Employee service (ES) AI agents can operate in help center search, Slack channels, and Microsoft Teams channels, answering employees' questions based on the knowledge sources connected to the ES AI agent. A default ES AI agent is automatically created for you, but you can create additional ES AI agents as needed.

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Summary: ◀▼

You can create and customize employee service AI agents to answer questions using connected knowledge sources. Deploy a single agent across help centers, Slack, and Microsoft Teams channels without needing separate agents for each platform. Configure response triggers, add quick prompts, and update agent settings or deployment locations as needed. Only admins can manage these AI agents and their knowledge connections.

Location: Admin Center > AI > AI agents > AI agents

Employee service (ES) AI agents can operate in help center search, Slack channels, and Microsoft Teams channels, answering employees' questions based on the knowledge sources connected to the ES AI agent. A default ES AI agent is automatically created for you, but you can create additional ES AI agents as needed.

You can deploy a single agent to multiple places, including help center and any number of Slack and Microsoft Teams channels. You do not need to create separate ES AI agents, as long as the connected knowledge sources are the same.

Note: Before you can deploy to Slack or Microsoft Teams, you must install the Slack for Zendesk Support integration or Install the Microsoft Teams for Zendesk AI agents integration.

Only Support admins can create, deploy and edit agents. The permissions of the admin who creates the agent, the agent's creator, determine which knowledge sources can be connected to the agent.

This article contains the following topics:

  • Creating an employee service AI agent
  • Deploying an ES AI agent
  • Editing an ES AI agent
Related articles:
  • Installing the Slack for Zendesk Support integration for employee service
  • Installing the Microsoft Teams for Zendesk AI agents integration for employee service

Creating an employee service AI agent

Creating a Zendesk brand automatically creates a default employee service (ES) AI agent and assigns it to your help center, where users can ask questions in the Search bar. You can create additional ES AI agents and connect them to various knowledge sources.

Once created, you can deploy a single agent to multiple places, including help center and any number of Slack and Microsoft Teams channels. You do not need to create separate ES AI agents for each deployment if they use the same knowledge sources and configuration.

To create an ES AI agent

  1. In Admin Center, click AI in the sidebar, then select AI agents > AI agents.
  2. Click Create AI agent.
  3. In New agent, enter a name for the ES AI agent, then in Add description, enter a description, if you want.
  4. Under Tools, click Add, then select any of the following:
    • Enterprise search adds connected knowledge sources to the ES AI agent.
    • Open ticket allows ticket creation from the ES AI agent.
    • Web search allows the Internet to be searched by the ES AI agent.
    • File search allows users to upload files to the ES AI agent chat.
    • Action catalog allows you to select actions that the ES AI agent can use, such as action flows and custom actions. Selection occurs when you add this tool to the agent's configuration.
  5. Depending on the tools you selected, do the following:
    • For Enterprise search, under Sources, click App, then select a knowledge source for this ES AI agent to use.

      Only connected sources appear. Sources that are still syncing have a syncing icon, and a message alerts you that full functionality will be available within 24 hours of the connection time.

      To add another source, click Add Source, then click App and select a knowledge source. For each source, click More filters if you want to apply filters. Filters vary, but specific resource, last edited, and type are always available.

      Note: If you plan to deploy this ES AI agent to Slack or Microsoft Teams channels, and you want the ES AI agent to reference the channels where it is deployed, but sure to add Slack or Microsoft Teams as a knowledge source.
    • For File search, under Files, click Upload files or drag and drop files to add files for the ES AI agent to reference.
    • For Web search, under Internet search, click Add websites to specify websites for the ES AI agent to reference. If you do not add any specific websites, the ES AI agent will reference the entire internet.
  6. Under Instructions, enter instructions for the ES AI agent to follow.

    For example, you can describe the agent persona, behavior, guardrails, and when to engage each tool type.

  7. Under Quick prompts, enter prompts as needed to provide shortcuts for common tasks or questions that end users can select to get fast answers without having to enter the text.

    Use square brackets in the prompt template to create placeholders that fill automatically. For example, [project name]. Click + Add to add more prompts.

  8. Click Save.

After you create an ES AI agent, you can deploy it to make it available in help center and any number of Slack channels or Microsoft Teams channels. See Deploying an employee service AI agent.

Deploying an employee service AI agent to a help center

You can deploy an ES AI agent to one or more help center brands.

To deploy an ES AI agent to a help center

  1. In Admin Center, click AI in the sidebar, then select AI agents > AI agents.
  2. Click the name of the ES AI agent you want to deploy, then click the Channels tab.

    If you opened the default agent, the help center it was automatically created for is listed under Help Center > Assigned help center. If you do not want the default agent to operate in your help center, click Remove from help center x.

  3. Click Assign to another help center, then select a help center from the list.
  4. Click Save.

Deploying an employee service AI agent to Slack channels

You can deploy an ES AI agent to one or more public or private Slack channels. You can deploy an existing ES AI agent if you have created an ES AI agent , or you can create a new agent as part of the deployment process. You can create an ES AI agent first, then deploy the existing agent, or you can create a new agent as part of the deployment process.

