You can use your sandbox testing environment preview how messaging functions in a Web Widget, mobile app, or social messaging channel.
For information on creating and using a sandbox instance, see Testing changes in your standard sandbox.
This article includes the following sections:
Adding web and mobile messaging to your sandbox
If you’ve enabled messaging before creating your sandbox, it is automatically enabled in that sandbox. Note that any configurations – such as flows, Agent Workspace settings, triggers, and SDK appearance selections – are not carried over into the sandbox instance.
If, however, you want to try messaging in your sandbox before adding it to your production instance, or if you're adding messaging to an account with an existing sandbox, you'll need to add it to the sandbox manually. In this section, we'll walk you through the high-level steps for adding web or mobile messaging to your existing sandbox.
To test messaging in your sandbox
- Create a sandbox testing environment, if you haven't already done so.
- Open the sandbox.
- Enable messaging in the sandbox instance, if messaging wasn't enabled on your account before creating the sandbox.
- Activate and configure messaging for your Web Widget or mobile app.
- Test the out-of-the-box messaging functionality to see the default messaging experience and familiarize yourself with how messaging works.
- Customize your automated conversations with Flow Builder.
Adding social messaging to your sandbox
If you are a Zendesk Suite customer who enabled social messaging before creating your sandbox, it is automatically enabled in that sandbox. However, as with web and mobile messaging, social channel configurations are not carried over, and will need to be created separately in the sandbox.
If you want to try social messaging in your sandbox before making it available to your customers, you'll have to add it to your sandbox manually.
To test social messaging in your sandbox
- Create a sandbox testing environment, if you haven't already done so.
- Open the sandbox.
- If you have the social messaging add-on in your production instance, it will not be carried over to the sandbox instance. You can reach out to your Success Manager or Account Executive to get the social messaging add-on enabled for your Sandbox account. If you have a Suite account, you can skip this step.
- Set up test pages and profiles in your social messaging accounts, and add them to the Agent Workspace in your sandbox instance. Use the links below for information on setting up social messaging channels to an Agent Workspace:
7 Comments
I'd like to enable Zendesk messaging in my sandbox. I understand it's done through the Admin Center, under Channels. But my sandbox admin center doesn't have a Channels section. What am I doing wrong?
This is what it looks like on our real instance:
Hi there Michael! To note, the Channels icon is only present when an account has both an active Chat account as well as having Agent Workspace enabled.
In case it helps for reference, you can find steps to enable Agent Workspace here.
Nara S (she/they) | Zendesk Technical Support Engineer
Hi I'm trying to use messaging on our sandbox account but I don't see the option on the admin center. This is how it looks on the sandbox and the second image is how it looks on our live environment.
Is Agent Workspace enabled on your Sandbox environment? See Activating the Agent Workspace for the steps.
After you activate the workspace, you can set up social and web messaging channels.
We have been using Zendesk Chat and are trying to test the chat function in the Agent Workspace in our sandbox. Does that also require separately turning on "social messaging"?
I have Agent Workspace enabled in the Sandbox environment but cannot see Messaging, only the following:
I have created a ticket to help you troubleshoot your issue in enabling messaging.
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