Zendesk is a great app for customer service and support. The true value of Zendesk emerges when it integrates seamlessly with the other tools in your IT ecosystem - whether for IT service management, cross-department collaboration, or even sales.

At ONEiO we've built our fair share of integrations between Zendesk and other apps and IT services. Let's go through the key considerations for Zendesk integrations, Zendesk’s API functionality, a list of common integrations, examples of popular endpoints, and a step-by-step guide on how to set up two-way Zendesk integrations.

The Simplest Path: Zendesk Marketplace

The quickest way to get started with standard Zendesk integrations is through the Zendesk Marketplace. There, you’ll find hundreds of pre-built apps designed to quickly connect Zendesk with popular tools like Salesforce, Slack, Jira, and more. If your use case is relatively straightforward, e.g., syncing ticket data one way or simply notifying external tools about Zendesk updates  marketplace apps can provide a fast, low-effort solution.

However, these out-of-the-box connectors often have limitations. Most only offer basic or one-directional functionality. As soon as you need complex workflows or bidirectional syncing of data (e.g., real-time status updates back into Zendesk), a more comprehensive integration approach—like using the Zendesk API, Zendesk Integration Services (ZIS), or an Integration Automation Platform—may be required.

List of Common Integrations within the Zendesk Marketplace

Zendesk integrates with hundreds of tools and services to sync up different areas of an organization’s operations and customer support processes. Some of the most common integrations include:

1. Jira
   Integrating Jira with Zendesk helps in better handling of bug reports, feature requests, and escalations to development teams—all while keeping support agents and engineers aligned.
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2. Salesforce
   By integrating Salesforce with Zendesk, sales and support teams can easily collaborate. This ensures that issues or questions that arise during a sales cycle are quickly handed off and resolved.
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3. Slack
   Connecting Slack with Zendesk helps service and support teams stay informed via real-time notifications of new tickets, updates, and internal discussions.
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4. GitHub
   Integration with GitHub can allow developers to link pull requests and commits to customer-reported bugs in Zendesk, providing a full picture of resolution progress.
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5. Asana
   Asana tasks and Zendesk tickets can be synced, ensuring cross-functional collaboration and seamless project or workflow management.

You can find apps for many of these integrations directly in the Zendesk Marketplace. For more advanced or two-way functionality, however, you may need custom API integrations or an integration platform like ONEiO.

Why Zendesk’s Connected Apps May Not Be Enough for You

The biggest limitation of most out-of-the-box Zendesk connectors and marketplace apps is that they often provide only a one-directional flow of information. They typically push data from Zendesk into another tool, without automatically syncing updates back into Zendesk. For example, there are no two-directional integrations available for popular services like ServiceNow.

For larger enterprises, this one-way data flow can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and repetitive manual work—ultimately impacting productivity and customer satisfaction. That’s where more robust integration solutions come into play, whether you leverage the Zendesk REST API, Zendesk Integration Services (ZIS), or an external integration platform.

Zendesk’s API Functionality (and Zendesk Integration Services)

If you’re not satisfied with Zendesk’s built-in integration capabilities or marketplace apps, you can build your own integrations using developer tools like the Zendesk REST API or Zendesk Integration Services (ZIS).

Zendesk REST API

• End-to-End Ticket Management:
  Create, retrieve, update, and manage tickets.
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• User and Organization Data:
  Keep external systems (CRMs, HR, etc.) in sync.
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• Comments and Attachments:
  Maintain a complete record of conversations across multiple platforms.
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• Authentication and Authorization:
  Secure methods like OAuth or API tokens protect your Zendesk instance.
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• Official Documentation:
  Refer to the Zendesk API Reference for detailed guides, endpoints, and best practices.

Zendesk Integration Services (ZIS)

• Event-Driven Workflows:
  ZIS is a serverless integration layer for automating workflows based on Zendesk events.
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• Flexible Customization:
  Build sophisticated flows that trigger actions in external systems whenever certain events occur in Zendesk (e.g., a new high-priority ticket).
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• Scalability and Maintenance:
  Because it’s a serverless solution, ZIS can simplify maintenance and reduce the overhead associated with running your own integration infrastructure.

Considerations for Self-Built Zendesk API or ZIS Integrations

If you go down the do-it-yourself route, you should prepare to invest both time and resources in both configuring and maintaining integrations. Here are a few things to consider.

Security and Data Exchange

When integrating Zendesk with other systems, secure data exchange must be a top priority:

• HTTPS and Encryption
  Always ensure data is encrypted in transit.
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• Token-Based Authentication
  Manage access through token-based authentication, often leveraging OAuth, to secure API requests.
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• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  Restrict access based on roles to protect sensitive support data and meet compliance or internal security policies.

Integration Maintenance

Your custom Zendesk integration should be easy for IT teams or support admins to manage. Over time, you may add new ticket types, introduce new service channels, or modify existing workflows. Plan ahead for ongoing development and maintenance to keep your integration aligned with evolving business needs.

