A practical guide to Freshdesk workflows to tag tickets by intent automatically

Let's be real: manually sorting and tagging every new ticket in Freshdesk is a task that can be optimized. It's the kind of work that, when automated, allows your team to focus on more complex customer needs while ensuring everything is categorized correctly.

The answer is automation. For the best results, you'll want a system that goes beyond simple keyword-spotting and identifies what your customers actually mean.

This guide will walk you through setting up Freshdesk workflows to tag tickets by intent automatically. We’ll look at what you can do with Freshdesk's own robust tools and how a complementary, AI-driven approach can help you scale your setup in just a few minutes.

How automation rules work in Freshdesk

Before we get into the details of intent-based tagging, let's quickly cover how automation works in Freshdesk. It's built on a reliable 'if this, then that' logic. You set up rules that trigger actions when certain conditions are met. Freshdesk categorizes these into three main types:

1. Ticket Creation Rules: These activate the moment a new ticket arrives. They're excellent for initial organization, like routing any ticket with "billing" in the subject line to the finance team.

2. Ticket Update Rules: These are triggered when a ticket is modified. For instance, you could use one to notify a manager if a ticket's status changes to high priority.

3. Time-Based Rules (Hourly Triggers): These rules scan your tickets every hour to act on time-sensitive conditions. A common use is to automatically close a ticket that has been marked as resolved for more than 48 hours.

Typically, teams use these workflows to tag tickets by searching for specific keywords. It's a reliable foundation that ensures consistent ticket handling across your support desk.

Setting up native Freshdesk workflows for automatic ticket tagging

Inside Freshdesk, you have two primary options for automating ticket tagging: the classic, rule-based method and the advanced built-in AI, Freddy AI.

Rule-based automations: The classic approach

The most direct way to do this is by creating a "Ticket Creation" automation rule. You can find these by heading to Admin > Workflows > Automations.

A common setup might look like this:

• Condition: If a ticket's subject or description "contains" the word "refund".

• Action: "Add tag" "Refund Request".

This works perfectly for high-frequency keywords. While keyword-based rules are very precise, they work best when you have a clear list of terms your customers use. To catch every variation, you can continue to build out your rule set, which gives you complete control over how tickets are tagged.

Stepping it up with Freddy AI

To enhance basic rules, Freshdesk introduced Freddy AI. Freddy is designed to be smart by analyzing the ticket's content to suggest or autofill fields like priority or type. This is a powerful feature as it attempts to understand context alongside matching words.

Freddy is highly effective because it is trained on the data that lives right inside your Freshdesk account. If you want to expand its knowledge further, you can also look into complementary tools that connect Freddy to your other platforms like Confluence, Google Docs, or your company's internal wiki.

Considerations for scaling your workflows

While Freshdesk provides a comprehensive starting point, growing support teams may look for ways to make their Freshdesk workflows to tag tickets by intent automatically even more sophisticated.

Rules provide precise control. Keyword-based rules are straightforward and dependable. As you scale, you can refine these rules to ensure they capture the most important terms for your business.

Management as you grow. As your business expands, your library of rules will grow as well. Freshdesk's community forums offer great tips for organizing these automations to keep them running smoothly even in complex environments.

Expanding AI knowledge. Freddy's effectiveness is rooted in the high-quality data within Freshdesk. For teams that want to incorporate external troubleshooting guides or policy documents, adding a complementary AI layer can provide that extra breadth of knowledge.

Flexible technical options. For teams with specific needs, Freshdesk allows you to configure webhooks with custom JSON payloads. This provides incredible flexibility for those who want to build highly customized automated paths.

A complementary approach: Using a dedicated AI layer

If you're looking to extend the capabilities of Freshdesk's native tools, you can bring in a specialized AI platform that integrates seamlessly with Freshdesk. Think of it as an additional intelligence layer that works within your existing Freshdesk environment.

That's why we developed eesel AI. It acts as a helpful companion for your support tools, identifying customer intent to power automations that work alongside your Freshdesk setup.

How eesel AI enhances Freshdesk workflows

By connecting to Freshdesk, eesel AI adds a new dimension to ticket management.

• It understands customer intent. Beyond just looking for keywords, eesel AI can learn from past interactions to understand the goal behind a customer's message. It can recognize that "money back" and "incorrect charge" are both related to "Billing Issues," helping Freshdesk tag them accurately.

• It connects to your company knowledge. eesel AI acts as a bridge. It integrates with Freshdesk and also connects to Confluence, Google Docs, Notion, and more. This provides a fuller picture for tagging tickets and suggesting answers.

• You can get started quickly. eesel AI features a simple integration with Freshdesk. You can have it up and running in a few minutes, allowing you to enhance your workflows without a long setup process.

• Simulation mode for peace of mind. Before going live, eesel AI can run a simulation on your past tickets. This shows you how it would have tagged and handled tickets, so you can launch with confidence.

• You maintain control. You decide exactly what the AI handles. You might let it manage simple tags for "order status" while your team handles more complex inquiries. It can also perform custom actions, like looking up order details from Shopify.

Comparing native tools and eesel AI

It can be helpful to see how different tools work together. Here’s a quick breakdown of how Freshdesk’s native tools and eesel AI complement each other.

Feature	Native Freshdesk Automation	eesel AI (Complementary Layer)
Setup Process	Manual configuration for precise rule sets.	Fast integration that learns from existing data.
Intent Recognition	Foundational; uses keywords and Freddy AI.	Specialized; focuses on nuanced intent recognition.
Knowledge Sources	Optimized for Freshdesk data (tickets, articles).	Unified; connects to external sources like Notion and GDocs.
Flexibility	Reliable native actions (tag, assign, status).	Custom flexibility; can make API calls to other systems.
Testing	Live testing within the sandbox or helpdesk.	Powerful simulation mode to test on historical tickets.

Freshdesk pricing for automation features

Freshdesk offers a variety of plans designed to provide value for teams of all sizes. The essential automation features are available on most plans, with advanced AI capabilities found in higher tiers or as helpful add-ons.

Here’s a look at the Freshdesk pricing plans (billed annually) as of 2026:

Plan	Price (per agent/month)	Key Automation & AI Features
Growth	$15	Essential ticketing and automation rules.
Pro	$49	Advanced ticketing, reporting, and expanded automation.
Enterprise	$79	Everything in Pro, plus approval workflows and skills-based routing.

Freddy AI Add-ons:

• Freddy AI Copilot: This starts at $29/agent/month (billed annually) and provides excellent agent-assist features.

• Freddy AI Agent: This is designed for customer-facing bots and costs $100 per 1,000 sessions.

By choosing the right plan and add-ons, you can create a highly efficient, AI-powered support environment.

Move from rules to intelligence

Automating your Freshdesk workflows to tag tickets by intent automatically is a smart move for any support team. Freshdesk's native tools provide a strong, reliable foundation for managing your inbox. Rule-based systems give you direct control, while Freddy AI adds a layer of smart analysis.

By integrating a complementary AI layer like eesel AI, you can further enhance these capabilities. This approach unifies your knowledge across platforms and helps your team focus on delivering the best possible customer experience.

Supercharge your Freshdesk workflows today

Ready to see how AI can complement your existing setup? You can connect your Freshdesk account to eesel AI to see how it can help manage your ticket tagging more efficiently.

It's a great way to explore the impact of AI on your support operations.

Try eesel AI with your Freshdesk account for free

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