| Customer Segments | Announcement | Messaging Activations | Definition |
| Inactive Chat accounts | July 1, 2024 | August 15 - 30, 2024 | Chat customers on Agent Workspace that have not created any chat tickets in the last 30 days |
| Active Chat accounts | July 1, 2024 | September 26 - October 10, 2024 | Chat customers on Agent Workspace that have created at least one ticket in the last 30 days |
This announcement addresses the following questions:
- What’s happening?
- Why is Zendesk making this change?
- Am I impacted?
- What do I need to do?
- How can I opt out of the messaging activations?
- What new features are available after upgrading?
For more information, see Frequently asked questions for Chat to messaging assisted migrations.
What’s happening?
Zendesk will complete assisted messaging upgrades for select Chat customers from August 15 to September 30, 2024. During this time, messaging will be enabled at the account level only for a small subset of Chat accounts, and an in-product experience will be introduced to make it as easy as possible to transition to messaging.
No action is required and there will be no other changes to the experience of these accounts’ admins, agents, or end users until the remaining optional setup steps are completed once messaging is enabled at the account level.
Why is Zendesk making this change?
Messaging is the future of Zendesk conversational experiences. Since its launch, we have continuously evolved the product and added new features and capabilities. As messaging becomes more powerful, we intend to assist existing Chat customers with the transition to this enhanced conversational experience to make it as simple as possible for them to benefit from the capabilities. Moving to messaging also unlocks all the Zendesk Advanced AI capabilities for the messaging channel.
Am I impacted?
This only applies to a small subset of existing Chat customers. You’ll receive an email with more details if your account is included in the upgrade.
What do I need to do?
Zendesk will complete the initial step required to begin using messaging by turning it on at the account level on customers’ behalf. Admins will be encouraged to complete a series of tasks to finalize the move from Chat to messaging and make it available to end users and agents.
Preparing for activation
Customers actively using Chat or the Web Widget (Classic) and customers who aren’t actively using Chat or the Web Widget (Classic) will be notified via email and in-product banner in advance of their account-level activation date.
There are no required pre-activation tasks, but customers will be encouraged to familiarize themselves and their agents with the differences between Chat and messaging, review the limitations in messaging functionality, and try messaging in advance of the change.
Messaging Activation Banner on Admin Center
Messaging Activation Banner on Agent Workspace
During activation
There will be no downtime or disruptions when messaging is turned on at the account level, which will involve Zendesk selecting the Turn on messaging for your account checkbox in customer accounts.
Active Chat/Web Widget (Classic) accounts won’t see any other changes until an admin takes action to finalize the move to messaging.
Inactive Chat/Web Widget (Classic) accounts will see an active/ready-to-use (messaging) Web Widget created on their behalf. Admins can customize the Web Widget and install it in their help center or an active web page to begin using messaging. The messaging Web Widget will replace the Web Widget (Classic) on any web pages (aside from a Guide help center) where it’s embedded and not actively being used.
After activation
Account admins will receive an in-product confirmation once messaging is turned on at the account level. At that point, they will be encouraged to finalize the move by completing optional configuration steps to make messaging live for individual brands.
When active Chat/Web Widget (Classic) accounts convert to messaging, live chats will end, and any in-progress tickets will remain pending. These customers will be advised to complete this step during an off-peak period, close out any active live chats, and take agents offline. Once completed for a given brand, the Web Widget will change from Classic to messaging, and the end user, agent, and admin experiences will change to messaging for that brand.
For active chat customers, the following chat settings will also be migrated to messaging
Chat triggers to messaging triggers
- Due to the lack of feature parity between chat and messaging triggers, only chat triggers with conditions and actions supported by messaging triggers will be migrated
- For all applicable triggers, the chat triggers' names will be retained with an additional "Chat" affix
Operating hours to business hours
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Migration will be performed on the following operating hours schedules
- Schedule is enabled, does not have all days disabled, and if it is a department schedule, it has at least one department set to it
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Migration will happen if all of the following criteria are met
- Customer is on Enterprise Support plan
- At least 1 applicable operating hours schedule (as defined above) can be found on the account
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At least 1 business hours schedule can be found on the account
- As the first business hours schedule is used as an account's default, migration will not happen for accounts with no existing business hours to avoid setting a migrated schedule as the default and impacting metrics dependent on business hours
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Operating hours to business hours migration details
- For all applicable schedules, the operating hour schedules' names will be retained with an additional "Chat" affix
- If multiple applicable operating hours can be found for any specific department on the account, the applicable schedules will be merged into one business hours schedule for that department with the department's name and an additional "Chat" affix
Inactive Chat/Web Widget (Classic) accounts can customize the Web Widget and embed it in their help center or website to start using messaging. As noted above, the Web Widget (Classic) will automatically be updated to the (messaging) Web Widget on any web pages where it’s not actively being used.
All customers will continue to have the option to turn messaging off and revert to Chat/Web Widget (Classic) at any point after activation.
Pricing implications
Bot builder will be inactive by default when messaging is turned on. Customers who choose to use a bot/AI agent in messaging will be subject to the new automated resolution pricing noted in About automated resolutions for AI agents.
How can I opt out of the messaging activations?
As mentioned above, this account-level activation is the first step required to move to messaging and will not force customers to make any changes. However, customers who’d like to opt out can request an exemption by completing this form, which will be linked to the in-product experience and email that account admins receive.
What new features are available after upgrading?
Some of the key benefits of messaging are:
- Zendesk Advanced AI. After moving to messaging, you'll get access to all the Advanced AI capabilities for messaging conversations.
- Conversational bots. Bots can automate deflection options and triage support issues before (or instead of) handing the conversation over to a live agent.
- Multiple channel availability. You can initiate and conduct conversations across various channels, such as web, mobile, and social messaging.
- Persistent conversations. Both agents and customers can have multiple interactions over a period of time in a single conversation, and can refer to earlier interactions for better context.
- Portable communication. Customers can start a conversation from home in the Web Widget and then continue it on WhatsApp in line at the grocery store, for example.
- Ticket creation. Agents can follow up on more complex support requests through Zendesk Support tickets.
- Integration in the Agent Workspace. Messaging conversations are handled alongside traditional channels like email, web form, and API by agents in Agent Workspace for increased productivity.
If you have feedback or questions related to this announcement, visit our community forum where we collect and manage customer product feedback. For general assistance with your Zendesk products, contact Zendesk Customer Support.