As an alternative to email-based side conversations, agents can use side conversations in a ticket to initiate and participate in Slack threads. The Slack side conversations you initiate are viewable in the ticket and the Slack application. Like email conversations, Slack side conversations are recorded as ticket events, and can be used as ticket trigger conditions.
Creating a side conversation using Slack
When creating a side conversation, you choose between using email or using Slack.
To create a side conversation using Slack
- In a ticket, open the context panel and click the Side conversations
(
) icon, then click the plus sign (+).
- Select Slack as the conversation type.
- Enter the Slack channel and your message. You can also add
attachments.
For more information about the composer, see Rich text editing in the side conversation composer.
You start a side conversation in one Slack channel at a time. You cannot combine Slack and email conversations. If you have a lot of Slack channels, it may take a few moments to display the list of available channels.
If you have multiple Slack workspaces connected to Zendesk Support, the workspace appears after the channel name. For example: #support - Workspace A, #general - Workspace A, #support - Workspace B, #general - Workspace B, and so on.
- When you’ve finished composing your message, click Send.
The team in the Slack channel can view your message and reply to the thread directly, without logging into Support.
The Slack replies are automatically included in the ticket’s side conversation.
The conversation can continue back and forth, as long as necessary, until you get the information you need.
- When the side conversation is complete, click Mark done in the ticket to close the side conversation.
Deleting a Slack side conversation
To delete a Slack side conversation, you must be the agent who created the Slack side conversation or an administrator. When you delete, the side conversation is removed from the ticket and Slack. Side conversation messages that are edited or deleted in Slack are also reflected on the ticket.
To delete a Slack side conversation
- In a ticket, open the context panel
and click the Side conversations (
) icon.
A list of side conversations for the ticket appears.
- Select the side conversation you want to delete.
You can only delete Slack side conversations. You cannot delete email side conversations.
- Click the options menu icon (
) on the right side of the conversation, then select Delete.
- When a confirmation message appears, click Delete to confirm the deletion.
About limitations and breaking the link between Support and Slack
- Only ticket comments with 1,000 characters or less can be inserted into a Slack side conversation.
- Slack @mentions are supported, but they don't
autocomplete. You must enter the user's Slack member
ID in angle brackets. For example
<@U1H63D8SZ>
.To find an agent's Slack member ID, go to the agent's profile in Slack. Click the options menu (
), then select Copy member ID.
Alternatively, you can include @here to notify everyone currently logged in or @channel to alert every channel member.
- Rich text formatting and Slack Markdown text entered in the side conversation composer may not always display as intended in Slack.
The following Slack features are not supported:
- Direct messages
As a workaround, the administrator can set up private Slack channels with only one member, such as #lkelly-private, and add them to the Slack for Zendesk integration.
- Emoji reactions
- Typing indicators
If the link breaks between Zendesk and Slack, for example, if an admin removes the Zendesk app from a Slack channel or if they archive or delete a Slack channel that you used for side conversations, you can still open and view these side conversations in a ticket, but you can no longer use that Slack channel to send or receive updates to side conversations.
48 comments
Dainne Kiara Lucena-Laxamana
Hi Heather Rommel!
Not at the moment. But can you post your use case to our Feedback on the ticketing system (Support) topic, using this template to format your feedback?
0
Luis
We are experiencing an issue with regards to replies from slack to Zendesk. Slack replies are not appearing on Zendesk.
0
Lisa Kelly
Hi Luis,
Did you make sure the Zendesk app was added to your Slack channel? Otherwise, Slack cannot communicate with Zendesk. See Adding the app to a Slack channel. If that still doesn't fix the issue, contact Zendesk Customer Support, so they can help you.
0
Deiaa Eid
Hi Lisa Kelly
Our agents sometimes initiate a conversation in Slack before creating a ticket in Zendesk. Is there a way to associate such conversations or posts in Slack with the corresponding Zendesk ticket, so that they appear as a side conversation in the ticket?
1
Lydia Forsyth
If we mark the Slack Side Conversation as done, does that mean that any additional replies to that slack thread in slack, will not show up in the side conversation in Zendesk? The reason I ask is that we have the setting set up to re-open side conversation every time there is a reply. If the conversation continues in slack, but is not necessary for the Zendesk ticket, I wouldn't want the side conversation to continue opening up that ticket every time someone responds to the thread.
