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Share Links with End Users

Cor Winkler Prins

Link4me already made it possible to generate a short URL for a request template, knowledge article, configuration item, as well as many other types of information like phone numbers, maps, SMS messages, etc.  These short URLs have the advantage that they can be shared with end users in the form of a QR code.  But there are cases where, for example, a service desk analyst wants to share a link with an end user to make it easy for this person to access a knowledge article, or to register a new request using a specific request template, or to submit a new request for a specific configuration item.

End users cannot use the permalink of a record that is opened in the 4me Specialist Interface because they only have access to 4me Self Service.  To make it possible for any specialist to quickly copy a link that an end user can use, they now have an extra menu option at their disposal when they click on the Actions button in the toolbar.  The new option is labeled ‘Copy Share Link’.

Copy Share Link option in Actions menu

This menu option is available for all enabled request templates, active knowledge articles, and configuration items with a status other than ‘Removed’.  Clicking on this menu option causes a short URL to be generated and copied to the specialist’s clipboard.  The specialist can then paste this URL in a request or email for an end user.

The short URL will look something like this:

  • https://4me.io/9YLMmh

When the end user presses the link, 4me Self Service opens in the organization’s directory account, or in the organization’s standard account if the organization does not have a directory account.  The user’s browser will then show a URL in its address bar that starts as follows (where widget is the account ID of Widget International’s directory account):

  • https://widget.4me.com/self-service/requests/new/…

The link will also work on an end user’s smartphone.  If the end user has the 4me App installed, the link will even open the app instead of the smartphone’s browser.