You can deploy an ES AI agent to Slack from the Integrations page in Admin Center.

Before you begin, ensure that the Zendesk for AI Agents app is installed in Slack. When the Zendesk app is installed, the default agent is automatically deployed to Slack for use in direct messages and in the chat in the Zendesk app. You can remove the deployment in the default agent Channel settings.

To deploy an ES AI agent to a Slack channel from the Integrations page
  1. In Admin Center, click Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Integrations > Integrations.
  2. Click the options menu () next to Slack, then click View.
  3. Click Edit for a workspace.
  4. Add the ES AI agents to channels, depending on whether the channel is public or private:
    • For public channels: On the Slack integration page, click in Search for channels, enter a channel name to search for it or select a channel from the list, then click Add app to channels.
    • For private channels: In Slack, in the message bar for the channel, enter /invite @Zendesk, then press Return. Go back to Admin Center.
  5. On the Slack integration page, beside the channel you just added, click the options menu (), then select Set up agent.
  6. Under AI agent, click Select agent, then select an ES AI agent from the list.
  7. Under Response trigger, select an option to determine when the ES AI agent responds:
    • On work related questions (recommended)
    • On every message
    • When explicitly mentioned
  8. For Respond to messages from other AI agents, determine whether the ES AI agent should respond to other ES AI agents.
  9. Under Reactions, configure the response settings for reactions.
  10. Select if you need action buttons, which are posted as a response regardless of whether an answer is provided, then add a heading, description (optional), and up to three button labels and URLs.

    Action buttons are posted as a response regardless of whether an answer is provided.

  11. Click Save.

Deploying an employee service AI agent to Microsoft Teams channels

You can deploy an ES AI agent to one or more public or private Microsoft Teams channels. You can create an ES AI agent first, then deploy the existing agent, or you can create a new agent as part of the deployment process.

You can deploy an ES AI agent to Teams from the Integrations page or the AI agents page in Admin Center.

Before you begin, ensure that the Zendesk for AI Agents app is installed in Microsoft Teams.

To deploy an ES AI agent to a Microsoft Teams channel from the Integrations page
  1. In Microsoft Teams, in the channel where you want the ES AI agent, enter @ZendeskAIAgent invite in the message bar.

    This extends the installed Zendesk for AI Agents app in the channel. Repeat in other channels as needed.

  2. In Admin Center, click Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Integrations > Integrations.
  3. Click Microsoft teams, then click Edit for the tenant.
  4. Beside the channel where you want to deploy, click the options menu (), then click Add AI Agent.
  5. Under AI agent, click Select agent, then select an ES AI agent from the list.
  6. Under Response trigger, select an option to determine when the ES AI agent responds:
    • On work related questions (recommended)
    • On every message
    • When explicitly mentioned
  7. For Respond to messages from other AI agents, determine whether the ES AI agent should respond to other ES AI agents.
  8. Under Reactions, configure the response settings for reactions.
  9. Select if you need action buttons, which are posted as a response regardless of whether an answer is provided, then add a heading, description (optional), and up to three button labels and URLs.

    Action buttons are posted as a response regardless of whether an answer is provided.

  10. Click Save.

    The assigned AI Agent now shows on the channel row.

To deploy an ES AI agent to a Microsoft Teams channel from the AI agents page
  1. In Microsoft Teams, in the channel where you want the ES AI agent, enter @ZendeskAIAgent invite in the message bar.

    This extends the installed Zendesk for AI Agents app in the channel. Repeat in other channels as needed.

  2. In Admin Center, click AI in the sidebar, then select AI agents > AI agents.
  3. Click the name of the ES AI agent you want to deploy, then click the Channels tab.

    The default agent deployment is listed as a Personal assistant in the Channels tab.

  4. In Search for channels, enter a channel name to search for it or select a channel from the list, then click Assign agent to channels.

    You can select multiple channels to assign at the same time.

  5. Click the Edit icon next to the channel name to configure the agent’s behavior in channel.
  6. Under Response trigger, select an option to determine when the ES AI agent responds:
    • On work related questions (recommended)
    • On every message
    • When explicitly mentioned
  7. For Respond to messages from other AI agents, determine whether the ES AI agent should respond to other ES AI agents.
  8. Click Save.

Editing an employee service AI agent

You can edit an ES AI agent to make updates its name, description, connected knowledge sources, instructions, or quick prompts. You can also edit an ES AI agent to change where it's deployed.

To edit an ES AI agent
  1. In Admin Center, click AI in the sidebar, then select AI agents > AI agents.
  2. Beside the name of the ES AI agent you want to edit, click the options menu (), then select Edit.
  3. In the Settings tab, make changes as needed, then click Save.
  4. Click the Channels tab, then make changes to where the ES AI agent is deployed.

    Changes in the Channels tab are automatically saved.

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