> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.ada.cx/_mcp/server. # Zendesk Handoffs Ada integrates with Zendesk in several ways to support live agent and ticket-based handoffs across different channels. Whether your team operates in real-time or prefers asynchronous support, there’s a handoff method to match your customer service model. The following guide introduces each integration and helps you choose the best fit for your needs. It's also a good starting point before exploring setup steps and in-depth guides. Selecting the right handoff method depends on how your support experience is designed, the channels you support, and how you route customers to agents. The table below outlines available Zendesk-based handoff options and highlights key considerations to keep in mind. | Handoff | Channel | Notes | | ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | **[Zendesk Chat](#zendesk-chat)** | [Chat](/docs/channels/chat) | Real-time handoff to live agents. | | **[Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging)** | [Chat](/docs/channels/chat) | Good for messaging-first flows | | **[Zendesk Support](#zendesk-support)** | [Chat](/docs/channels/chat), [Email](/docs/channels/email) | Uses ticket-based routing | | **[Zendesk Ticketing](#zendesk-ticketing)** | [Any](/docs/channels) | Simplified ticket creation from Ada | > **Info** > > Most of these methods can be combined within the same Ada instance. However, combining [Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging) and [Zendesk Support](#zendesk-support) requires following [specific guidelines](#zendesk-messaging-and-zendesk-support). ## Connect your Zendesk account Before configuring any Zendesk Handoff integration except [Zendesk Chat](/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-chat/zendesk-chat-configuration), connect your Zendesk account to Ada. **To connect your Zendesk account:** 1. On the Ada dashboard, go to **Config > Apps**. 2. Beside the **Zendesk** app, click **Connect**. 3. Enter your **Zendesk subdomain** and click **Connect to Zendesk**. 4. In the permissions pop-up, click **Allow**. Your connected subdomain appears in the **Zendesk** app modal. > **Note** > > If you accidentally click **Deny**, you can retry the connection with the same subdomain. Once connected, the subdomain is available across all Zendesk Handoff integrations. You do not need to repeat this step for each integration. > **Tip** > > If your Zendesk account hosts multiple brands, see [Multi-brand accounts](#multi-brand-accounts) for additional setup steps. ### Multiple subdomains If your organization uses multiple Zendesk subdomains, each one must be authorized separately. You can connect up to 10 subdomains. Once a subdomain is connected, it is shared across all Ada integrations that use it. #### Multi-brand accounts If your Zendesk account hosts multiple brands and your AI Agent is associated with a brand-specific subdomain that differs from the primary account subdomain, use the **Multi-brand** toggle to connect. Brand subdomains cannot be used directly for OAuth authorization — you must authorize through the primary account subdomain. **To connect a multi-brand subdomain:** 1. In the Zendesk connection modal, enable the **Multi-brand** toggle. 2. Enter the **Brand Subdomain** — the Zendesk brand your AI Agent is associated with. 3. Enter the **Account Subdomain** — the primary Zendesk account subdomain used for authorization. 4. Click **Connect to Zendesk** and approve permissions in the pop-up. > **Note** > > The connection is stored under the brand subdomain, so Handoff integrations that reference it (such as Zendesk Ticketing or Zendesk Support) find the correct credentials. Each brand counts as one subdomain toward the 3-subdomain limit. ## Zendesk Chat Zendesk Chat lets you hand off customers to live agents for real-time conversations. As soon as the handoff happens, the customer is connected with an agent right away — perfect for teams that are actively online and ready to help. Use this if you want quick, back-and-forth chat sessions during your business hours. * [Configure Zendesk Chat](/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-chat/zendesk-chat-configuration) * [Set up handoff](/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-chat/zendesk-chat-handoff-setup) * [Understand usage and flow](/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-chat/zendesk-chat-handoff-usage) ## Zendesk Messaging Zendesk Messaging allows customers to chat with your team through web and mobile chat experiences. These are asynchronous conversations — meaning customers can come and go, and agents can respond when they’re available. Use this if you want to offer flexible, message-based support without needing agents to reply right away. * [Read the guide](/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-messaging) ## Zendesk Support Zendesk Support creates or updates tickets from within Ada. It's great when an agent doesn't need to reply immediately — for example, if you want to collect customer questions and follow up later by email. Use this if your team works mostly through email or ticket queues, or if