Zendesk Chat

Zendesk Chat uses webhooks from each platform to set up a two-way SMS conversation. When a user requests support, a ticket is created in Zendesk. Agent responses are forwarded to Braze through an API-triggered SMS campaign, and user replies are sent back to Zendesk.

Prerequisites

Use cases

Enhance customer support efficiency by combining Braze SMS capabilities with Zendesk live agent responses to address user inquiries with human support promptly.

Integrating Zendesk Chat

Step 1: Create a webhook in Zendesk

1. In the Zendesk developer console, go to webhooks: https://{{url}}.zendesk.com/admin/apps-integrations/webhooks/webhooks
2. Under Create Webhook, select Trigger or automation.
3. For Endpoint URL, add the /campaign/trigger/send endpoint.
4. Under Authentication, select Bearer token and add the Braze REST API key with campaigns.trigger.send permissions.

Step 2: Create an outbound SMS campaign

Next, you’ll create an SMS campaign that will listen for webhooks from Zendesk and send a custom SMS response to your customers.

Step 2.1: Compose your message

When Zendesk sends the content of a message through the API, it comes in the following format:

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**----------------------------------------------\n\n{Replier Name}, {Replier Date}\n\n{Message}**

So we need to extract the detail we want from this string to display in the message, or else a user will see all the details.

In the Message textbox, add the following Liquid code and any opt-out language or other static content:

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{% assign body = {{api_trigger_properties.${msg_body}}} %}
{% assign msg = body | split: "
" %}
New message from Zendesk: 
{{msg[2]}}
 
Feel free to respond directly to this number!

Step 2.2: Schedule the delivery

For the delivery type, select API-Triggered delivery, then copy the Campaign ID which will be used in the next steps.

Finally, under Delivery Controls, turn on re-eligibility.

Step 3: Create a trigger in Zendesk to forward agent replies to Braze

Go to Objects and rules > Business rules > Triggers.

1. Create a new category (for example, Trigger a message).
2. Create a new trigger (for example, Respond via SMS Braze).
3. Under Conditions, select:
   • Ticket>Comment is Present and requester can see comment so that the message is triggered whenever a new public comment is included in a ticket update
   • Ticket>Update is not Web service (API) so that when a user sends a message from Braze, it isn’t forwarded back to their cell phone. Only messages coming from Zendesk will be forwarded.

Under Actions, select Notify by Webhook and choose the endpoint you created in step 1. Next, specify the body of the API call. Enter the campaign_id from step 2.2 into the request body.

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{
    "campaign_id": "{{YOUR_CAMPAIGN_ID}}",
    "recipients": [
        {
            "external_user_id": "{{ticket.requester.custom_fields.braze_external_id}}",
			"trigger_properties": {
    "msg_body": "{{ticket.latest_public_comment_html}}"
		},
		"attributes": {
        "zendesk_ticket" : "{{ticket.id}}",
	"zendesk_ticket_open" : "true"
    }
        }
    ]
}

Step 4: Create a trigger in Zendesk to update a user when a ticket is closed

If you’d like to notify the user that the ticket has been closed, create a new campaign in Braze with the templated response body.

Select API Triggered delivery, and copy the campaign ID.

Next, set up a trigger to notify Braze when the ticket is closed:

• Category: Trigger a message
• Under Conditions, select Ticket>Ticket Status and change it to Solved

Under Actions, select Notify by Webhook and choose the second endpoint you just created. From there, we need to specify the body of the API call:

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{
    "campaign_id": "{{YOUR_API_KEY}}",
    "recipients": [
        {
            "external_user_id": "{{ticket.requester.custom_fields.braze_external_id}}",
"trigger_properties": {
    "msg_body": "Your ticket has been closed"
		},
,
			"attributes": {
	"zendesk_ticket_open" : "false"
    }
        }
    ]
}

Step 5: Add a custom user field in Zendesk

In the Admin Center, select People in the sidebar, then select Configuration > User fields. Add the custom user field braze_external_id.

Step 6: Set up inbound-SMS forwarding

Next, you’ll create two new webhook campaigns in Braze so you can forward inbound SMS from customers to the Zendesk inbox.

Step 6.1: Create an SMS keyword category

In the Braze dashboard, go to Audience, choose your SMS subscription group, then select Add Custom Keyword. Fill out the following fields to create an exclusive SMS keyword category for Zendesk.

Step 6.2: Create your first webhook campaign

In the Braze dashboard, create your first webhook campaign. This message will signal to Zendesk that support is being requested.

In the webhook composer, fill out the following fields:

• Webhook URL: https://{{url}}.zendesk.com/api/v2/tickets
• HTTP Method: POST
• Request Headers:
• Content-Type: application/json
• Authorization: Basic
• Request body:

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{
  "ticket": {
    "subject": "Action Needed",
    "comment": {
      "body": "{{sms.${inbound_message_body}}}"
    },
"requester":{
"name": "{{${first_name}}} {{${last_name}}}",
"user_fields": {
"braze_external_id": "{{${user_id}}}"
}
},
    "priority": "normal",
    "type": "problem"
  }
}

Step 6.3: Schedule the first delivery

For Schedule Delivery, select Action-Based Delivery, then choose Send an SMS Inbound Message for your trigger type. Also add the SMS subscription group and keyword category you set up previously.

Under Delivery Controls, turn on re-eligibility.

Step 6.4: Create your second webhook campaign

Set up a webhook campaign to forward remaining SMS messages from the user to Zendesk:

Because Zendesk sends the ticket ID as a string, create a Content Block to convert the string to an integer so you can use it in Zendesk’s webhook.

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{% assign var = {{custom_attribute.${zendesk_ticket}}} | to_i %}{{var}}

In the webhook composer:

• Webhook URL: https://{{url}}.zendesk.com/api/v2/tickets/{{content_blocks.${to_int}}}.json
• Request: PUT
• KVPs:
  • Content-Type:application/JSON
  • Authorization: Basic

Sample Body:

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{
  "ticket": {
    "comment": {
      "body": "Inbound message from {{${first_name}}} {{${last_name}}}: {{sms.${inbound_message_body}}}"
    }
}
}

Step 6.5: Complete second webhook campaign setup

• Set up an action-based trigger for users who send an inbound message in the category “Other”.
• Set up re-eligibility criteria.
• Add applicable audiences (in this case, the custom attribute zendesk_ticket_open is true).