You can notify email targets when a ticket is created or updated. Email targets can be used in automation and trigger actions. First you configure a target and then you specify the target using the Notify by > Target action.
Adding an email target
- Trial accounts are limited to a maximum of ten targets.
- When two-factor authentication is enabled for agents or admins, you can only use an API token to authenticate your targets, using "email@example.com/token" and your token as a password.
You can use ticket triggers or automations to send emails to a specific address. The sending address is the default address associated with your brand.
Email notifications sent to an external Support address on another Support account with whom you have ticket sharing agreements are rejected by the target email address. A ticket will not be created. This prevents an email loop. If you need to share support requests with another Support account, use the ticket sharing feature instead.
Also, to prevent an email loop, you can't notify your own account's support addresses.
- In Admin Center, click
Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Targets > Targets.
- Select Add target.
- Select Create target from the drop-down list at the bottom of the page. If you want to test the target before adding it, select Test target.
- Click Submit.
Once you've set up targets, you can edit, delete, and deactivate and reactivate them. See Managing external targets.
Using email targets in automations and triggers
Once you've set up email targets, you can use them in automations and triggers. You can enter up to 8192 characters in the body of Notify by > Ttarget actions.
Since you're interacting with external targets, there may be a delay between when a trigger or automation runs and when you'll see the results in the external target .
- Meet all of the following conditions
- Ticket > Ticket | Is | Created
- Ticket > Priority | Is | Urgent
- Actions
- Notify by > Target | My Email Target
Avoiding timeout errors
If a timeout error is received within 10 seconds of a request being made, Zendesk retries the request. After 21 consecutive failed attempts to retry the request, Zendesk deactivates the target. You'll need to reactivate the target before you can use it again.
Zendesk admins receive a notification when a target is automatically deactivated. They don't receive a notification when a target is manually deleted or deactivated.
- The message body in the trigger or target page is blank.
- There's a problem with the receiving server.
12 comments
The Original DKNY
Hello can you (zendesk) that payloads sent via the HTTP target is encrypted (HTTPS) or not encrypted (docs do not mention https so assumed plan text).
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Daniel Pawluk
@...
As long as your target url is specified using https:// the HTTP target will use https:// & encrypt. While http:// will work we don't recommend using it except for maybe testing placeholder content (lorem ipsum, etc) to make sure your payload looks okay. In any production scenerio https:// should be used. I hope that helps, I'll file a ticket with the docs team to add some more context to the documentation.
Cheers!
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Daniel Prouty
Hello,
Can you notify a distribution list by adding it as an email target?
0
Dane
Yes, I have tested it on my end and it went through without any issue.
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Stephen Skobel
Is it possible to have these notifications get triggered to a chat within Microsoft Teams?
1
Dane
Instead of targets, you can utilize web-hooks instead. Microsoft teams have their own incoming web-hook that you can be used in Zendesk to send notifications. Unfortunately, we can't support you on how to set it up.
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Sunburst Support
I've been trying to use a Target to send ticket data to Zapier. Everything seems to be working okay because when I test the webhook trigger in Zapier, the data is coming through. However, in Zendesk, when I check the Targets page, it shows 0 successful sends. It also doesn't show any errors on the Target Failures page for that target.
I'm asking about this because Zapier isn't able to parse the data I'm sending, so I'm wondering if there is a formatting error. Is there a way for me to check the data being sent to the target? The fact that it says "0 successful sends" makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
The target is a POST method, and the trigger I have is sending the following message:
Will the receiving webhook see that as JSON data?
Thanks for any insight.
Steve
0
Hiedi Kysther
Hi Sunburst Support
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. To better assist you with your concern, I have created a ticket on your behalf. One of our Advocates will reach out to you to troubleshoot this issue further.
Have a great day! Thanks!
0
Chris Gregory
Hello,
When creating a url target, is it possible to authenticate the call through OAUTH at all? There are two fields for credentials in that target type. Is the API key supposed to go in the password field?
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Dwight Bussman
heyO Chris Gregory
I don't believe there's an option to use OAuth within Targets. As an alternative, I recommend looking into our Webhooks feature which allows for Bearer (OAuth) authentication as documented here
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Efrat Barak Zadok
I would like to change the email subject to a target that is using the email method - how can I do that?
In case I decide to do it via Webhook - what is the recommended way to do that?
0
David
Hi Efrat,
To change the email subject for a target in Zendesk that uses the email method, follow these steps.
Changing Email Subject for an Email Target:
Navigate to Admin Settings: Log in to your Zendesk account and go to the Admin settings (usually a gear icon).
Targets and Extensions: Look for the "Extensions" section under "Settings" or directly find "Targets" depending on your Zendesk version. Click on it.
Edit the Email Target: Find the email target you want to modify and click to edit it.
Subject Line Configuration: In the target's settings, you should see an option to configure the subject line of the email sent by this target. If you're using Zendesk triggers or automations to send emails via this target, you might need to adjust the subject line in those specific trigger or automation settings instead.
Using a Webhook for More Flexibility:
If the direct email method doesn't offer the customization you need, or if you decide to use a webhook for more flexibility, here's a recommended way to proceed:
Create a Webhook: Go to the "Extensions" section under "Admin settings", and select "Add Target" > "HTTP Target". This allows you to define a webhook.
Webhook Configuration:
{{ticket.title}}
or custom text to dynamically change the email subject or content based on ticket details.Security: Ensure you implement authentication and encryption as needed to secure your webhook communication.
Use Triggers or Automations to Call the Webhook: Just like with email targets, you'll configure a trigger or automation in Zendesk to call this webhook. Instead of sending an email directly, the action will be to notify the webhook target.
Handle the Request on Your Server: Your server or the service handling the webhook needs to be configured to receive the JSON payload, process it according to your logic (e.g., customizing the email subject), and then send the email through your email server or an email service provider like SendGrid, Mailgun, etc.
This approach with a webhook gives you greater control over the email content and allows for more complex logic than might be possible directly within Zendesk's email target configuration.
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