Managing two-factor authentication (2FA)

Fastpath: Admin Center > Account > Security > Advanced

Two-factor authentication provides another layer of security to your Zendesk account by requiring agents and administrators to provide an expirable passcode when signing in.

Two-factor authentication can be used by agents or administrators who sign in to your Zendesk using Zendesk authentication. It's not available for agents or administrators who sign in using third-party authentication such as Google authentication services, JWT, or SAML. However, these users might still be able to use third-party two-factor authentication such as Google 2-Step Verification if you're using Google authentication.

You can require two-factor authentication for all agents and administrators, or each agent or administrator can set up two-factor authentication for their own use.

This article covers the following topics:

• Important considerations before enabling two-factor authentication
• Requiring two-factor authentication on the account
• Tracking who's using two-factor authentication
• Getting a recovery code for somebody else

Related articles:

• Understanding options for end-user access and sign-in
• General security best practices

Important considerations before enabling two-factor authentication

Before enabling two-factor authentication, make sure you understand the following important considerations:

• You can use two-factor authentication on the Zendesk website or with the Zendesk iOS or Android apps. However, the Zendesk REST API doesn't currently support two-factor authentication. See Using the API when 2-factor authentication is enabled in the Developers guide.
• Requiring two-factor authentication disables password-based authentication to the Zendesk API.

Requiring two-factor authentication on the account

You can require two-factor authentication for all agents and administrators. Once this setting is enabled, admins and agents will be required to set up two-factor authentication the next time they sign in. We recommend sending them a notification with a link to the Using two-factor authentication article.

By default, when you require two-factor authentication, agents and administrators only have to enter a passcode once every 30 days. They will always be asked for a passcode when they sign in from a different device for the first time.

If agents and administrators want to enter a passcode every time they sign in, they can uncheck the Don't ask again on this computer for 30 days option on the dialog box that prompts for a passcode. They always have this option available in the dialog box; you can't configure it.

To require two-factor authentication

1. In Admin Center, click Account in the sidebar, then select Security > Advanced.
2. On the Authentication tab, select Require two-factor authentication.
3. Click Save.

Tracking who's using two-factor authentication

You can generate a CSV spreadsheet listing all the admins and agents in your account and whether or not they're using two-factor authentication.

1. In Admin Center, click Account in the sidebar, then select Security > Advanced.
2. On the Authentication tab, click Generate 2FA status report.
3. Check your Zendesk email. You should get an email shortly with a link to download the spreadsheet.

Getting a recovery code for somebody else

If an agent or admin exhausts or loses their recovery codes and can't sign in, a Zendesk admin or the account owner can generate a recovery code for them.

1. In Admin Center, click People in the sidebar, then select Team > Team members.
2. Click the team member's profile to open it.
3. Click the Account tab.
4. Click Show recovery code.
5. Copy the code and send it to the agent or admin. You can also share a link with instructions for using and getting more recovery codes.