Zendesk Migration Guides
How to Connect Zendesk to Migration Wizard?
Help Desk Migration Service uses Zendesk API to perform a data transfer. This way we automatically bypass automations like triggers and email notifications.
This method of migration ensures that your end-users do not receive any unwanted notifications during the data transfer as tickets are created and updated.
Help Desk Migration service allows migrating custom drop-down menus to Zendesk. You can map the necessary fields on the Migration Wizard.
Please note, that during the migration Zendesk also copies the data from these fields to Tags.
To migrate from or to Zendesk you will need:
- the URL of company's Zendesk account;
- the email and password you use to log in Zendesk;
Since we use OAuth for Zendesk migrations, enter the URL to your help desk in the appropriate field. Then click on the Sign in with Zendesk button:
This redirects you to a new tab with a Zendesk log in form. Sign in your Zendesk as you normally would and continue setting up Demo Migration.
If you’re a Zendesk Guide user and plan on migrating your Knowledge Base with our service, there are a few things you should remember.
In Zendesk Guide, they enable creating a complex Knowledge Base hierarchy for Enterprise plan users. It means that you can create article subsections inside each section up to five such levels. It’s also possible to create a maximum of 20 subsections with articles in each parent section.
How can I migrate knowledge base to Zendesk Guide?
Help Desk Migration Service allows migrating Articles, Folders (in Zendesk they are called Sections), and Categories from the Knowledge Base (Help Center) of your current help desk to Zendesk Guide.
Knowledge Base in Zendesk is a separate product that is called Zendesk Guide. You have to manually activate, prepare, and release it before your clients can actually use it.
Before you start your migration, make sure you have activated the Knowledge Base (Help Center) to be able to transfer your knowledge base content.
How to enable Zendesk Guide in setup mode
1. Sign in to Zendesk as an administrator.
2. Click the Zendesk Products icon in the top bar, then select Guide.
3. On the page that appears, click Build your knowledge base.
Now, you can start your data migration to Zendesk.
It is also possible to migrate your Knowledge Base separately as a CSV file. Here’s a guide on how to prepare your CSV file correctly.
If you can’t see this button in the interface, it means that you or someone in the company have already activated the Zendesk Guide.
Remember your Knowledge Base isn’t visible to your customers until you go live with it. So, once the migration is complete, you can change or add anything before your customers can start using the help center.
How to migrate articles to a specific brand in Zendesk
When importing knowledge base data to Zendesk, you can transfer either to or from a specific brand. To do this, use the URL of the particular brand within Zendesk rather than the general Zendesk account URL.
To find that URL, you need to go though the following steps:
1. Open up your Zendesk account.
2. Then click on Admin in the left sidebar.
3. Go to Admin Center.
4. Scroll down to Brand Management under Account.
5. Choose Brands and click on the target brand.
6. Copy the Subdomain address and paste it into the Migration Wizard.
How to migrate Zendesk ticket side conversations?
When it comes to migrating your invaluable customer service data from Zendesk, the exciting news is that you have the option to effortlessly transfer ticket side conversations.
Activating Zendesk ticket side conversations
If you're using Zendesk as your customer service platform and want to migrate those side conversations, here's a nifty trick—ensure they're enabled in your Zendesk account. By simply checking the right boxes and activating side conversations, you'll guarantee that these interactions accompany your data to its new home.
Scenario 1: Effortlessly switch help desk platforms
You've made the decision to bid farewell to Zendesk and embrace a new help desk platform. But fear not! Your treasured Zendesk ticket side conversations can seamlessly journey with you. During the migration process, these conversations will be gracefully imported as private comments into your new helpdesk.
Scenario 2: Merging Zendesk instances harmoniously
Now, let's envision another captivating scenario—consolidating two Zendesk instances. You might wonder what becomes of your ticket side conversations during this process. For the answer is both simple and magical: your ticket side conversations will migrate as ticket side conversations. Data migration with us ensures a smooth transfer where the side conversations retain their original form.
Within the realm of customer service data migration, Zendesk ticket side conversations hold immense value. By activating this feature in your Zendesk account, you can effortlessly transfer these conversations, ensuring their integral role in your customer support ecosystem. Whether you're switching help desk platforms or merging Zendesk instances, these conversations will seamlessly find their way to their new destination, enriching your customer service experience.
How can I migrate tags to Zendesk?
Help Desk Migration migrates Tags to Zendesk by default. Please note, Zendesk doesn’t support spaces in Tags, so we use dashes (i.e., tag with space => tag-with-space)
Also note, in case you have added custom picklist fields to your tickets, Zendesk would automatically create a tag based on the selected picklist value. Find more information here.
I see odd Tags in Zendesk after migration. Is it normal?
Yes, it is normal.
