm everything is working just as you planned before it touches a single real-time customer conversation. Once you've reviewed the simulation and you're happy with the results, you can activate the workflow with a single click. Just like that, your smart WhatsApp routing is live.

Going beyond basic routing

Getting your routing sorted is a big win, but it's just scratching the surface of what's possible once you have an AI layer working with your helpdesk.

Triage tickets based on intent

Routing by phone number is a great first step. But think about it: what if a customer messages your "Sales" number asking for tech support? With number-based routing, that ticket still goes to the sales team, who then has to manually forward it to the right place.

A much smarter way is to look at what the customer is actually saying. eesel AI Triage can read the message and understand its intent. It can tell if it's a "billing question," a "request to change an order," or a "technical bug report." This lets you build workflows that send tickets to the most qualified agent right away, no matter which number the customer contacted.

Beyond routing: Automatically answering questions

Let's be real, a good portion of your WhatsApp messages are probably the same few questions on repeat: "Where is my order?", "What's your return policy?", "Are you open on weekends?".

Instead of just routing these tickets for a human to type out the same answer again, an AI agent can step in and resolve them instantly. eesel AI can connect to all your sources of knowledge, like your help center articles, past Freshdesk tickets, and even your private documents in Google Docs or product info from Shopify.

An AI agent drafting a reply to a common question directly within Freshdesk, showcasing advanced automation.

It uses this unified knowledge base to give customers accurate, helpful answers 24/7. This frees up your team from the repetitive stuff, so they can spend their time on the tricky conversations that really need a human touch.

Solve your WhatsApp routing problem for good

Dealing with a flood of WhatsApp messages in Freshdesk without the right automation is tough. It leads to slow replies and a stressed-out team. While Freshdesk is a solid platform, its native tools just don't have what it takes to route tickets from different WhatsApp numbers to specific groups.

But you don’t have to settle for messy workarounds. By connecting an AI platform like eesel AI, you can build the exact routing rules you need in a few minutes. Thanks to a simple visual builder and a safe way to test, you can solve this Freshdesk limitation for good.

This not only cleans up your workflows but also sets you up for even smarter automation down the road, like routing tickets by intent or answering common questions automatically.

Take control of your WhatsApp routing today

If you're tired of fighting with Freshdesk's limitations and want to build the efficient WhatsApp support process you've been aiming for, give eesel AI a try for free. You can get your first automation built in under 10 minutes and see the difference it makes.