---
title: "Connect Help Scout to OpenAlex - APIANT.ai"
description: "When \"New Conversation\" fires in Help Scout, your agent runs \"Classify text topics\" in OpenAlex."
canonical: "https://apiant.ai/connect/help-scout-to-openalex"
---

# Connect Help Scout to OpenAlex

When **New Conversation** fires in [Help Scout](https://apiant.ai/connections/help-scout), your agent runs **Classify text topics** in [OpenAlex](https://apiant.ai/connections/openalex). Describe the whole flow and it is built, tested on every scenario and kept running.

Help Scout **4** triggers Help Scout **19** actions OpenAlex **7** actions

What the catalog holds today. Ask for anything missing and your agent reads the API documentation and adds it.

## What do you want Help Scout and OpenAlex to do together?

Give your AI client this address.

`https://mcp.apiant.ai`

One connection does both: ask your client to act in an app once, or have it build an automation that keeps running. Any client that takes a remote MCP server. Nothing to install. Create your free account, then sign in once in your browser.

### Set it up in your client

### Claude Code

Run this in the directory you want to work in.

`claude mcp add --transport http -s project apiant-ai https://mcp.apiant.ai`

Start Claude Code there, approve the server, and sign in in the browser page it opens.

[Claude Code guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp/claude-code)

### Claude, web and desktop

Open Customize, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, and paste the address. On Team and Enterprise an owner adds it first.

[Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp)

### Cursor

Add the address to your MCP configuration as a server URL. Cursor signs you in in your browser.

[Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp)

### Zed

Open Settings, then AI, then MCP Servers, then Add Server, then Add Remote Server.

[Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp)

### Codex and the ChatGPT desktop app

Open Settings, then MCP servers, then Add server, and choose Streamable HTTP. From the terminal, Codex takes the address with its own add command and then signs you in.

[Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp)

### Any other MCP client

Paste the address where the client asks for a remote MCP server URL, and name the server apiant-ai where it lets you. APIANT's skills reach the client over the same connection.

[Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp)

Example flows

## What Help Scout can start in OpenAlex

- When **New Conversation** in Help Scout then **Classify text topics** in OpenAlex
- When **New Customer** in Help Scout then **Find entities by autocomplete** in OpenAlex

Starting points drawn from the triggers and actions in the catalog today. Describe the flow you need, at any depth, and your agent builds it and tests every scenario before it ships.

Everything your agent can do with Help Scout and OpenAlex

## Triggers and actions 4 triggers · 26 actions

- Trigger

**New Conversation**

Polls for newly created conversations across mailboxes.

- Trigger

**New Customer**

Polls for newly created customers.

- Trigger

**New Mailbox**

Polls for newly created mailboxes.

- Trigger

**New User**

Polls for newly added users (team members).

- Action

**Add Customer Email**

Add an email address to a customer.

- Action

**Create Customer**

Create a new customer record.

- Action

**Create Note**

Add an internal note thread to a conversation.

- Action

**Create Thread (Reply)**

Add a reply thread to an existing conversation.

- Action

**Delete Conversation**

Delete a conversation by ID.

- Action

**Get Conversation**

Retrieve a single conversation by ID.

- Action

**Get Customer**

Retrieve a single customer by ID.

- Action

**Get Mailbox**

Retrieve a single mailbox by ID.

- Action

**Get User**

Retrieve a single user by ID.

- Action

**List Conversations**

List conversations, optionally filtered by mailbox, status, tag, or query.

- Action

**List Conversation Threads**

List all threads on a conversation.

- Action

**List Customers**

List customers, optionally filtered by email, mailbox, or query.

- Action

**List Mailboxes**

List all mailboxes in the account.

- Action

**List Mailbox Folders**

List the folders within a mailbox.

- Action

**List Tags**

List all tags in the account.

- Action

**List Users**

List all users (team members) in the account.

- Action

**Update Conversation**

Update a conversation's subject, status, mailbox, assignee, or owner via JSON Patch.

- Action

**Update Conversation Tags**

Replace the tags on a conversation.

- Action

**Update Customer**

Update a customer's profile fields.

- Action

**Classify text topics**

Classify arbitrary text (e.g. title/abstract) into OpenAlex topics ("Aboutness" endpoint).

