| Announced on | Rollout starts | Rollout ends |
| November 26, 2024 | November 26, 2024 | November 27, 2024 |
Zendesk is thrilled to announce enhanced flexibility and functionality to the name field for custom object records.
This announcement includes the following topics:
What is changing?
This release introduces two new options for naming custom object records: requiring uniqueness and autonumbering.
Uniqueness
If you want agents to manually name records but need to be able to accurately identify your records, you can now enforce uniqueness for record names. When turned on, Zendesk validates the record name and won't allow it to be saved until a unique name is provided. This is especially useful in situations such as:
- A product catalog or other use case in which there should be no duplicate naming.
- When integrating with an external system and you want to use the record name as a unique identifier for the data. For example, using a record's order number as the unique identifier when integrating with an external order management system.
Autonumbering
Autonumbering is a new option when creating custom objects that allows you to define a prefix and starting number that is used to automatically generate a unique and consistent name for each record. This means agents no longer have to manually enter names, which ensures consistency and reduces errors.
Autonumbering enhances the use of custom objects in many use cases, including:
- Asset management, where automatically assigning each asset record a unique ID with a consistent format ensures that Zendesk can function as the system of record for your assets.
- Case management workflows, such as warranties, service orders, and returns, are simplified by autonumbering because each record has a consistent, traceable name.
- Complex many-to-many relationships, such as relationships between customers and assets, are streamlined by using autonumbering for the junction object records that link the two entities. In this case, having unique and consistent identifiers is essential to keep track of multiple connections between records. See Creating many-to-many relationships in Zendesk using custom objects.
For more information about these settings, see Configuring how a custom object's records are named.
Why is Zendesk making this change?
For both of these features, Zendesk's goal was to enhance flexibility, efficiency, and data integrity for custom object records. We prioritized these particular features in direct response to user feedback. Together the provide the following benefits:
- Reduced manual data entry: Autonumbering eliminates the need for agents to manually enter names for records. This change saves time, reduces the likelihood of human error, and ensures the data is consistent and traceable.
- Enhanced data integrity: Enforcing unique naming allows admins to prevent duplicate entries, which is critical to maintaining a clean and accurate database. This is especially important in scenarios when duplicate names could cause errors and inconsistencies.
- Simplified integrations and scalability: Using either of these features to enforce unique names makes it easier to manage and scale your custom data operations and integrate with other systems because each record is consistently and uniquely identifiable.
- Improved relationship management: Both of these features also allow for easier tracking of records in complex relationships. This functionality ensures each relationship is distinct, which improves data organization, management, and visibility.
What do I need to do?
These changes are being rolled out to all accounts eligible for custom objects. When creating a new custom object or editing an existing custom object that doesn't have any records, edit the object's name field and configure how your custom object records are named.
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.