agents aren’t always online. * [Read the guide](/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-support) ## Zendesk Ticketing Zendesk Ticketing automatically creates a Zendesk ticket without sending the customer to an agent. It's a simple way to capture info and send it to your support team behind the scenes. Use this if you just need to record the issue for follow-up — no live chat needed. * [Read the guide](/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-ticketing) ## Compatibility considerations [Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging) has specific limitations when used alongside other Zendesk Handoff integrations within the same AI Agent—but there are important exceptions based on how channels are configured. ### Zendesk Messaging and Zendesk Support These two integrations can only be used together under strict conditions: * **[Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging)** must be dedicated to live chat or messaging conversations (e.g., web or mobile). * **[Zendesk Support](#zendesk-support)** must be used exclusively for email-based support. * **Channel-specific rules** must be configured on the handoffs to route conversations appropriately—for example, directing chat traffic to Zendesk Messaging and email-based inquiries to Zendesk Support. This separation ensures that both integrations function correctly without conflicting within the same Ada instance. ### Zendesk Messaging and Zendesk Ticketing **[Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging)** is fully compatible with **[Zendesk Ticketing](#zendesk-ticketing)**. In this configuration: * Conversations may start in a live, messaging-based flow. * How and when the ticket is created depends on which integration handles the conversation: * **[Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging)** routes through Zendesk's Sunshine Conversations switchboard integration, so Zendesk creates an [AI agent ticket](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9204149016346-Understanding-AI-agent-tickets-for-AI-agent-only-conversations) automatically from the end user's first message—before any escalation. The ticket is read-only while the AI Agent handles the conversation; when escalation is needed, that same ticket is handed to a human agent with the conversation history backfilled, rather than a new ticket being created. * **[Zendesk Ticketing](#zendesk-ticketing)** uses the Zendesk ticketing API directly and creates a standard ticket at the point of escalation. This flow does not create AI agent tickets. * A human agent replies to the ticket created through: * [Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging) – the response is sent to the end user via messaging * [Zendesk Ticketing](#zendesk-ticketing) – the response is sent to the end user via email This setup is ideal when you want to support real-time conversations but still allow seamless escalation into ticket-based resolution when necessary. ### Zendesk Messaging and other messaging Handoffs **[Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging)** is not compatible with other live chat or messaging handoff integrations, such as **[Salesforce Chat](/docs/handoffs/salesforce/salesforce-chat/salesforce-chat-block)**. ## Use cases | Use case | Recommended Integration | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Live chat support on web | [Zendesk Chat](#zendesk-chat) | | Messaging experience across devices | [Zendesk Messaging](#zendesk-messaging) | | Escalate to ticket when agent unavailable (messaging only) | [Zendesk Support](#zendesk-support) or [Zendesk Ticketing](#zendesk-ticketing) | | Share email address between human agents and AI Agents (email only) | [Zendesk Support](#zendesk-support) | | Automated ticket logging for follow-up | [Zendesk Ticketing](#zendesk-ticketing) | | Email conversations using the same support address as Email AI Agent | [Zendesk Support](#zendesk-support) | ## Additional Zendesk integrations In addition to handoffs, Ada also supports Zendesk as a knowledge source. * **[Import articles from Zendesk Guide](/docs/knowledge/content-ingestion/knowledge-integration#zd-sf-connect)** Use Zendesk Guide as a content source for Ada's AI Agent to automatically answer questions based on your knowledge base. --- Have any questions? Contact your Ada team, or email us at [](mailto:help@ada.cx?subject=Help%20Docs%20inquiry). > Overview ## Docs - [Zendesk Chat configuration](https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-chat/zendesk-chat-configuration.md) - [Zendesk Chat Handoff setup](https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-chat/zendesk-chat-handoff-setup.md) - [Zendesk Chat Handoff usage](https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-chat/zendesk-chat-handoff-usage.md) - [Zendesk Messaging](https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-messaging.md) - [Zendesk Support](https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-support.md) - [Zendesk Ticketing](https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-ticketing.md) - [Zendesk SMTP Connector](https://docs.ada.cx/docs/handoffs/zendesk/zendesk-smtp-connector.md)