Autotask CRM

Autotask CRM Management

Overview

Autotask CRM manages the core entities that define your client relationships: companies (accounts), contacts, and sites. Proper CRM data is foundational - tickets, contracts, projects, and billing all depend on accurate company and contact information.

Key Concepts

Company (Account)

The primary entity representing a client organization.

Field	Description	Required
id	Unique identifier	System
companyName	Official company name	Yes
companyType	Customer, Lead, Prospect, etc.	Yes
phone	Main phone number	No
address1	Street address	No
city	City	No
state	State/Province	No
postalCode	ZIP/Postal code	No
country	Country	No
webAddress	Website URL	No
parentCompanyID	Parent company for hierarchies	No
ownerResourceID	Account manager	No
classification	Classification category	No

Company Types

ID	Type	Use Case
1	Customer	Active paying clients
2	Lead	Potential new business
3	Prospect	Qualified leads
4	Dead	Churned/lost clients
5	Vendor	Suppliers and partners
6	Partner	Strategic partners

Contact

Individual people at a company.

Field	Description	Required
id	Unique identifier	System
companyID	Associated company	Yes
firstName	First name	Yes
lastName	Last name	Yes
emailAddress	Primary email	No
phone	Direct phone	No
mobilePhone	Mobile number	No
title	Job title	No
isActive	Active status	Yes
isPrimaryContact	Primary contact flag	No

Site/Location

Physical locations for a company (for on-site service).

Field	Description	Required
id	Unique identifier	System
companyID	Parent company	Yes
name	Site name	Yes
address1	Street address	No
city	City	No
isActive	Active status	Yes
isPrimaryLocation	Primary site flag	No

API Patterns

Creating a Company

POST /v1.0/Companies
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "companyName": "Acme Corporation",
  "companyType": 1,
  "phone": "555-123-4567",
  "address1": "123 Main Street",
  "city": "Springfield",
  "state": "IL",
  "postalCode": "62701",
  "country": "United States",
  "webAddress": "https://acme.example.com",
  "ownerResourceID": 29744150
}

Searching Companies

GET /v1.0/Companies/query?search={"filter":[{"field":"companyName","op":"contains","value":"acme"}]}

Common Search Patterns

Search by name:

{
  "filter": [
    {"field": "companyName", "op": "contains", "value": "acme"}
  ]
}

Active customers only:

{
  "filter": [
    {"field": "companyType", "op": "eq", "value": 1},
    {"field": "isActive", "op": "eq", "value": true}
  ]
}

Companies by account manager:

{
  "filter": [
    {"field": "ownerResourceID", "op": "eq", "value": 29744150}
  ]
}

Updating a Company

PATCH /v1.0/Companies
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "id": 12345,
  "phone": "555-987-6543",
  "webAddress": "https://newsite.acme.com"
}

Creating a Contact

POST /v1.0/Contacts
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "companyID": 12345,
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Smith",
  "emailAddress": "john.smith@acme.example.com",
  "phone": "555-123-4567",
  "mobilePhone": "555-987-6543",
  "title": "IT Director",
  "isActive": 1,
  "isPrimaryContact": true
}

Searching Contacts

Contacts for a company:

{
  "filter": [
    {"field": "companyID", "op": "eq", "value": 12345},
    {"field": "isActive", "op": "eq", "value": 1}
  ]
}

Search by email:

{
  "filter": [
    {"field": "emailAddress", "op": "eq", "value": "john.smith@acme.example.com"}
  ]
}

Creating a Site

POST /v1.0/CompanyLocations
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "companyID": 12345,
  "name": "Main Office",
  "address1": "123 Main Street",
  "city": "Springfield",
  "state": "IL",
  "postalCode": "62701",
  "country": "United States",
  "isPrimaryLocation": true,
  "isActive": 1
}

Common Workflows

Client Onboarding

1. Create company record

   • Set company type to Customer
   • Assign account manager
   • Add billing information

2. Create primary contact

   • Mark as primary contact
   • Verify email address

3. Create site(s)

   • Add all service locations
   • Mark primary location

4. Set up contract

   • Associate with company
   • Define service levels

5. Configure billing

   • Payment terms
   • Tax information

Contact Management

1. Verify before creating

   • Search for existing contact by email
   • Check for duplicates

2. Maintain accuracy

   • Update titles when employees change roles
   • Mark contacts inactive when they leave
   • Add new contacts as needed

3. Track relationships

   • Note who can authorize work
   • Track technical vs billing contacts

Company Hierarchy

For MSPs managing parent/child company relationships:

1. Create parent company first
2. Create child companies with parentCompanyID
3. Contracts can roll up to parent
4. Reporting aggregates by hierarchy

Error Handling

Common API Errors

Code	Message	Resolution
400	Duplicate company name	Check for existing company, use unique name
400	Invalid email format	Verify email address syntax
404	Company not found	Verify company ID exists
409	Contact already exists	Search for existing contact first

Validation Errors

"CompanyName is required" - Company name cannot be empty or null

"Invalid companyType" - Must use valid company type ID from picklist

"Email already exists" - Contact with this email already exists

Best Practices

1. Standardize naming - Use consistent company name formats
2. Verify before creating - Always search first to prevent duplicates
3. Maintain data quality - Regular audits of contact information
4. Use classifications - Categorize companies for reporting
5. Track account managers - Assign ownerResourceID for accountability
6. Keep contacts current - Inactive former employees
7. Document relationships - Use notes for key account information

Related Skills

• Autotask Tickets - Service tickets for companies
• Autotask Contracts - Service agreements
• Autotask Projects - Project management