Adding Zendesk Talk numbers

To use Talk, you'll need to buy a phone number from us. You can purchase this number from directly within Talk. If you already have a support telephone number, and want to keep using it, you can forward calls from your support number to the Zendesk Talk number.

Important: If you are using the Talk Lite plan, you are limited to adding only one Talk number. Additionally, you are limited to one phone number if you use Zendesk Support Starter or Essential plans.

This article contains the following sections:

• Adding a new number
• Adding an external number for outbound calls
• Forwarding incoming calls from an existing number to Talk
• Adding a local business address

For information about managing numbers, see Managing Zendesk Talk numbers.

Adding a new number

For a detailed list of numbers you can purchase, see Zendesk Talk number availability and pricing. Some numbers have specific requirements, for the list of these requirements see  Zendesk Talk and Zendesk Text number regulatory requirements.

If you have an existing telephone number that you use for support calls, you can forward these calls to your Talk number. If you have a US-based number, you can port the number to Twilio to use as your Talk number. For details, see Porting numbers into Zendesk Talk.

To add a new number

1. Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Channels > Talk.
2. Click the Numbers tab.
3. Click Add number > Purchase a new number.

   

4. Choose a country, and select the number type for example, local or toll free. A list of available numbers is displayed. You can also search for phone numbers or vanity numbers containing specific sequences of letters or numbers.

   Talk displays one or more of the following icons next to each number to show whether the number is voice, text, or MMS compatible.

   

5. Select a phone number and then click Next. The phone number is free during a trial of Talk, but you cannot change it until you add Talk to your accounts subscription.
6. Review the number you selected and monthly deduction amount, then click Next.
7. If you selected a local number from certain countries, you must provide a business address for that country. Enter the address and click Next.
8. Click Finish.

Adding an external number for outbound calls

Note: External numbers for outbound calls is a feature only available on the Talk Professional and Enterprise plans. To add an external number, you must have international calling enabled. To enable international calling, contact customer support.

When agents place outbound calls, the Talk number selected in the call console appears as the caller ID. If you have an outside number that you'd like to appear for caller ID instead, you can add it as an external number. This does not route incoming calls to the external number into Talk. It only allows you to place outbound calls using the external number.

For details on configuring using an external number for your outbound caller ID, see Standardizing your outbound caller ID.

To add an external number

1. Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Channels > Talk.
2. Click the Numbers tab.
3. Click Add number > Add an external number.

   

4. Enter the external number in the window that appears and click Call to receive a verification code.

   

5. Enter the verification code from the screen on your phone to verify the external number.

   

The external number now appears in your list of phone numbers.

Forwarding incoming calls from an existing number to Talk

If you want to keep using an existing telephone number for support, you can forward the calls to a Talk number. If you have a US-based number with another carrier, you also have the option of porting the number to Twilio (our voice service provider) to use as your Talk number.

To forward calls

1. Set up a Talk number as described in the section above.
2. Ask your telephone service provider to forward calls to the Talk number.

Make sure to check with your existing provider about passing the inbound caller ID to your Talk number.

To port an existing number to Talk

Zendesk lets you move or "port" your existing phone number to Zendesk Talk for many countries. Bear in mind that this process might take a little time, so factor that into your plans. To get started, see Porting numbers into Zendesk Talk.

Adding a local business address

For some locales, you'll need to add a local business address.

If you're adding a new number from one of these locales, you'll be prompted to enter the address while purchasing the number (see Adding a new number,)

If you're using an existing number that requires an address, you can enter it in the Talk channel settings.

For a full list of address and documentation requirements for Talk numbers, see Zendesk Talk and Zendesk Text number address requirements.

To add a local business address for an existing number

1. Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Channels > Talk.
2. Click the Addresses tab.
3. Click add address.
4. Enter your address details.
5. Click Save.