When migrating from other platforms, custom fields of the Drop-down type will be transferred to Zendesk as mapped in Migration Wizard and additionally added to Zendesk as Tags. This is a default Zendesk behavior and cannot be changed on our side.
How to check the result of Demo Migration in Zendesk?
Once the Demo Migration is completed, you’ll see a table with imp entities, including Tickets, Contacts, Organizations, etc. Each record type is accompanied by a report containing the same entities IDs transferred during the migration.
If everything migrated correctly, you only see the migrated record reports. But, if something goes wrong, you can also get reports for failed or skipped records.
To open a report, click the “View records” button next to the needed record type.
A report includes a list of record IDs in the help desk you’re migrating from and IDs of “new” Tickets in Zendesk. You need to check each record to ensure that your data migrated correctly. The report looks like this:
All tickets and related data migrate in the same way in the Demo Migration or Full Data Migration. However, if some ticket data did not migrate or/and was incorrectly transferred during the Demo Migration, it will also happen during the Full Data Migration.
So, ensure you check if all tickets migrated correctly, along with their Type, Source, Status, Priority, Custom Fields, Requester, Agent, and Tags.
Plus, if you’re migrating to the Knowledge Base, examine the statuses of articles and their location. Finally, if you’re satisfied with the result of the Demo Migration, initiate the Full Data Migration.
Where Can I Find My Migrated Tickets in Zendesk?
There are a few reasons why you may be unable to see all the imported data in your Zendesk system:
By default, Zendesk does not show all ticket statuses (i.e., Closed, etc). To view all tickets, type * in the search bar and click the Enter key.
Zendesk automatically archives old tickets and marks them as closed. You need to create a view in Zendesk to find closed tickets.
Where can I get Zendesk API Key?
1. Open up your Zendesk account
2. Then, in the left sidebar, go to Admin.
3. Click on Admin Center.
4. Under Apps and integrations, find APIs.
5. Click on Zendesk API. There you need to make sure Token Access is enabled.
6. Then click on Add API Token. If needed, you can fill in the description.
Make sure to copy and store this token. Zendesk won't show it again after you click Save or leave this page.
How to switch off “Validate user phone numbers” in Zendesk?
When you migrate your contacts to Zendesk, make sure you have turned off the field “Validate user phone numbers” in your Zendesk account. If you leave this option on, Zendesk will try to validate the imported phone numbers and your help desk import might be suspended.
To ensure you have an outstanding migration experience and avoid any pauses in your Zendesk migration, turn off the “Validate user phone numbers” before setting up your data import.
To disable “Validate user phone numbers” in Zendesk, follow these steps:
- Open your Zendesk account.
- Click on the Admin icon.
- Go to Settings.
- Under Settings, choose Customers.
- Scroll down to “Validate user phone numbers”.
- Disable the validation.
- Click on the Save tab to apply the changes
How to disable automatic ticket tagging on Zendesk?
Automatic ticket tagging applies to such custom ticket fields as a drop-down list, multi-select, and checkbox. So when you create a drop-down list, multi-select, or checkbox as a custom ticket field in Zendesk, you have to add a tag to each custom field value. If you forgot to do this, Zendesk will automatically create corresponding tags.
If you turn on automatic ticket tagging in the Zendesk setting, the software will scan incoming ticket descriptions and add matching tags. As a rule, it searches for words longer than two characters and compares those words to the tags used in your Zendesk instance. The top three matches will be added as tags to the ticket.
To turn on/off automatic ticket tagging, you should be an administrator.
The same process happens when migrate to Zendesk. When you map custom ticket fields as a drop-down list, multi-select, or checkbox in Migration Wizard, Zendesk will automatically add all the associated Tags to all imported tickets. Note: it's a default Zendesk workflow, and our tech team can't change it.
How to deactivate ticket form conditions in Zendesk?
When migrating to or from Zendesk, you need to temporarily switch off conditions to ticket forms that make custom fields required. This way, ticket custom fields migrate accurately during the Full Data Migration.
Here is how to deactivate conditions to ticket forms in Zendesk:
1. Go to Admin Center.
2. In Admin Center, click on the Objects and rules icon or pick it up in the sidebar.
3. Then choose Tickets > Forms.
4. Move the cursor to the ticket form and click the option menu on the right side.
5. Select Conditions.
6. Pick up a type of user (Agents or End users) from the Conditions for drop-down list.
7. Click on the expand icon to view the available conditions.
8. Click on a pencil icon to edit a condition.
9. Open a drop-down menu in the Required field.
10. Pick up Never for each field.
11. Click on Update to save changes.
As soon as your Full Migration is complete, go to ticket forms to switch on the required settings in conditions.
Do customers get notifications during the migration to Zendesk?
Zendesk does not send notifications to customers, only to agents. However, we recommend turning off Zendesk Automation and Triggers before starting the migration for extra assurance.
