Send error reports to external helpdesk system

[tobe_baeyens]

Is it possible to send error reports to an external helpdesk system.

We are using 1 helpdesk system for all customer support in our institution.

We added a custom link to the Canvas help system, but it's not perfect:

• The link is not visible on mobile (https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/9267-custom-help-menu-in-mobile )
• If a page is missing in Canvas (broken link), the student can report this but this will create a ticket in the official Canvas helpdesk system (not ours).
• If you create a ticket in Canvas you get some background information, that we don't get in our system
  • URL
  • Become link

It would be nice if we could connect the Canvas helpdesk tickets to our own helpdesk system. This would mean that people can create tickets in Canvas with the official system, but the tickets would be send to our helpdesk (f.e. through the API).

There is a possibility to create an error report through the API, but I wonder if you can read them as well.

Is this possible?

[kbickell]

Might be a good idea to discuss with your CSM - we considered this at one point but never proceeded, and our CSM was helpful in explaining the process.

[tobe_baeyens]

They suggested us to create an external link in the help menu.

[kbickell]

We were given the option to have the Canvas error tickets forwarded to our help desk - the format wasn't great, but it was workable. Not sure why that wasn't given as an option to you...  

[tobe_baeyens]

Oh cool. I ask.

[kmeeusen]

 @tobe_baeyens  

If you have a local help desk you might want to consider having your support tickets stop there first then escalate if needed for many reasons, including...

• The vast majority of our support requests come at term-start and are typically login issues for new students,
• Another large proportion of support tickets relate to teachers not publishing a course at start of term,
• Then for the duration of the term we get many tickets that involve course content, incorrect due dates, unopened assignments and quizzes, and other instructor related issues.

All of these are better served locally and provide a sense of local control and support for both faculty and students, and can typically be managed much faster from on-site.

Just something to consider.

Kelley

[rake_9]

We also have the Canvas Error Reports directed to our university-support channels, and only escalate to Instructure when the question is something we cannot handle.  It keeps the support model consistent regardless of whether users use the help link in Canvas, send an email, or call the IT Service Desk.  Our CSM arranged this for us.

The output is ugly, but useful, since you can figure out where the user was when they sent the report, as well as something about the device / browser they were using.  What is not helpful is that the "short description / subject line" is always Canvas Error Report, which gives you no indication at all about what kind of question you'll be dealing with until you open the record; triaging records is thus a bit more laborious.

[kmeeusen]

Yep, and then there are the tickets where the user only states, "It's broke", or "It doesn't work" or "I can't do it".  We get way too many of those, but I would still like to see these come through us first and offer a more friendly local support option!

[Robbie_Grant]

 @tobe_baeyens ,

We are giving the Canvas Admins area a little bit of love (especially questions that are really, really old) and just want to check in with you.  This will also bring this question new attention. 

Were you able to find an answer to your question? I am going to go ahead and mark this question as answered because there hasn't been any more activity in a while so I assume that you have the information that you need. If you still have a question about this or if you have information that you would like to share with the community, by all means, please do come back and leave a comment.  Also, if this question has been answered by one of the previous replies, please feel free to mark that answer as correct.

Robbie