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Support & ticketingConnect with an API key

Zendesk voice AI integration

The Zendesk integration connects your AI voice and chat agents to Zendesk, so they can create a support ticket on a live call. It's a support & ticketing connector that runs as a tool the agent calls mid-conversation — you connect with an api key, attach it to an agent, and it acts in real time without a human in the loop.

Zendesk API docs

Last updated 2026-09-06

What your agent can do with Zendesk

Create a support ticketCreate support ticket

Open a Zendesk ticket for the caller's issue. Use it when the caller reports a problem that needs a human to follow up. Put everything the caller told you in the description — that text becomes the first message on the ticket and the caller can see it.

Inputs

FieldTypeDescription
description*stringFull description of the issue, in the caller's words.
priorityinteger1=low 2=medium 3=high 4=urgent
requester_emailstringCaller email, if given. Zendesk matches an existing customer on this, so a known caller's ticket lands on their existing record.
requester_idstringA Zendesk user ID from Look up a contact or Create a contact. Supply it when you have it — it is the only way to attach the ticket to a caller who has no email address.
requester_name*stringCaller name, as they gave it. Ask for it — the ticket is filed against this person.
requester_phone*stringCaller phone with country code, e.g. +919876543210. It is written onto the ticket text, because Zendesk has nowhere else to keep a phone number on a new ticket.
subject*stringShort ticket subject, in the caller's own terms
Get a ticket by numberGet a support ticket

Look up one Zendesk ticket by its number and report where it stands. Use it when the caller asks "what is happening with my ticket".

Inputs

FieldTypeDescription
ticket_id*stringThe Zendesk ticket number the caller quoted
Update a ticketUpdate a support ticket

Change a Zendesk ticket's status or priority. Always supply at least one of them — calling this with only the ticket number changes nothing and still reports success. To write a note on the ticket, use Add a note to a ticket instead.

Inputs

FieldTypeDescription
priorityinteger1=low 2=medium 3=high 4=urgent
statusstringNew status. Use solved when the caller's issue is resolved on the call.
ticket_id*stringThe Zendesk ticket number
Add an internal note to a ticketAdd a note to a ticket

Write an internal note on an existing Zendesk ticket — what the caller said, what was agreed, what still needs doing. The note is visible to the support team only; it is never emailed to the customer.

Inputs

FieldTypeDescription
note*stringWhat to write on the ticket.
ticket_id*stringThe Zendesk ticket number
List a caller's ticketsList a caller’s tickets

List the tickets a Zendesk customer has opened, newest first, so you can answer "what have I already reported". Get the user ID from Look up a contact first.

Inputs

FieldTypeDescription
user_id*stringThe Zendesk user ID, e.g. from Look up a contact
Look up a contact by phoneLook up CRM contact

Find an existing Zendesk customer by phone number, to recognise a repeat caller and to get the user ID that the ticket tools need. Check the phone number that comes back actually matches before greeting anyone by name.

Inputs

FieldTypeDescription
phone*stringCaller phone in full international form with no spaces, e.g. +919876543210
Create a contactCreate CRM contact

Create a Zendesk customer for the caller and return their user ID, which the ticket tools need for a caller who has no email address. ALWAYS run Look up a contact by phone first: without an email address this creates a NEW record every time it is called, so a repeat caller ends up with duplicates.

Inputs

FieldTypeDescription
companystringCompany name, if any — recorded as a note on the customer.
emailstringEmail, if given. With one, this matches an existing customer instead of creating a duplicate.
firstname*stringFirst name
lastnamestringLast name
phone*stringPhone in full international form, e.g. +919876543210

What you'll need to connect Zendesk

Connect with an API key. In Telenow, open Integrations → Zendesk and provide:

  • Agent email address — The Zendesk AGENT whose identity the assistant acts as. Tickets it opens are submitted by this user, and notes it writes are attributed to them. An end-user account is not enough — the API refuses it.
  • API token — Zendesk Admin Center → Apps and integrations → APIs → Zendesk API → API tokens → Add API token. "Allow API token access" on that same page must be ON, or every request 401s with a message that looks exactly like a bad token.
  • Zendesk URL — Your Zendesk address, https://<yourcompany>.zendesk.com — not your help-centre address and not a page inside the agent interface.

