Zendesk Integration Component
Connect your WhatsApp Chatbot to Zendesk so that customer conversations can automatically create or update support tickets in your Zendesk helpdesk — without any manual effort from your team.
What is Zendesk Integration?
Zendesk is a customer support platform where businesses manage and respond to customer queries using a ticketing system. Each support request raised by a customer becomes a ticket in Zendesk, which your support team can track, assign, and resolve.
By connecting and using Zendesk component directly in your WhatsApp Chatbot on BotPenguin, you can automatically create or update Zendesk tickets based on what a customer shares during a conversation — without anyone having to manually log the request.
When Should You Use This?
Use Zendesk component when:
You want every WhatsApp conversation that needs support to automatically create a ticket in Zendesk
You want to update an existing ticket with new information collected through the chatbot
You want your support team to receive structured, ready-to-action tickets from WhatsApp conversations
How It Works
The setup has two parts:
Connect Zendesk — You authenticate your Zendesk account inside BotPenguin and map your chatbot questions to Zendesk ticket fields. This tells BotPenguin what data to send and where.
Add the Zendesk component to your Chatflow — Once connected, you place the Zendesk component at the right point in your WhatsApp Chatflow. When the conversation reaches that point, BotPenguin automatically creates or updates a ticket in Zendesk using the information collected.
Before You Begin
An active BotPenguin account with a WhatsApp Chatbot set up
A Zendesk account with admin access
A Chatflow that collects customer details such as name, email, and issue description
Step-by-Step Instructions
Part A: Get Your Zendesk API Credentials
You will need three things from your Zendesk account: an API Token, your account email address, and your API URL.
Step 1: Log in to Zendesk Admin Center
Log in to your Zendesk account.
Click the Support dropdown at the top left and select Admin Center.
Step 2: Enable API Token Access
In Admin Center, navigate to Apps and Integrations → APIs → API Tokens.
If you see a message saying "API token access is off", click View token access configuration.
Check the Allow API token access checkbox and click Save.
Step 3: Generate an API Token
Go back to API Tokens and click Add API Token.
Enter a description so you can identify it later. Example:
BotPenguin Integration
Click Save. Your token will appear on screen.
⚠️ Copy the token immediately and store it somewhere safe — a notes app or password manager. Zendesk will not show this token again after you leave the page.
Step 4: Note Your Email Address and API URL
You will also need:
Email Address — The email address you use to log in to your Zendesk account
API URL — This is your Zendesk subdomain URL. It follows the format:
https://yourcompanyname.zendesk.com
You can find this in your browser's address bar when you are logged in to Zendesk.
Part B: Connect Zendesk in BotPenguin
Step 1: Open Third Party Integration
From the left sidebar, click Chatbot.
Select the WhatsApp chatbot you want to connect to Zendesk from the dropdown at the top.
In the left menu under your chatbot, click Third Party Integration.
This is where BotPenguin lists all the external tools you can connect to your chatbot.
Step 2: Find and Connect Zendesk
In the search bar on the integrations page, type Zendesk.
Click Connect next to the Zendesk result.
On the Zendesk detail page that opens, click Connect again to begin the setup.
Step 3: Enter Your Credentials
A connection form will appear with three fields:
API Token Paste the API token you copied from Zendesk in Part A. This is the key that allows BotPenguin to communicate with your Zendesk account securely.
Email Address Enter the email address you use to log in to your Zendesk account. Zendesk uses this alongside the API token to verify your identity.
API URL
Enter your Zendesk account URL. This is the web address of your Zendesk account, in the format:
https://yourcompanyname.zendesk.com
Step 4: Click Connect
Once all three fields are filled in, click Connect.
If the credentials are correct, Zendesk will be connected and you will be taken to the configuration screen where you can set up your mappings.
Step 5: Select a Trigger Type
You will see a field called When to Trigger. This controls when BotPenguin sends data to Zendesk.
Two options are available:
Based On Lead Alert Trigger
Automatically sends data to Zendesk whenever a new lead is generated by the chatbot
Based On Chat Flow Trigger
Sends data to Zendesk only when the Zendesk component is reached in your Chatflow
Select Based On Chat Flow Trigger if you want precise control over when tickets are created. Select Based On Lead Alert Trigger if you want every new lead to automatically create a ticket.
Step 4: Map Your Chatbot Questions to Zendesk Fields
This step tells BotPenguin which chatbot question answers should go into which Zendesk ticket fields.
Under Questions, you will see two dropdowns side by side:
The left dropdown — Select Questions — is where you pick the chatbot question whose answer you want to send to Zendesk. For example: "What is your email address?"
The right dropdown — map with → Select Parameter — is where you select the corresponding Zendesk field that should receive that answer. For example: Email
Click + Add Parameters to add more question mappings.
Example mappings:
What is your name?
Name
What is your email address?
How can we help you?