- Action

**Find entities by autocomplete**

Type-ahead search across a given entity type (works, authors, sources, institutions, etc), returning quick display hints.

- Action

**Get funder**

Get a single funder by OpenAlex ID.

- Action

**Get publisher**

Get a single publisher by OpenAlex ID.

- Action

**Get source**

Get a single source by OpenAlex ID or external ID (ISSN etc).

- Action

**List publishers**

List/search publishers with filter/search params.

- Action

**List topics**

List/search research topics with filter/search params.

## Each app on its own

- [ **Help Scout** Help Scout is a help desk and shared inbox platform for customer support teams.](https://apiant.ai/connections/help-scout)
- [ **OpenAlex** OpenAlex is an open catalog of the global scholarly record.](https://apiant.ai/connections/openalex)

Reviews

## What our customers say

## More from Help Scout

- [ **Help Scout to HubSpot** HubSpot is your all-in-one stop for all of your marketing software needs.](https://apiant.ai/connect/help-scout-to-hubspot)
- [ **Help Scout to Stripe** Stripe is a payment processing platform for online businesses.](https://apiant.ai/connect/help-scout-to-stripe)
- [ **Help Scout to JIRA** Atlassian JIRA Cloud — issue tracking and project management.](https://apiant.ai/connect/help-scout-to-jira)
- [ **Help Scout to Zoom** Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, group messaging, and a software-based...](https://apiant.ai/connect/help-scout-to-zoom)
- [ **Help Scout to SendGrid** SendGrid by Twilio — email delivery and marketing platform.](https://apiant.ai/connect/help-scout-to-sendgrid)
- [ **Help Scout to Klaviyo** Klaviyo is a marketing automation platform for email and SMS.](https://apiant.ai/connect/help-scout-to-klaviyo)

## More into OpenAlex

- [ **HubSpot to OpenAlex** HubSpot is your all-in-one stop for all of your marketing software needs.](https://apiant.ai/connect/hubspot-to-openalex)
- [ **Salesforce to OpenAlex** Salesforce is a leading enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) platform.](https://apiant.ai/connect/salesforce-to-openalex)
- [ **Slack to OpenAlex** Slack is a messaging platform for teams. Post messages, manage channels, users, reminders, and react to...](https://apiant.ai/connect/slack-to-openalex)
- [ **Google Sheets to OpenAlex** Google Sheets is Google's online spreadsheet app for creating, editing and sharing spreadsheets.](https://apiant.ai/connect/google-sheets-to-openalex)
- [ **Gmail to OpenAlex** Gmail is Google’s email service, featuring spam protection, search functions, and seamless integration with...](https://apiant.ai/connect/gmail-to-openalex)
- [ **Google Calendar to OpenAlex** Google Calendar is a time management tool providing scheduling features, event reminders, and integration...](https://apiant.ai/connect/google-calendar-to-openalex)

Questions

## Help Scout and OpenAlex, answered

###

### What can start an automation from Help Scout?

Any of Help Scout's 4 triggers in the catalog, including New Conversation, New Customer, New Mailbox and New User. Describe the moment in plain language and your agent picks the right one.

###

### What can your agent do in OpenAlex when something happens in Help Scout?

Any of OpenAlex's 7 actions, including Classify text topics, Find entities by autocomplete, Get funder and Get publisher. Your agent maps the data both ways and tests every scenario before it ships.

###

### Can it also run from OpenAlex to Help Scout?

OpenAlex has no triggers in the catalog today, so automations start in Help Scout. If you need the other direction, ask: your agent reads OpenAlex's API documentation and adds it.

###

### Do I have to build a connector for Help Scout or OpenAlex?

No. Both are in the catalog with their triggers and actions. You describe the automation; your agent builds it, tests every scenario and keeps it running.

###

### Can my AI client use Help Scout and OpenAlex without building an automation?

Yes. With your AI client connected to APIANT, ask it to do something in either app once and it runs that action on the spot. Ask for an automation and your agent builds it, tests every scenario and keeps it running. One connection covers both.

###

### What happens when something fails?

Your agent works that out for you. It plans the failure paths along with the happy path, then tests every scenario before it ships.

###

### Is there a free plan?

Yes. Every plan includes the agent, including free, and building from your own AI client spends no assistant credits.