How to calculate the number of Tickets in Zendesk?
To calculate the number of Tickets in Zendesk follow this guide:
1. Go to Search and type *. Then hit Search for *.
2. Select Status in the Filter menu and choose all available statuses:
New, Open, Pending, Solved, Closed, Hold
Note: You can quickly determine the number of your Conversation and estimate the cost of the data transfer during our Free Demo Migration.
Limitations of Light Agents on Zendesk
Except for the Staff role, Zendesk also has a Light Agent role, which has limited permissions. Light Agents are able to see tickets, ticket views, and user profiles. If necessary, they can add internal notes to assist Staff agents during their work on the customer request, too. However, they can only leave private notes.
Additionally, Light Agents can request tickets on behalf of the available end-users. However, you can’t assign tickets to the Light Agent.
Due to their special role, there are some peculiarities you should take into account.
When migrating from Zendesk:
- Light Agents will migrate as Contacts because this role exists only in Zendesk;
- Any tickets raised by Light Agents will be automatically reassigned to the default agent;
- Private Notes left by Light Agents will be displayed as those left on the behalf of the default agent.
When migrating to Zendesk:
Zendesk agents should have the Staff role. That way the Migration Wizard will be able to assign tickets to agents on Zendesk, and you will be able to match agent emails on the settings page.
Lastly, if you’re going to use any of the custom roles during the migration, please let us know. Our support team will help you plan the transition the best way possible.
Limitations of Zendesk Migration
Help Desk Migration doesn’t migrate source ticket IDs, as ticket IDs are set by Zendesk and cannot be overwritten. You can add custom fields to source tickets with ID’s;
Our service doesn’t migrate password information. Your end-users will have to reset their passwords after the migration is completed.
How to allow display of unsafe content in Zendesk?
By default, Zendesk is configured to block unsafe HTML tags and attributes, to ensure that your customers can safely browse your knowledge base. This may affect the way the browser renders the content, i.e., it may be displayed incorrectly or not displayed at all.
You can disable this default setting by allowing display of unsafe content:
1. In Guide, go to Settings>Guide Settings.
2. Find Security and check the Display unsafe content option.
3. Click Update.
Warning: this change allows potentially malicious code to be executed when users open an article in a browser.
Why to set up your time zone in Zendesk?
To avoid migration failures when Zendesk is connected to Migration Wizard as a Source, it's important to note that newly created accounts receive a default time zone. Therefore, prior to setting up your Zendesk migration, ensure that your time zone is configured appropriately.
Here’s the quick guide:
1. Go to the Admin > Go to Admin Center.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rAmjxl9IZC_-FDeHkZyyTzm7A2ZbgNDm/view?usp=sharing
2. Go to Account > Localization > choose your time zone and click “Save.”
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UJ8_A4CcotCrbuX8lx9t-FnNRJZlCN73/view?usp=sharing
How to split one Zendesk instance into multiple?
There are times when splitting your Zendesk instance makes sense business-wise. Some of the cases we’ve seen include companies getting sold, splitting support teams to manage different products, etc. Regardless of the reason you need to split your Zendesk and extract data, we’re here to help.
All you need to do is drop us a message in the live chat. Our team will get back to you and help with your data migration.
Here’s how it works:
- First, we will ask for your requirements to define the scope.
- Then, we’ll have some basic settings done and write a custom code.
- Then, we’ll run a custom demo for you so you could verify the result. If any tweaks are needed, we’ll adjust the code to meet your needs.
- If you’re happy with the result then we initiate the migration of all data.
- Once the migration is over, you check your Zendesk to see if you’re happy with the result.
How to split articles into multiple accounts?
Did you know our Migration Wizard is the perfect tool to smoothly transfer your knowledge base data within Zendesk? Whether you're relocating it to or from a specific brand, we have the solution. Just keep in mind, when you're prepared to get started, make sure to use the URL of that specific brand within Zendesk – no general account URLs will do.
Finding the brand URL is a simple process:
- Navigate to Admin
- Go to Admin Center
- Click on Account
- Explore Brand Management
- Choose your desired Brand
- Copy a URL of a needed brand
With the URL at your disposal, you're all set to migrate your important articles from one account or brand to another.
Ticket Splitting and Filtering
While we're unable to migrate individual tickets, fear not. If you're looking to separate specific tickets from your Zendesk account, there's a solution. Request the ticket filtering option, and our dedicated support team will guide you through the process.
What happens to contacts and companies when splitting Zendesk instances
We’ve seen companies use Zendesk groups or brands to run support for multiple products within the same instance. If that’s the case then there’s one thing you should note. When migrating data, we filter tickets according to your requirements, and move contacts and companies related only to those tickets. Because we don’t pull data from other brands/groups, some customer base may be left out. However, this ensures a more accurate data transfer.