Zendesk Tools Setup

Configure Glean to automatically add comments to Zendesk tickets, enabling users to respond to support tickets directly from Glean.

This feature allows organizations to streamline their support communication workflows by using Glean to add comments to existing tickets without switching contexts, improving response times and team collaboration.

Zendesk Tool Overview

The Zendesk tools provide:

• Add Comment to Zendesk Ticket: Add internal notes or public replies to existing Zendesk tickets

This tool helps streamline support workflows by:

• Quickly adding updates to tickets from Slack or other communication channels
• Documenting troubleshooting steps and internal notes
• Providing customer responses without leaving your current workflow
• Maintaining conversation history and context within tickets
• Supporting both public replies and private internal notes

Enable Zendesk Tools

Admins can enable tools by going to the Admin Console and navigating to Platform → Tools.

1. Click Tools → Add → Add pre-set tools.
2. Select Zendesk Tools from the list of pre-set tools.
3. In the Configuration, select Connector Instance to link this tool to your Zendesk instance.
4. Set up authentication using the tabs below, based on your requirements.

Set up authentication

Central authentication (Recommended)

Use the central option to use the default OAuth app already configured for you. This is the quickest way to start using Zendesk Tools.

1. Select Central under the Authenticate section.
2. Click Save. The Zendesk Tool is now ready to use.

Custom authentication

Use the custom option to create and configure your own OAuth app in Zendesk.

Step 1: Create a new OAuth client in Zendesk

1. Navigate to your Zendesk Admin Center.
2. Go to Apps and integrations → APIs → Zendesk API.
3. Click on the OAuth Clients tab.
4. Click Add OAuth Client.
5. Fill in the following details:
   • Client Name: Glean Tools (or another descriptive name)
   • Description: OAuth client for Glean integration
   • Company: Your company name
   • Logo URL: (optional)

Step 2: Configure OAuth settings

1. Set the Redirect URLs - you'll get this from Glean in Step 4.

Step 3: Save and retrieve credentials

1. Click Save to create the OAuth client.
2. Copy the Client ID (also called Unique Identifier).
3. Copy the Client Secret—make sure to save this securely as it won't be shown again.

Step 4: Configure in Glean

1. Go to the Zendesk Tools setup page in Glean.
2. Select Custom for authentication.
3. Fill in the following fields:
   • Client ID: The identifier from Step 3
   • Client Secret: The secret from Step 3
4. Save the Tools.
5. At the bottom of the Authentication section, you'll see a generated Callback URL.
6. Copy this Callback URL.

Step 5: Update the callback URL in Zendesk

1. Return to your Zendesk OAuth client settings.
2. Edit the OAuth client you created.
3. Add the Callback URL from Glean to the Redirect URLs field.
4. Save the changes.

info

Zendesk access tokens are long-lived, so teammates do not need to reconnect Zendesk tools on a daily basis. If you see repeated re-authentication prompts, see Troubleshooting tools authentication.

Tool Configuration

Prerequisites

• Authentication: Each user must authenticate with Zendesk when first using this tool. The authentication persists for future use.
• Permissions: Users can only add comments to tickets they have permission to view in Zendesk.

Required Parameters

The Add Comment to Zendesk Ticket tool requires the following parameters:

• ticket_id (required): The ID of the ticket to comment on
• comment (required): The comment text to add
• public (optional): Whether the comment is public (visible to the requester) or Internal

Usage Examples

• Customer Reply: Add a public comment to provide a status update or solution to the customer
• Internal Note: Add a private note documenting troubleshooting steps or internal discussion
• Escalation Note: Add an internal comment when escalating to another team
• Resolution Documentation: Add details about how an issue was resolved for future reference

Testing Your Setup

After completing the setup:

1. Navigate to the Agent Builder in Glean.
2. Create a new agent or modify an existing one.
3. Add the Zendesk Add Comment tool to your agent.
4. Configure the tool with:
   • How to identify the ticket ID (from user input, previous search, or extracted from context)
   • Whether comments should be public or internal by default
   • Any standard signatures or formatting
5. Test with sample queries like:
   • "Add a comment to ticket #12345 saying we're investigating the issue"
   • "Post an internal note on ticket #67890 about the workaround we discussed"
   • "Reply to ticket #11111 that the issue has been resolved"

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

Authentication Errors:

• Verify the Client ID and Client Secret are correct
• Ensure the callback URL is properly configured in both Glean and Zendesk
• Check that the OAuth client has the necessary scopes enabled

Permission Errors:

• Verify the user has appropriate permissions in Zendesk to view and comment on tickets
• Check if the Zendesk instance has API access enabled
• Ensure the OAuth app has the correct scopes for reading tickets and writing comments

Ticket Not Found:

• Verify the ticket ID is correct and the ticket exists
• Ensure the user has permission to access the specific ticket
• Check if the ticket is in a suspended or deleted state

Comment Not Posting:

• Verify the comment text is not empty
• Check if there are any Zendesk triggers blocking the comment
• Ensure the comment doesn't exceed size limits

For additional support, contact your Glean Account Executive or refer to the Zendesk API documentation.