Description
Step 5: Map Custom Attributes (Optional)
If your chatbot stores additional customer information as Custom Attributes — such as order number, location, or membership ID — you can map those to Zendesk fields here as well.
Under Custom Attribute, use the same two-dropdown format:
Left dropdown — select the Custom Attribute
Right dropdown — select the Zendesk field to map it to
Click + Add Parameters to add more attribute mappings.
Step 6: Save the Configuration
Once all mappings are set, click Save.
Zendesk is now connected to your WhatsApp chatbot. The next step is to add the Zendesk component to your Chatflow so it knows exactly when to send data.
Part C: Add the Zendesk Component to Your Chatflow
Once Zendesk is connected, you need to place the Zendesk component in your WhatsApp Chatflow at the point where you want a ticket to be created or updated.
Step 1: Open the Chatflow Builder
From the left sidebar, click Chatbot.
Go to Chat Flows.
Open the Chatflow you want to edit.
Step 2: Add the Zendesk Component
On the left side of the builder, you will see a panel called Add Chat Component.
Scroll down to the Integrations section and expand it.
Click on Zendesk to add it to the canvas.
The Zendesk component will appear on the Chatflow canvas.
Step 3: Configure the Component
Click on the Zendesk component on the canvas to open its settings on the right side of the screen.
You will see two fields:
Message
This is the name that appears on the component card in the canvas. It is just a label to help you identify this step in the flow. Example: Create Zendesk Ticket
Choose Action This is where you select what the component should do when the conversation reaches it. Two options are available:
Add
Creates a new ticket in Zendesk using the mapped data
Update
Updates an existing ticket in Zendesk with new information
Step 4: Position the Component in the Flow
Make sure the Zendesk component is placed after the questions that collect the information you mapped in Part A. This ensures the data is available before the ticket is created or updated.
Best Practices
💡 Always map at least the customer's Name and Email so Zendesk tickets have enough information for your support team to follow up.
💡 Place the Zendesk component after all the questions that collect the data you need — not before.
💡 Copy and store your Zendesk API token immediately after generating it. It cannot be retrieved later.
💡 Test the full conversation end-to-end before pointing real customers to the bot — check that tickets appear correctly in Zendesk.
💡 Use a clear, descriptive label in the Message field (e.g. "Create Support Ticket") so your Chatflow is easy to read and maintain.
What Might Go Wrong
API token not entered or entered incorrectly
Zendesk connection will fail
Chatbot questions not mapped to Zendesk fields
Tickets will be created with missing or empty fields
Zendesk component placed before data-collecting questions
Ticket will be created before the required information is available
API token access disabled in Zendesk Admin Center
Connection will fail even if the token is correct
Token lost before saving
A new token must be generated in Zendesk
Troubleshooting
Zendesk is not connecting when I click Save
Confirm that your Zendesk API token has been copied correctly without any extra spaces.
Verify that API token access is enabled in Zendesk Admin Center → Apps and Integrations → APIs.
If necessary, generate a new API token and reconnect the integration.
Tickets are being created with empty or missing fields
Review your field mappings under Third Party Integration → Zendesk.
Ensure the chatbot questions and customer attributes you've mapped are collected before the Zendesk component is reached.
Save the configuration again after making any mapping changes.
The Zendesk component is not visible in the Chatflow builder
Ensure Zendesk has been successfully connected and saved under Third Party Integration.
Refresh the Chatflow Builder.
Check the Integrations section in the Add Chat Component panel.
No ticket is created in Zendesk after testing
Verify that the Zendesk component is correctly connected within your Chatflow.
If using Chat Flow Trigger, ensure the conversation reaches the Zendesk component.
Confirm your Zendesk account has the required API permissions and supports API access.
FAQs
Is the Zendesk component available for all bot types?
No. The Zendesk component is currently available only for WhatsApp Chatbots.
What is the difference between the Add and Update actions?
Add creates a new Zendesk ticket each time the component is executed. Update modifies an existing ticket with information collected during the current conversation.
What is the difference between Chat Flow Trigger and Lead Alert Trigger?
Chat Flow Trigger creates or updates a ticket only when the chatbot reaches the Zendesk component in the Chatflow. Lead Alert Trigger automatically sends lead information to Zendesk whenever a new lead is generated, without requiring a Zendesk component in the flow.
Can I map custom attributes to Zendesk fields?
Yes. You can map both chatbot questions and customer attributes to Zendesk ticket fields from the Third Party Integration → Zendesk configuration page.
What happens if I lose my Zendesk API token?
Generate a new API token from Zendesk Admin Center → Apps and Integrations → APIs → API Tokens, then reconnect the integration in BotPenguin using the new token.
Do I need to add the Zendesk component to every Chatflow?
No. Only add the Zendesk component to the Chatflows where you want tickets to be created or updated.
Support
If everything is correct and you are still unable to move forward, write to us at support@botpenguin.com. We will respond back within 48 business hours.
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