Get a Scope
Free n8n template

IT helpdesk requests from Slack n8n template

What it does

Each new message in your #it-help Slack channel is classified by Claude into a fixed category with the app, error, location and urgency extracted. How-to questions get knowledge base links in the thread, everything else becomes a Jira Service Management request with rule-based priority, and outages page on-call. You need n8n, Slack, an Anthropic API key and Atlassian Cloud.

What this workflow does

  1. Slack: new message in #it-help (Slack Trigger) fires on each message in the channel.
  2. Filter and build prompt (Code) drops bot posts, edits and thread replies, then builds a low-effort classification request with a strict schema and a fixed category list: how-to, access request, hardware, outage, account lockout, purchase, other.
  3. Claude: classify request (HTTP Request) calls the Anthropic Messages API with structured outputs.
  4. Parse and route (Code) parses the JSON and handles refusal and max_tokens. The Claude node’s error output is wired here too, so a failed API call still becomes a ticket instead of a lost message. Priority comes from category and urgency rules in code.
  5. Route request (Switch) sends confident how-to questions to the knowledge base, everything else to ticketing, and outages to on-call as well.
  6. Search knowledge base (HTTP Request) runs a Confluence Cloud search in your IT space, and Format KB reply (Code) turns the top three results into links.
  7. Articles found? (If) replies in the thread with the links, or falls through to a ticket when nothing matched.
  8. JSM: create request (HTTP Request) creates a Jira Service Management request with the summary, extracted fields and original message. Slack: confirm ticket posts the issue key in the thread.
  9. Slack: page on-call alerts the on-call channel for outages. Slack: IT ops exceptions reports any request that could not be created.

Before you import

  • n8n 1.x with a public URL so Slack can reach the trigger.
  • A Slack app with Event Subscriptions for message.channels and the channels:history, chat:write and users:read scopes.
  • An Anthropic API key.
  • An Atlassian Cloud site with Jira Service Management and Confluence, plus an API token for an agent account.

Setup

  1. Import the JSON and attach the Slack, Anthropic and Jira Software Cloud credentials. The Jira credential (email and API token) also authenticates the Confluence search.
  2. Set REPLACE_WITH_IT_HELP_CHANNEL_ID on the trigger and paste the trigger URL into your Slack app’s Event Subscriptions.
  3. In Parse and route, set REPLACE_WITH_SERVICE_DESK_ID, each REPLACE_WITH_REQUEST_TYPE_ID_... and REPLACE_WITH_KB_SPACE_KEY. Set SET_PRIORITY_FIELD to true only if your request types expose Priority.
  4. Replace REPLACE_WITH_ATLASSIAN_SITE in the two Atlassian URLs and in Format KB reply.
  5. Set REPLACE_WITH_ONCALL_CHANNEL_ID and REPLACE_WITH_IT_OPS_CHANNEL_ID.

Test it

Post three messages in a test channel: a how-to question your knowledge base covers, an access request, and “Outlook is down for the whole office”. Expect a thread reply with links, a JSM request with its key in the thread, and a ticket plus an on-call alert. Then post a how-to question with no matching article and confirm it becomes a ticket.

Make it production-ready

  • Add an error workflow in workflow settings so a broken trigger or credential alerts IT.
  • Add a “did this fix it?” follow-up so knowledge base answers can be counted as deflections.
  • Map the Slack user to a JSM customer so requests are raised on their behalf.
  • Add manager approval and identity provider actions only for an allowlist of reversible changes, such as group membership.
  • claude-haiku-5-5 is a cheaper option for this volume of short messages. Review a sample of classifications weekly.

Read the full guide at How to automate IT helpdesk requests, or talk to us if you want help with approvals and Microsoft Graph actions.

Next steps

01 Browse free n8n templates Fifty starter workflows you can import today. No email required. 02 Take the 5-minute AI readiness assessment Get a score and a recommended first project in your browser. 03 Get a written scope and estimate Tell us what you want to automate. We reply within two business days.