Deactivating messaging for web and mobile channels

Tip: Zendesk has renamed our bot capabilities. Answer Bot is now Zendesk bots, Flow Builder is bot builder, and Article Recommendations are autoreplies. For more information on this change, see this announcement.

This article describes the process for removing messaging capabilities from your account, as well as deactivating bot-enhanced messaging from a channel and reverting to default messaging.

This article includes the following sections:

• Removing a widget from a website, help center, or mobile app
• Disconnecting a conversation bot from a channel
• Turning off messaging for a brand
• Turning off messaging at the account level

Removing a widget from a website, help center, or mobile app

If you installed a messaging Web Widget in your website or help center, or added it to a mobile app, you can remove it without altering the widget configuration in Admin Center.

To remove a widget from a website

• Delete the code from the web page.

To remove a widget from a help center

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. In the Channels list, click the widget you want to remove.
3. Click the Installation tab.
4. Under Add to Help Center, deselect Automatically embed Web Widget in your help center.
5. Click Save settings.

The widget is immediately removed from your help center.

To remove a widget from a mobile app

• Ask your developer to remove the channel key from the mobile app code.

Disconnecting a conversation bot from a channel

You may find you need to disconnect a bot from a channel, because you want to use a different bot, or because you no longer want to offer bot functionality through that channel.

When you disconnect a messaging bot from a channel, it is replaced by the default messaging response until and unless another bot is connected to that channel. Before disconnecting a bot, make sure you have another bot ready to replace it, or check that your default messaging response is properly configured.

To disconnect a bot from a channel

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
2. Click Manage bots.
3. Hover over the bot you want to disconnect, and click Settings.
4. In the General tab, under Channels, deselect the channel you want to disconnect.
5. Click Save.

The bot is disconnected, and the default messaging response is activated.

Turning off messaging for a brand

If you no longer want to use messaging in a Web Widget or mobile SDK, but may return to it in the future, we recommend leaving messaging connected at the account level, so you can reinstate it in the future with your previously-configured settings intact.

When you turn off messaging for a brand, any messaging Web Widgets associated with that brand revert to any Web Widget (Classic) you previously configured for that brand. If you did not previously configure Web Widget (Classic) for that brand, a generic configuration is applied. For information on Web Widget (Classic), see Using Web Widget (Classic) to embed customer service on your website. Any messaging configurations will be retained

If you do not want a widget embedded on your website or help center, we recommend following the instructions in Removing a widget from a website, help center, or mobile SDK, above.

To deactivate Zendesk messaging for a brand

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click Manage settings at the top of the page.
3. Under Turn on messaging for Web Widget, delete the brand you want to disconnect.
4. Click Save.

Turning off messaging at the account level

If you do not want to use Zendesk messaging in the future, you can turn it off it at the account level as well.

When you turn off messaging at the account level, you’re reverting to an older Web Widget (Classic) with live chat enabled.

If you wish to keep this legacy functionality, see Using Web Widget (Classic) to embed customer service on your website for more information.

You can remove this legacy functionality from a channel all together by following the instructions in Removing a widget from a website, help center, or mobile SDK, above.

To turn off messaging at the account level

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
2. Click Manage settings at the top of the page.
3. On the Messaging setup page, deselect Turn on messaging for your account.
   Note: On some newer accounts, admins must request messaging deactivation by filling out this form. For more information, see this announcement.
4. Confirm your action by clicking Turn off messaging, then click Save on the Messaging settings page.