Handling Downtimes

Integration points can break when an external system or Zendesk experiences downtime. Consider a decentralized or transactional synchronization approach so that data remains consistent. Once both systems are online, synchronization can catch up and avoid data loss.

Synchronization Considerations

A strong integration should offer:

• Bi-Directional Data Sync
  Ensure changes in Zendesk are reflected in the connected system and vice versa, providing real-time updates for support agents, developers, and other stakeholders.
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• Selective or Role-Specific Visibility
  Maintain control over what information is shared with which teams, ensuring sensitive data stays protected while relevant updates reach the right eyes.

Examples of Popular Zendesk Integration Endpoints

At ONEiO, we build advanced integrations for both enterprise businesses and IT managed services providers. From tis perspective, we see a number of common integration needs that go beyond what Zendesk itself has to offer.

Zendesk and Jira Integration

Use Case:
Customer issues reported in Zendesk can be escalated as Jira tickets for the engineering team to investigate.
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Key Benefit:
Streamlines communication between customer support and development, ensuring swift issue resolution.

Zendesk and Salesforce Integration

Use Case:
A sales opportunity or account in Salesforce links to a Zendesk ticket if a customer raises a product-related concern, giving the sales team visibility into support progress.
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Key Benefit:
Improves hand-offs between sales and support, maintaining customer satisfaction throughout the purchase and onboarding journey.

Zendesk and Slack Integration

Use Case:
Support teams receive Slack notifications for high-priority tickets, enabling quick, collaborative responses.
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Key Benefit:
Faster response times and a more transparent internal communication channel for urgent issues.

Zendesk and GitHub Integration

Use Case:
Development teams can view GitHub commits associated with a specific Zendesk ticket to investigate or fix reported bugs.
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Key Benefit:
Clear visibility for dev teams, ensuring no customer request goes unaddressed.

Zendesk and Asana Integration

Use Case:
Marketing or operations tasks in Asana can be updated automatically when certain types of customer feedback or requests come through Zendesk.
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Key Benefit:
Enables cross-functional collaboration, from tracking customer feedback in Zendesk to planning tasks in Asana.

Setting Up Bidirectional Zendesk Integrations with ONEiO

When you need a truly two-way data flow—potentially across multiple tools and teams—an Integration Automation Platform like ONEiO can make a world of difference. Below is a summary of the process, adapted from ONEiO’s official guide on How to configure Zendesk for integration with ONEiO.

1. Preparation

• Define Requirements:
  Identify what data (e.g., ticket fields, statuses, or comments) must sync with external tools, and confirm ONEiO supports these needs.
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• Permissions:
  Ensure you have admin rights in Zendesk and the relevant external systems.

2. Configure Zendesk for ONEiO

1. Generate an API Token:
   • Go to Zendesk Admin Center and navigate to Apps and Integrations > Zendesk API to create an API token for external use.
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2. Webhook Setup (Optional):
   • For event-driven integrations, configure webhooks that fire whenever tickets are created or updated. You can also leverage ZIS for more advanced workflows.
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3. Set Up Integration in ONEiO

1. Log In to ONEiO:
   • Access the integration management panel.
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2. Create a New Endpoint:
   • Provide your Zendesk subdomain (e.g., company.zendesk.com), along with the API token or OAuth credentials.
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3. Configure Endpoint Details:
   • Include any custom fields you want to map—like ticket priority, type, or custom attributes.

4. Integration Configurations

• Field Mapping:
  • Use ONEiO’s interface to map Zendesk ticket fields to fields in the other system (e.g., “Ticket Priority” in Zendesk ↔ “Priority” in Jira).
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• Routing Rules:
  • Define when tickets or updates flow in either direction (e.g., open tickets in Zendesk create issues in Jira, closed issues in Jira close the Zendesk ticket).
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• Bi-Directional Sync:
  • Ensure you enable two-way updates. A comment added in Zendesk should appear in the other system, and vice versa.
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5. Test and Activat the Integration

• Test the Integration:
  • Create sample tickets in Zendesk and track them through the other system to confirm proper synchronization.
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• Activate:
  • Once tests pass, activate the integration and let data flow seamlessly to-and-from Zendesk and your other endpoints.

Bottom Line on Zendesk Integrations

Zendesk integrations can transform your support platform into a centralized, efficient hub for customer interactions—connected to development, sales, and beyond. Whether you’re linking Zendesk to Jira for dev escalations, Salesforce for sales insights, or Slack for real-time communication, the right integrations remove silos and drive alignment.

Start with the Zendesk Marketplace for the quickest, simplest integrations, but be aware that you may need more advanced solutions for bi-directional data sync or complex routing. You can harness the Zendesk REST API or Zendesk Integration Services (ZIS) to build more sophisticated, event-driven workflows. And, if you prefer a ready-made integration automation solution, consider ONEiO to save time and maintenance headaches.

Need help with your Zendesk integrations?‍

Schedule a meeting with integration specialists to learn how our bidirectional integration platform can connect Zendesk with any system in your enterprise—quickly, securely, and at scale.