Agent templates that use Zendesk

Tier-1 IT helpdesk triageFlow
Triages IT issues, walks through quick fixes, and raises a ticket with the right priority when it can't be resolved on the call.
Billing dispute intakeFlow
Calmly takes billing disputes, verifies the account, captures the disputed charge, and opens a billing ticket for review.
After-hours medical answeringFlow
An after-hours answering service for clinics: screens for emergencies, routes urgent calls to the on-call provider, and logs non-urgent messages.
Insurance FNOL intakeFlow
Takes a first notice of loss: captures incident details and policy info, opens a claim record and a follow-up ticket, with a calm, supportive manner.
After-hours law-firm receptionFlow
An after-hours intake line for law firms: greets callers, screens new-client matters, captures conflict-check basics, and routes urgent matters appropriately.
Utility outage reporting
Takes utility outage reports — captures the address and symptoms, checks for safety hazards, and logs a service ticket with priority.
Field service dispatchFlow
Triages home-service calls by severity and routes deterministically: active hazards go straight to an on-call dispatcher, urgent jobs get a same-day booking, and routine jobs are scheduled — every call logged as a ticket.
Return & refund intakeFlow
Handles return and refund requests: looks up the order, captures the reason, and routes to a refund or a replacement — opening a ticket and texting the next steps.
Broadband support triageFlow
Triages internet connectivity issues, walks the customer through the standard quick fixes, and raises a service ticket (or dispatches a technician request) when it can't be resolved on the call.
Tenant maintenance requestFlow
Takes tenant maintenance requests around the clock: routes genuine emergencies straight to the on-call line, and for everything else logs a ticket and schedules a technician visit — capturing unit and access details cleanly.
Inbound sales concierge
Answers inbound sales calls, looks the caller up in your CRM for context, answers product questions, and books or transfers when there's intent to buy.
Order & delivery status
Looks up a caller's recent order and gives an accurate status and delivery estimate, escalating to a human for anything unusual.
Subscription cancel & retainFlow
Handles cancellation requests with a respectful save attempt — understands the reason, offers a relevant alternative, and processes or escalates the cancellation.
B2B invoice follow-upFlow
Chases outstanding B2B invoices with accounts-payable contacts, confirms status, and logs the promised payment date to a sheet.
Insurance policy verificationFlow
Verifies a policyholder's identity, confirms policy and coverage details, and routes anything beyond verification to a licensed agent.
SaaS demo schedulerFlow
Qualifies B2B SaaS prospects, captures company details into your CRM, and books a live demo on your calendar.

Other Support & ticketing integrations

Freshdesk
Log a support ticket from the call. Uses your Freshdesk domain + API key.
Intercom
Create or look up Intercom contacts from the call.

Frequently asked questions

What can an AI voice agent do with Zendesk?+

During a live call or chat, a Telenow agent can create a support ticket, get a ticket by number, update a ticket, add an internal note to a ticket, list a caller's tickets, look up a contact by phone, and create a contact — each runs as a tool the agent calls mid-conversation, so it acts on Zendesk in real time without a human.

How do you connect Zendesk to Telenow?+

In Telenow, open Integrations, pick Zendesk, and you paste a Zendesk API key into the connection, then bind it to your agent. Then add its support & ticketing tool to your agent (or install a template that already includes it) and you're live.

Which AI agent templates use Zendesk?+

Tier-1 IT helpdesk triage, Billing dispute intake, After-hours medical answering, Insurance FNOL intake, After-hours law-firm reception, Utility outage reporting, Field service dispatch, Return & refund intake, Broadband support triage, Tenant maintenance request, Inbound sales concierge, Order & delivery status, Subscription cancel & retain, B2B invoice follow-up, Insurance policy verification, and SaaS demo scheduler all use Zendesk. You can install any of them and connect your Zendesk account in a couple of clicks.

Does Zendesk work on phone calls and WhatsApp?+

Yes. Telenow agents run on phone, web, chat and WhatsApp, and Zendesk works the same across every channel — the agent calls it whenever the conversation needs it.

How much does the Zendesk integration cost?+

Connecting Zendesk is included — you only pay Telenow's transparent per-minute and per-component usage, and new accounts get free signup credit to try it.

$1.01 free credit on signup

Connect Zendesk to your AI voice agent

Sign up free and get $1.01 in credit — no card required. Connect your number, pick a template, and go live in minutes.

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