What this article helps with: Connecting Neostella to Hona for the first time, and updating the connection when your Neostella credentials change.
Who this is for: Firm admins with Hona admin access who can get API credentials from Neostella.
When not to use this article: If Neostella is already connected but data is not syncing correctly, see Integrations: What is Syncing? and the Neostella Data Mapping Guide.
Overview
Neostella is a case management system for personal injury firms. Hona connects to Neostella with a Client ID and Client Secret that your firm creates in Neostella. Once connected, Hona reads your Neostella cases and logs client activity back to each case.
What Hona pulls from Neostella: cases, case type, stage, the client and any other contacts you map, the case team from the Access tab, and any custom fields you map.
What Hona writes back to Neostella: text messages, Lia's included, and notification history as notes on the case. Client files arrive on the case as documents. Form answers can update fields you map.
Note: In Hona, the integration tile is labeled NeoStella. The NeoStella Leads tile is a separate connection for intake leads. This article covers the NeoStella tile for cases.
Prerequisites
Admin access to Hona. Only Hona admins can save Neostella credentials.
A Client ID and Client Secret for Hona, created in Neostella.
Your Hona Account Manager or onboarding contact, to finish mapping and go live.
Step 1: Get a Client ID and Client Secret from Neostella
Ask a Neostella admin at your firm to create API credentials for Hona. The admin needs permission in Neostella to create API credentials.
Copy the Client ID and the Client Secret. Keep them somewhere secure until Step 2.
If no one at your firm can create API credentials, contact your Neostella representative.
Step 2: Connect Neostella in Hona
In Hona, go to Company Settings > Integrations.
Find the NeoStella tile marked Projects and click Connect.
Enter your Client ID and Client Secret.
Click Save. Hona checks the credentials with Neostella before it saves them. The button shows Verifying while it checks.
When the check passes, you see "NeoStella credentials saved." and the tile shows as connected. Hona stores the Client Secret encrypted.
Email your Account Manager so they can finish the configuration with you. No Account Manager? Contact [email protected].
Step 3: Map your fields
Next, map Neostella fields to Hona: case name, case type, stage, Hona Enabled, contacts and roles. Follow the Neostella Data Mapping Guide.
Step 4: Test, then go live
While your integration is Inactive, data only moves when you run a manual sync. Nothing sends to clients automatically.
Use the preview tool in Company Settings > Integrations > Map Fields to check a few Neostella cases.
Run a manual sync on a test case from the case's Actions menu in Hona, then check its name, phase, contacts and team.
When you are ready, ask your Account Manager to set the integration to Active. Only the Hona team can activate it.
How often Hona syncs Neostella
Once the integration is Active, Hona syncs Neostella overnight and picks up cases that changed since the last sync.
A larger catch-up sync of your cases runs over the weekend.
Client updates triggered by an overnight sync send the next day, not overnight.
To refresh one case right away, open it in Hona and choose Actions > Sync.
Updating your credentials
If your firm creates a new Client Secret in Neostella or turns off the old credentials, Hona cannot sync until you enter the new ones.
In Neostella, create new API credentials for Hona, or get the new Client Secret.
In Hona, go to Company Settings > Integrations and click Update Connection on the NeoStella tile.
The Client ID is filled in for you. Change it if it changed, enter the Client Secret, and click Save.
Run a manual sync on one case to confirm data is flowing again.
Optional: the Hona Browser Extension
The Hona Browser Extension recognizes Neostella case pages, so your team can work with Hona while a case is open in Neostella. See Hona Browser Extension to install it.
Troubleshooting
"Invalid credentials. Please check your Client ID and Client Secret." Neostella did not accept the credentials. Copy both values again from Neostella and confirm the credentials are still active.
"There was an error saving the credentials. Please try again." Try again in a few minutes. If it keeps happening, contact [email protected].
Connected, but no cases appear in Hona. Your integration may still be Inactive, so only manual syncs run. Also check your mapping. Name and Phase have no default and must be mapped. See the Neostella Data Mapping Guide.
Sync worked before but stopped. The credentials may have changed or been turned off in Neostella. Update the connection as described above.
One case is not updating. Open the case in Hona and choose Actions > Sync. If it still does not update, check the mapping for that case type and stage.
Messages are logged, but your team does not notice them. By default, Hona keeps one running "Hona Messages" note per case, and Neostella does not move an updated note to the top of the notes list. Ask your Account Manager to switch to one note per message.