0
Lisa Kelly
Delaa,
If you have questions about how Slick for side conversations works in your account, contact Zendesk Customer Support so they can help you out.
1
Support Tier 1
Our side conversations on ZenDesk don't receive replies from the Slack channels. We reply directly to the thread and wait longer than the suggested time for it to load. New comments can be added from the ZD side and appear as normal on Slack.
I cannot find the answer if it's in your knowledge base. Does this happen to anyone else?
0
Mike DR
Have you tried uninstalling and re-installing the slack integration?
1
Hendy Samosir
I think the list of new Slack channels are not auto updated on Zendesk. My assumption is that the existing Slack Channel list that are available on Zendesk are the list of channels during integration only. What is the troubleshoot for this?
I saw Jeremy Watkin asked the same thing and there’s still no answer to his question.
0
Rosie
Have you tried to add your Zendesk app into your new channel?
Go to your channel or the new channel you created. From the channel name, click the dropdown and you'll see the "Get channel details" then go to Integrations to see the options below:
Under Apps click the Add an Apps to see the option below:
From here, if you click the Add, you'll be able to add your Zendesk integration into your channel.
Or you may follow the steps here: Adding the app to a Slack channel.
I hope this helps!
0
Carmela
Hello! This is a question on the “mark done” button in slack side conversations, mentioned by Amjid and Lydia.
Context
- tickets would move to open status when a reply comes in via slack side convo initiated within a ticket
- agents are instructed to “mark done” slack side convos when the convo related to the ticket is concluded under the assumption that this would prevent the ticket from reopening
- at this point, the ticket is solved and would move to closed status in about 24hrs
- there are times that the same side convo thread would be used for later scoping and review
Issue
- Regardless if side convo is marked done or not, replying in the thread creates a new ticket via a follow up ticket (“follow up to ticket xxx” linked to the original where the side convo thread was created)
Impact
- causes confusion and floods the inbox with follow up tickets which we have to keep open since subsequent replies would continue to create follow ups
Question
- how do we make sure that marking done breaks the link between slack and zendesk side conversation?
Thank you!
0
Paolo
This is the expected behavior. When a Slack side conversation that belongs to a closed or archived ticket receives a reply, a follow-up ticket is automatically created. The new ticket will have the side conversation in it and keep the original assignee and group value. The new ticket will be able to run triggers so it can show up in the appropriate views. Unfortunately, there is no workaround for this yet. This would be a good product feedback though.
I encourage you to create a new post in the General Product Feedback topic in our community to engage with other users who have similar needs and discuss possible workarounds. Conversations with a high level of engagement ultimately get flagged for product managers to review when they go through roadmap planning.
Best,
Paolo | Technical Support Engineer | Zendesk
0
Jed Hollander
Apologies if this was asked / answered but, can a side conversation be initiated from Slack to Zendesk, or can it only be done from Zendesk to Slack?
thanks
0
Paolo
You need to initiate the side conversation from a Zendesk ticket to Slack. Side conversations can't be initiated from Slack to Zendesk. More information here.
Best,
Paolo | Technical Support Engineer | Zendesk
0
Joselo Torres Landa
I'm in the process of implementing my zendesk instance and one feature we are excited about is the slack side conversation, however while testing it, every message gets duplicated on the Zendesk ticket.
Is this how its supposed to work?
0
Amjid Khan
Doesn’t sound right.
Our use of side conversation is from within the Zendesk ticket open a side conversation to a slack channel. Then within the ticket all messages appear within one single comment and no duplicates. It works really well.
You’ve not been clear on how your using it maybe that might help and Zendesk can help.
1
Joselo Torres Landa
Hey Amjid Khan, Im using it exactly as you mention on your comment. I open a side conversation within Zendesk, type my message. Slack received it on the appropriate channel (the one I configured). within slack someone respondes to the message and it get to Zendesk, twice.
0
Ashok Gangwar
There seems to be nasty bug in this feature.
If a Side Slack Conversation is revived i.e let's say the Zendesk case is closed and after 3-4 months someone replied on that Slack Thread from Slack itself the Zendesk will open a followup case. Which is very bad.
We have stopped using this now.
0