Quick start
From the Teamspace where you want data to land, open Settings → Integrations → Zendesk → Connect. Then create one or both subscriptions:
Auto-import recordings — new Zendesk call recordings become Recordings in this Teamspace.
Auto-import tickets — new Zendesk tickets become Highlights in this Teamspace.
Zendesk stores Talk call recordings on the related ticket; NEXT AI picks them up and links back to the ticket for traceability.
Why integrate with Zendesk?
Each source adds a new dimension of customer truth. Zendesk contributes the support perspective—tickets and phone calls—that complements sales calls, meetings, surveys, and reviews you already bring into NEXT AI. Combined, these streams form a richer customer-intelligence graph that improves prioritization and automation, with evidence attached.
What gets imported
Call recordings → Recordings
Object in NEXT AI: Recording (conversational)Fields: media, timestamps/duration, agent/requester info, and a source link to the Zendesk ticket that holds the recording. Recordings come from Zendesk Talk and are attached to voice tickets.
Tickets → Highlights
Object in NEXT AI: Highlight (short-form)Fields: subject/title, latest message text, requester/assignee, status/priority, ticket id, and source link to the ticket. Tickets are discovered via Zendesk’s ticketing APIs (new/updated).
Connect Zendesk
In NEXT AI (inside the target Teamspace), go to Settings → Integrations → Zendesk → Connect.
Sign in to Zendesk and Authorize access so NEXT AI can read tickets and Talk metadata.
Zendesk’s Ticketing API is used to read tickets and related resources; authentication follows their standard API model.
Doesn't work? Send Required Information to NEXT Support:
After obtaining your API token, create a ticket with the following information:
Zendesk API Token
Zendesk Subdomain
Zendesk Email Address
Import from Zendesk
Auto-import recordings
Create a subscription that watches for new Zendesk Talk call recordings and imports each as a Recording in this Teamspace. Recordings are attached to the related ticket as a voice comment in Zendesk; NEXT AI uses that relationship to fetch the media and metadata and maintain a source link back to the ticket.
Ensure call recording is enabled in Zendesk Talk; recorded calls are attached to the associated ticket.
Auto-import tickets
Create a subscription that watches for new tickets and imports each as a Highlight in this Teamspace. This uses Zendesk’s ticketing endpoints designed for new/changed items (for example, Incremental Exports) to ingest fresh support signals without re-pulling your entire backlog.
Tips
Volume control & routing: keep Zendesk the system of record for operations; use NEXT AI to analyze, cluster, and then push validated insights to Slack/Jira with the source link intact.
Optional choice for long tickets: if you have a lot of conversational tickets, you can import them as Recordings if your workflow benefits from timeline playback; brief tickets fit best as Highlights.
Custom fields: if you rely on custom ticket fields for routing, confirm their availability via Ticket Fields and surface them in your Zendesk plan; they’ll then appear to mapping/filters as supported.
Troubleshooting
“Recording not available” on Talk items — Zendesk TPE stores links to provider-hosted audio; if the original file was moved/expired or access was revoked, the ticket may show “Recording not available.” Restore access at the provider or re-attach a valid URL.
Imports slowed or delayed — heavy backfills and incremental exports are subject to Zendesk API rate limits; use backoff or schedule windows to stay within limits.
Tickets not appearing — confirm the subscription is active and the ticket is new/updated (incremental feeds only return changes since the last checkpoint).
FAQ
Q: What exactly is created in NEXT AI from Zendesk?
Two objects: Recordings for Talk call recordings (with media, timing, and a source link to the ticket) and Highlights for new tickets (with subject/text, status/priority, requester/assignee, and a source link).
Q: Do we need to enable call recording in Zendesk?
Yes. When call recording is enabled in Zendesk Talk, the recording is attached to the related ticket—NEXT AI then imports it as a Recording.
Q: How does NEXT AI detect “new” tickets?
By using Zendesk’s incremental export/event endpoints to fetch new or changed tickets since the last checkpoint (no full re-pull).
Q: What if a Talk recording shows “Recording not available”?
Zendesk may only store a link for some Talk Partner flows. If the upstream file was removed or permissions changed, restore it at the provider or re-attach a valid URL on the ticket.
Q: Will rate limits affect large backfills?
Zendesk enforces API rate limits (with specific, lower limits on incremental exports). Plan backfills and add backoff to stay within quotas.