Configure Autotask API User

How to set up Autotask for TopLeft

TopLeft needs access to your Autotask application to download tickets, projects, resources, and other records used to display your data. It also updates Autotask records when changes are made in TopLeft.

All communication between TopLeft and your Autotask instance uses the Autotask API and is encrypted by TLS.

To allow TopLeft access to your Autotask database, follow these instructions. These steps must be performed by an Autotask administrator with permission to manage security levels and resources.

Setup Checklist

These are the steps to configure your Autotask application for TopLeft:

1. Add a security Level for TopLeft
2. Add an API resource
3. Set up API credentials for the resource
4. Optional- enable impersonating resources of TopLeft
5. Submit the API credentials and other information in the customer portal

Add a Security Level for TopLeft

To limit the information available to TopLeft, we recommend you set up a Security Level dedicated to the TopLeft user. To open the Security Levels administration section:

1. Open the ADMIN options from the drop-down menu in the top left.

2. Under the Account Settings & Users tab, expand the Resources/Users (HR) section, then open the Security Levels option.

3. Click the triple bar icon on the API User (System) (API-only) Security Level, and click Copy Security Level.

4. Rename the copied Security Level "TopLeft", and click on the No Permission button for every single module. 

5. Set the module's security settings:

Module: Contracts

To open the Contracts module, click Contracts in the list.

Module	Description	View	Add	Comments
Contracts	Contracts	All	No	Allows TopLeft to see all Contracts

Open the "Contract Visibility" dropdown menu, and select "Full".

Module: CRM

Module	Description	Permission	Comments
CRM	Customer & Cancellation	All	Allows TopLeft to see all Accounts of this type
CRM	Vendor & Partners	All	Allows TopLeft to see all Accounts of this type
CRM	Prospects, Leads, & Dead	All	Allows TopLeft to see all Accounts of this type

Module	Description	View	Add	Edit	Delete	Comments
CRM	Opportunities & Quotes	All	No	No	No	Allows TopLeft to see Opportunities. This is necessary for updating projects with associated opportunities.

Module: Projects

Module	Description	View	Add	Comments
Projects	Client & Internal	All	No	Allows TopLeft to see all Projects of this type
Projects	Proposals	All	No	Allows TopLeft to see all Projects of this type

You will also need to select the checkboxes listed below.

Module	Enable these options	Comments
Projects	Can modify Contract on task and issue time entries	Allows TopLeft to modify Contract when creating time entries.
Projects	Can modify Work Type on task and issue time entries	Allows TopLeft to modify Work Type when creating time entries.

Open the "Can enter time on" menu, and select "All Tasks".

Module: Service Desk

Module	Description	View	Add	Edit	Delete	Comments
Service Desk	Tickets	All	Yes	Yes	None	Allows TopLeft to view tickets, and change ticket statuses when a ticket is moved between columns.
Service Desk	Service Calls	All	Yes	Yes	None	Allows TopLeft to view, add, and edit service calls.

You will also need to select the checkboxes listed below.

Module	Enable these options	Comments
Service Desk > Time Entry Permissions	Can modify Contract on ticket time entries	Allows TopLeft to modify Contract when creating time entries.
Service Desk > Time Entry Permissions	Can modify Work Type on ticket time entries	Allows TopLeft to modify Work Type when creating time entries.
Service Desk > Time Entry	Can modify Non-Billable setting on ticket time entries	Allow TopLeft to modify Show on Invoice checkbox when creating time entries.
Service Desk > Ticket Checklist Permissions	Can add/edit items	Allows TopLeft to modify Checklists on tickets
Service Desk > Ticket Checklist Permissions	Can delete/uncomplete items	Allows TopLeft to delete Checklist items and mark them as completed on tickets
Service Desk > Other Permissions	Can view non-billable time entries (Resources can see their own time entries)	Allows TopLeft to view non-billable time entries.

Module: Admin

You need to select the checkboxes listed below:

Module	Enable these options	Comments
Admin	Resources/Users (HR)	Allows TopLeft to sync Resources to view on cards.
Admin	Application-Wide (Shared) Features (Full Access)	Allows TopLeft to sync User-Defined Fields on objects that support UDFs.
Admin	Accounts & Contacts	Allows TopLeft to sync related information about Accounts, like type, or status. It also allows TopLeft to sync related information about Contacts to display contact information on cards.
Admin	Service Desk (Tickets)	Allows TopLeft to sync related information about Tickets, like ticket categories.
Admin	Projects & Tasks	Allows TopLeft to sync related information about Projects, and Tasks.

Module: Other

You need to select the checkboxes listed below:

Module	Enable these options	Comments
Other	Not required to change password	Check this or TopLeft will become unavailable when a password change is required.

Module: Web Services API

You need to select the checkboxes listed below:

Module	Enable these options	Comments
Web Services API	Can login to Web Services API	Allows TopLeft to access the Autotask Web Services API to sync your data.

At the top of the window, click Save & Close to save the new Security level.

Add an API Resource

TopLeft authenticates itself to Autotask as an API resource. To open the Resources section, click Admin > Account Settings & Users Tab > Resources/Users then open the Resources/Users page and hover on the New button and select New API User.

Setup the API User with these settings:

1. Setup the First Name, Last Name and Email as desired. We suggest something TopLeft related to indicate this is the TopLeft API user.
2. Set the Security Level to the "TopLeft" level you created earlier in this setup.
3. Set the Primary Internal Location as desired. This field determines the timezone associated with the API user.
4. Set the username to "topleft" with your Autotask domain at the end, and enter in a secure password. We suggest a random string of alphanumeric and special characters between 16-20 characters in length. Keep this password on hand temporarily so you can send it to us.
5. In the "API Tracking Identifier" section, select "Integration Vendor" and set it to "TopLeft - Workflow Management".

The "Line of Business" section does not need to be modified.

At the top of the window, click Save & Close, to save the new API resource.

Optional- Enable Impersonating Resources of TopLeft

Certain changes made by users in TopLeft can be recorded in Autotask as being made by the Autotask user, not by the TopLeft API user.

If you wish to enable this functionality, follow the steps described here: Impersonate Autotask Resources from TopLeft

Submit the API Credentials and Other Information in the Setup Portal

Go to https://customers.topleft.team/welcome/ and enter the requested information, including these API credentials.

That's it! Your application will be configured when you submit your information, and you'll get an email with instructions for logging in the first time.

Troubleshooting

If you have trouble setting up permissions, try these steps:

1. Double-check the security level permissions against the list above. The permissions required by TopLeft can change as we introduce new features and as Autotask updates their schema.
   
   After your TopLeft app has been set up, you can use a tool in the app to check permissions. It is available in Settings > Autotask API > Check Permissions.
   
2. Delete the TopLeft security level, then create a new one from scratch as per the steps above. Then set the API resource's level to the new level.

Further Reference

Refer to Autotask documentation:

• Creating or editing a custom security level
• Adding or editing an API user