Zendesk Support

Overview

Ada’s Zendesk Support Handoff workflow provides a messaging-like interaction within Ada Chat and also enables a seamless Handoff experience for email conversations. In both cases, end users remain within the same conversation—either through a messaging-style interaction in web chat or an ongoing email thread—throughout the Handoff, with no Zendesk Messaging required.

Limitations

The following limitations apply when using Zendesk with Ada via a custom channel, and should be considered when configuring agent workflows and macros.

• Markdown formatting required: Human agents must use Markdown styling when writing responses to end users. Zendesk’s out-of-the-box formatting tools are not available when using a Zendesk Custom Channel.
• Formatting limitations: Zendesk Custom Channels only support formatting applied via Markdown in ticket responses.
• Plaintext fallback: A plaintext fallback must be configured (if not already) for all human agent macros sent from Zendesk to end users.
• Images in macros: If agent macros include images (e.g., troubleshooting steps or visual guides), they are delivered as attachments rather than inline images.
• Channel availability: The Zendesk Support block is not available for use on Social channels.
• Typing indicators: Zendesk does not support typing indicators for this type of Handoff.

Capabilities & configuration

Zendesk Support Handoffs provide the following capabilities:

• Specify a standby message to tell end users when to expect a response
• Select a Zendesk Group for ticket routing
• Set the ticket subject
• Add conversation details to Zendesk fields
• Use ticket tags to categorize conversations and activate rules
• Provide a response if an error is encountered

Using Zendesk Support with Zendesk Messaging

When Zendesk Messaging is used together with Zendesk Support, it becomes the only supported Handoff method for chat and messaging interactions. This means that all Handoffs of conversations over messaging channels must be routed through Zendesk Messaging.

To ensure proper routing and avoid unexpected behavior, AI Agent Managers must use Handoff Rules to gate Handoffs based on the channel. Specifically, when you have both Zendesk Support and Zendesk Messaging enabled, each Handoff should include a rule that checks whether the conversation is over an email channel (for Zendesk Support Handoffs) or messaging channel (for Zendesk Messaging Handoffs). This ensures proper routing and prevents unsupported Handoff behavior.

To gate a Handoff using availability rules:

1. On the Ada dashboard, go to Config > AI AGENT > Handoffs, then select the Handoff.
2. Under Identify this Handoff, under Set availability, select Based on the following rules.
3. Add a rule that checks for whether the channel is email or messaging.

Quick start

Complete these steps to set up Zendesk Support Handoffs. See Implementation & usage for detailed instructions.

Implementation & usage

Configure Zendesk Support Handoffs by completing the following steps. Keep your Zendesk Admin Center open while configuring, as you’ll need it for several key steps.

Step 1: Connect your Zendesk account and enable Zendesk Support

To integrate Zendesk Support with your AI Agent, start by connecting your Zendesk account to Ada.

To connect your Zendesk account:

Follow the steps in Connect your Zendesk account to authorize your Zendesk subdomain.

To enable Zendesk Support:

1. On the Ada dashboard, go to Config > AI AGENT > Handoffs.
2. Navigate to the Integrations tab.
3. Beside Zendesk Support, click Configure.
4. Confirm that your Zendesk subdomain is pre-populated in the configuration modal. If it is not, select it from the drop-down.
5. Click Save.
6. Copy the Ada Configuration Token displayed on screen. You will need it for Step 3.
7. Click Download Zendesk App to save the app file. You will need it for Step 2.

On the Integrations tab, the toggle next to Zendesk Support appears enabled.

Step 2: Install the Zendesk app

Upload the Zendesk app you downloaded in Step 1 to your Zendesk instance.

To install the Zendesk app:

1. In Zendesk, go to Apps and integrations > Apps > Zendesk Support apps.

2. On the My Apps page, on the Private Apps tab, in the top-right corner, click Upload private app.

3. On the Upload App page that opens, complete the following steps:

   a. In the App Name field, type the name of the Zendesk app downloaded from Ada. For example, Ada.

   b. Click Choose File and select the file containing the downloaded Zendesk app.

   c. Click Upload.

   d. In the Creating a new App view that appears, click Upload.

4. In the Zendesk app form that appears, provide the following details:

   • ada_subdomain: Type your Ada AI Agent handle.
   • ada_cluster: Specify your Ada cluster. A cluster represents a specific environment used for different stages of agent deployment. In your AI Agent, the cluster is identified by the segment of the URL that follows the AI Agent handle. For example, in the URL https://{ada_subdomain}.ada.support, ada.support represents the cluster.

   When done, click Install.

