Overview
Plain is a modern customer support platform designed for technical teams. The Shortcut integration allows support engineers to seamlessly escalate technical issues to development by creating linked Stories.
Key Features
- Thread to Story: Create Stories from support threads with full context
- Technical Context: Include system info, logs, and reproduction steps
- Linear Workflow: Support and engineering work in connected tools
- Status Visibility: Support sees real-time development progress
Setting Up the Integration
- In Plain, navigate to Settings > Integrations
- Select Shortcut from the list
- Click Connect and authenticate
- Configure default settings:
- Target workspace
- Default Team
- Default labels
The integration requires admin access in Plain.
Using the Integration
Creating Stories
From any Plain thread:
- Click Create Shortcut Story in the actions menu
- Thread context is automatically included
- Add any additional technical details
- Select appropriate Story type and priority
- Create the Story
What Gets Included
Stories created from Plain include:
- Customer message history
- Attached files and screenshots
- System information (if collected)
- Link back to Plain thread
Tracking Progress
- Plain shows linked Story status
- Status changes appear in thread timeline
- Support can update customers when Stories complete
Best Practices
- Use Plain’s attribute system to collect technical details upfront
- Create templates for common issue types
- Tag Stories with “customer-reported” for tracking
- Close the loop with customers when issues are fixed