Get Open Tickets from the Freshworks API Using Python

Introduction

This article is part of an ongoing series that breaks down the Freshworks API in a practical, use-case–driven way. This piece focuses specifically on retrieving open tickets, one of the most common operational needs for support analytics, workflow automation, and reporting.

Prerequisites

Before making any API calls, ensure the following are in place:

• API Key
  Generate your API key from Profile Settings → API Settings in your Freshworks account.
• Bundle Alias
  This is the unique identifier for your Freshworks account and is required to construct the correct API base URL. You’ll find it in the same API Settings section.

API Endpoints

Freshworks exposes simple REST endpoints for querying tickets by status.

• Get open tickets for a single customer

GET /api/tickets?filter=open&customer_id={customer_id}

• Get open tickets across all customers

GET /api/tickets?filter=open

Both endpoints return JSON responses and support additional parameters such as pagination and embedded fields if needed.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Authentication

Freshworks uses token-based authentication. Your API key must be passed in the request headers.

headers = {
    "Authorization": "Token token=your_api_key",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

Step 2: Fetch Open Tickets for One Customer

Replace {customer_id} with the actual customer identifier from your Freshworks account.

import requests

url = "https://yourdomain.myfreshworks.com/api/tickets?filter=open&customer_id={customer_id}"
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

print(response.json())

Use this approach when you’re building customer-specific views or syncing ticket status into account-level workflows.

Step 3: Fetch Open Tickets for All Customers

If you want a global view of unresolved tickets, use the endpoint without a customer filter.

import requests

url = "https://yourdomain.myfreshworks.com/api/tickets?filter=open"
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

print(response.json())

In production scenarios, this is almost always combined with pagination handling to avoid partial data pulls.

Common Pitfalls

This is where most integrations break down. Avoid these mistakes upfront:

1. Incorrect API key
   Expired or copied-with-whitespace keys will fail silently with authentication errors.
2. Missing or incorrect bundle alias
   A wrong subdomain means your request never reaches the right account.
3. Invalid customer ID
   Freshworks does not auto-correct or infer customer identifiers.
4. Ignoring pagination
   Large ticket volumes require explicit handling to avoid truncated datasets.
5. Hitting rate limits
   High-frequency polling without backoff logic will get throttled.
6. Malformed headers
   Authentication headers must follow the exact token format.
7. Using deprecated API versions
   Older endpoints may work today and fail tomorrow, always check versioning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my API key?
Go to Profile Settings → API Settings in your Freshworks dashboard.

What exactly is a bundle alias?
It’s the unique identifier for your Freshworks account and forms part of the API base URL.

Can I filter tickets by other statuses?
Yes. The filter parameter supports values like open, closed, and others depending on your Freshworks configuration.

Is there a limit to how many tickets I can fetch?
Yes. Freshworks enforces pagination and rate limits. Always consult the official API documentation for current thresholds.

How should I handle API errors?
Check HTTP status codes, log error responses, and implement retry logic with exponential backoff.

Can I fetch additional ticket details in the same call?
Yes. Use the include parameter to embed related resources where supported.

What should I check if authentication fails?
Confirm the API key, ensure it’s active, and verify that it’s passed exactly as required in the headers.

Knit for Freshworks API Integration

If you don’t want to manage authentication quirks, pagination logic, rate limits, and long-term API maintenance yourself, Knit provides a cleaner abstraction.

Integrate with Knit once, and it handles authentication, authorization, version changes, and operational overhead for the Freshworks API behind the scenes. The result: faster implementation, fewer edge-case failures, and a more resilient integration layer that scales as your usage grows.