Verified AI summary ◀▼
Create and configure IT asset types and custom fields to manage hardware and software assets. Use hierarchical structures for efficient field inheritance. Track asset locations and bulk import asset data using a CSV file. This setup allows agents to interact with asset records in the Agent Workspace, streamlining asset management and enhancing your support operations.
Assets are things, such as hardware and software, that teams need to procure, allocate, refresh, and retire over time. After IT asset management is turned on, admins can create and configure asset types and then bulk import existing asset data into Zendesk. This data is then available to agents to interact with in the Agent Workspace.
Creating asset types
Admins can use the Types page to create and manage asset types. You can have a total of 50 asset types.
- In Admin Center, click
IT assets in the sidebar, then select Assets > Types. - Click Create type.
- Enter a unique Name for the asset type.
- If applicable, select the Parent type.
Asset types can only be nested three layers deep. You can't select an asset type as the parent if it would result in more than three layers.
Note: The new asset type will automatically inherit the parent type's fields and be nested under the parent asset type on the Asset types page. - Click Create.
- Add custom asset fields to the asset type definition and add locations where assets are managed.
Creating custom asset fields and adding them to asset types
Asset fields are the schema for your asset types, defined by standard and custom asset fields, as well as the fields inherited from parent asset types. These fields represent properties of the asset type that you want to store and are used by agents when creating and managing assets.
Understanding the standard asset fields
The following common asset fields are pre-defined by Zendesk. These fields apply to all assets and can't be edited or deleted.
| Field name | Field type |
|---|---|
| Asset tag | Text |
| Asset type | Lookup relationship |
| Location | Lookup relationship |
| Manufacturer | Text |
| Model | Text |
| Notes | Multi-line |
| Organization | Lookup relationship |
| Purchase cost | Decimal |
| Purchase date | Date |
| Serial number | Text |
| Status | Lookup relationship (Valid values: available, in use, missing, pending, retired, under repair) |
| User | Lookup relationship |
| Vendor | Text |
| Warranty expiration | Date |
Creating custom asset fields
To finish creating an asset type, you must configure it with custom asset fields. Custom asset fields can be applied to all asset types or specific asset types only.
You can have up to 100 asset fields, including standard and custom fields.
-
In Admin Center, click
IT assets in the sidebar, then select Assets > Fields.Alternatively, when viewing an individual asset type, click the Field tab and then click Add field.
- Click Create field.
- Select the field type and enter a unique Display name.
- Verify that the Field key is the value you want it to be.
The field key makes it possible for the API to reference the field. When you enter a name for the field, the field key is automatically populated. If you want the name and key to be different, you must edit the field key.
Note: You can't change the field key after you create the custom object field. - (Optional) Enter a Description for the field.
- (Optional) Select Required if this field must have a value when adding or updating asset records that have this field.
- Select which Asset types the field applies to:
- Add to all types: Apply the field to all asset types. Labeled as All in the asset type column of the field list.
-
Add to selected types: Apply the field to the selected
asset types only.
If you initiate the field creation while viewing an asset type, Add to selected types and that asset type are automatically selected but can be modified as needed.
- Set other properties for your field.
Options vary by field type.
- Click Save.
Creating and using asset locations
Tracking the location of physical assets is important. Locations are used in the standard Location asset field, so you can see and manage an asset’s location in the asset record.
You can create up to 10,000 locations.
- In Admin Center, click
IT assets in the sidebar, then select Assets > Locations. - Click Create location.
- Enter a unique Location name.
- Click Create.