Notifying external targets

Notifying external targets

You can notify external targets when a ticket is created or updated. External targets are cloud-based applications and services (such as Twitter and Twilio) as well as HTTP and email. Here are some examples of how and why targets are used:

• Sending an SMS text message when an urgent ticket has been unattended for more than 48 hours
• Sending a notification to a Twitter stream when a new urgent ticket is created
• Creating a Salesforce case from a ticket
• Synchronizing ticket comments in a JIRA bug base

Those are just a few examples. See Setting up a target below for more information about the targets available in Zendesk.

Targets are used in automation and trigger actions. First you configure a target and then you specify the target using the Notify target action.

Setting up a target

In addition to generic targets for HTTP and email targets, Zendesk provides you with predefined targets for well-known cloud-based applications and services.

Table 1. Targets

Target	Description
Atlassian JIRA	The JIRA target allows you to push comments made in Zendesk tickets to JIRA so that you can keep associated tickets synchronized.
Basecamp	Using the Basecamp target, you can push ticket updates to a project as: New messages in a project New comments in a specific message New ToDo list New ToDo item in a specific todo list You need to enable API access in your Basecamp account to use this target. For information about setting up Basecamp, see Setting up and using Basecamp.
Campfire	Send notifications to a Campfire chat room. See Adding Campfire to your Zendesk.
Clickatell	Use this target to send SMS messages using your Clickatell account. Follow the steps in Clickatell HTTP API Guide to setup the account, add a HTTP connection and obtain an API ID.
Email	Send emails to specific addresses. You can define the action in a trigger or automation.
Flowdock	Post updates as messages in a Flowdock flow.
Get Satisfaction	Post public comments to Get Satisfaction topics for tickets created using the Zendesk moderator tool in Get Satisfaction. By creating this target, Zendesk will automatically create the necessary triggers and views and also add a useful widget in the home and ticket pages (you can remove those widgets if you don't need them).
HTTP request	Make a GET or POST request to any HTTP address. You can include URL parameters and use Zendesk placeholders as parameters. Example: www.some-address.com?customer_name={{ticket.requester.name}}. Set up a script on your server to receive the request, and then you can do just about anything from there.
Pivotal Tracker	Create stories in Pivotal Tracker from a Zendesk ticket to easily prioritize support issues in your project backlog. The Pivotal Tracker target sends the Zendesk ticket ID to Pivotal Tracker when creating a new story. If you have enabled Pivotal Tracker's native Zendesk integration in the target Tracker project, a link back to the Zendesk ticket is created in the new story.
Salesforce	Create a Salesforce case from a Zendesk ticket. When you set up this target, Zendesk automatically creates an example trigger for you.
SugarCRM	Push ticket data to a SugarCRM case.
Twillio	Use this target to send SMS messages to a mobile phone using your Twilio account.
Twitter	Send notifications to a Twitter stream. Note: Make sure that you protect your twitter stream if you don't want notifications to be readable by the general public.
Yammer	Send notifications to a Yammer stream. Follow the steps in this Yammer Target Guide to create a client application in Yammer and authorize this target to use the Yammer API. For more information, see Displaying ticket activity in your Yammer Activity Stream.

Note: To set up many of these external targets, you'll need to consult their documentation. Some targets, such as Twitter, merely require that you authorize your account before you can begin posting messages.

To add a target

1. Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Extensions.
   Zendesk Classic: Select the Settings menu, then select Extensions.
2. Click the Targets tab.
3. Select Add target.
4. All of the target options are listed. Select the type of target and enter the required target information (which varies from target to target).
5. Click Create Target.

Managing your targets

Once you've set up targets, you can edit, delete, and deactivate and reactivate them.

To edit a target

1. Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Extensions.
   Zendesk Classic: Select the Settings menu, then select Extensions.
2. Click the Targets tab.
3. Locate the target you want to edit and click Edit.
4. Make your changes and then click Update Target.

To delete a target

1. Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Extensions.
   Zendesk Classic: Select the Settings menu, then select Extensions.
2. Click the Targets tab.
3. Locate the target you want to edit and click Edit.
4. Select Delete Target.

To deactivate/reactivate a target

1. Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Extensions.
   Zendesk Classic: Select the Settings menu, then select Extensions.
2. Click the Targets tab.
3. Locate the target you want to deactivate and select Deactivate.
4. To reactivate the target, select it from the list of inactive targets and select Activate.

Using targets in automations and triggers

Once you've set up targets, you can use them in automations and triggers. Here's an example of a trigger that notifies a Twitter account when an urgent ticket is created:

Since you're interacting with external targets, there may be a delay between when a trigger or automation runs and when you'll see the results in the external target (in the example above, that would be your Twitter home page or stream).

Zendesk attempts to send the notification 10 times. If all attempts fail, the target is deactivated. You'll then need to edit and test and reactivate the target before you can try to use it again.