5. On the My Apps page, on the Currently Installed tab, confirm that your app appears in the Enabled apps section.

Step 3: Configure the Zendesk Support app

Link your Zendesk instance with Ada using the Configuration Token.

To configure the Zendesk Support app:

1. In Zendesk, go to Apps and integrations > Apps > Channel apps.
2. On the Channel integrations page that appears, click the Zendesk Support integration app.
3. On the ada_zendesk_support integration page that appears, on the Accounts tab, click Add account.
4. In Zendesk, in the Add account view, paste the Ada Configuration Token you copied in Step 1 into the Client Token field. Then, click Save.

Step 4: Configure webhooks and ticket triggers

To ensure smooth Handoffs between your AI Agent and Zendesk Support, set up webhooks and ticket triggers. Webhooks notify Ada when a ticket status changes, enabling automated updates, while triggers define the conditions under which Handoffs are completed.

Create a webhook in Zendesk

1. In Zendesk, go to Apps and integrations > Webhooks > Webhooks.
2. On the Webhooks page, in the top-right corner, click Create webhook.
3. On the Create webhook page, under Select a way to connect, select Trigger or automation.
4. Under Add details, in the Name field, specify the name for your webhook. For example, End Handoff Webhook.
5. In the Endpoint URL field, type your full AI Agent’s URL, followed by /api/zendesk_support/end_handoff. For example: https://my-bot.ada.support/api/zendesk_support/end_handoff.
6. Ensure these fields are configured as follows:
   • Request method: POST
   • Request format: JSON
7. Set the Authentication field to Bearer token .
8. In Ada, in the Configure Zendesk Support view, copy the contents of the Ada Configuration Token field.
9. In Zendesk, under Add details, in the Token field, paste the Ada Configuration Token from Ada.
10. Click Create webhook.

Link the webhook to a ticket trigger

1. In Zendesk, go to Objects and rules > Business rules > Triggers.

2. On the Triggers page, on the Ticket tab, click Create trigger.

3. On the Create ticket trigger page, configure the following fields:

   • Trigger name: Specify the trigger name. For example, Ticket Resolution Trigger.
   • Trigger category: Set this based on how you want to categorize your triggers. For example, Notifications.

4. Under Conditions, set up a rule using either the Ticket Status category or Status, whichever applies. For example:

   • Category: Ticket > Status
   • Operator: Changed to
   • Value: Solved

   This causes the trigger to activate the newly created webhook each time a ticket is solved.

5. Under Actions, create an action with the following parameters:

   • Category: Notify by > Active webhook
   • Value: End Handoff Webhook

6. Also under Actions, in the text field, type the following POST code:

   {
       "ticket_id": {{ticket.id}}
   }

7. Save your changes and create the trigger.

Step 5: Configure the Zendesk Support block

Once you’ve configured Zendesk Support Handoff in your AI Agent, add the Zendesk Support block to your Handoff response.

To configure a Zendesk Support block:

1. On the Ada dashboard, go to Config > AI AGENT > Handoffs, then create or select a Handoff to edit.
2. In the Build the Handoff section, from the block bar on the right, drag and drop the Zendesk Support block into your Handoff content.
3. In the Zendesk Support block, configure the fields that are required to complete your Handoff:
   • Standby Message: An automated response that informs end users when to expect a reply.
   • Group: A collection of agents organized by role or expertise to optimize ticket routing and management.
   • Subject: The subject assigned to the ticket upon creation.
   • Zendesk Fields: Ticket fields that streamline workflow and routing, including subject, description, tags, priority, groups, and custom fields.
   • Tags: Keywords applied to tickets based on detected topics or intent, helping with categorization, routing, and automation. You can use both variables and plain text for tags.
   • Error Fallback: An automated response triggered if an error occurs while attempting to trigger the Handoff, acknowledging the issue and guiding end users on next steps.

Customer experience

For the end user, the transition is seamless—the only noticeable change is who they are chatting with. AI Agents and human agents can both converse within Ada’s AI Agent web chat, and human agents can continue escalated conversations in the AI Agent’s email thread. If the user ends the chat, a notification alerts the agent, who can then close the ticket. These notifications are only available for web chat; email Handoffs do not trigger notification alerts.

Agent experience

When a Handoff to a human agent occurs through Ada’s AI Agent, a Zendesk ticket is created, containing a full transcript of the conversation. The Zendesk agent continues the chat directly from the Zendesk ticket view. Once the issue is resolved and the ticket is marked as resolved, a notification is sent to the end user via the AI Agent window, indicating that the conversation has ended.