How to use the Chat API in Zendesk: A step-by-step guide

So, you’re looking to build a custom integration, pull some chat data for a report, or automate a few workflows in Zendesk. That’s a great goal. Using the API gives you the power to really bend the platform to your will.

But let’s be real for a second. Figuring out where to even begin with Zendesk’s APIs can feel like a bit of a nightmare. You’ve got the classic Live Chat, the newer Messaging platform, and a whole smorgasbord of different APIs to choose from: REST, Real-Time, Conversations… it’s enough to make you want to close the browser tab before you’ve even written a single line of code.

If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place. This guide is here to cut through the noise. We’ll walk through a simple, step-by-step process for using the classic Chat API Zendesk provides. We’ll clear up the confusion and get you from scratching your head to making your first successful API call.

What you’ll need to get started with the Chat API Zendesk

Before we roll up our sleeves and dive into the code, let’s do a quick check to make sure you have everything you need. Getting this sorted out now will save you a ton of hassle later.

Here’s a quick checklist:

• A Zendesk account with API access. This is usually available on Zendesk Suite Team plans and up. If you’re not sure what plan you have, it’s worth taking a peek at your subscription details to confirm.

• Admin permissions. You’ll need to be an administrator in your Zendesk account to generate the API keys. If you’re not an admin, you’ll have to find the person who is and ask them nicely to help you out.

• An API client. You’ll need a way to send requests to the API. A tool like Postman is fantastic for this because it lets you test API calls with a user-friendly interface instead of writing code right away. Alternatively, you can use cURL directly in your computer’s terminal or jump straight into your favorite programming language.

• Basic knowledge of REST APIs. You don’t need to be an expert, but having a passing familiarity with ideas like endpoints, GET requests, and authorization headers will make this process feel a lot smoother.

A step-by-step guide to using the Chat API Zendesk

Alright, now that you’ve got all your tools ready, let’s get down to it. We’ll start by making sense of the Zendesk landscape and then get our hands dirty with a real API call.

Step 1: Understand the Chat API Zendesk landscape (Chat vs. Messaging)

Honestly, the single biggest point of confusion for anyone starting with Zendesk APIs is the difference between their two chat products: Live Chat and Messaging. They sound similar, but under the hood, they are completely different beasts that use entirely different sets of APIs. Getting this straight from the start is critical.

Zendesk Live Chat (The Classic)

This is the original, session-based chat product that many of us are familiar with (it used to be called Zopim). Think of it like a phone call: a customer starts a chat, it’s a live, real-time conversation, and it ends when they close the window. This product uses a specific set of APIs, including the Chat REST API, which is what we’ll be focusing on in this guide. These APIs are built to manage those real-time conversations, handle agents, and pull historical chat logs from this classic system.

Zendesk Messaging

This is Zendesk’s newer, omnichannel approach. It’s built for asynchronous conversations, which is more like texting or WhatsApp. A customer can send a message from your website, mobile app, or even Facebook Messenger, and then come back later to see the reply. Here’s the key part: Messaging does not use the classic Chat APIs at all. Instead, it relies on a different developer toolkit, including things like Sunshine Conversations and webhooks for real-time data.

This split is a genuine headache for teams trying to build unified automations. Juggling two completely different API models is complicated and can drain a lot of time and resources. It’s a common reason why so many of these projects get stuck in development. It’s also exactly why platforms like eesel AI exist. It provides a single, one-click integration with Zendesk that connects to all your helpdesk data, whether it comes from classic Chat or modern Messaging. This lets you build smart AI agents without having to worry about which API you’re supposed to be using.

Step 2: Choose the right API for your goal

Even within the old-school Live Chat world, Zendesk gives you a few different APIs, each designed for a specific task. Picking the right one from the get-go will save you from chasing your tail.

Here’s a quick rundown of your options:

• Chat REST API: This is the workhorse you’ll use for most things. You’d use this to programmatically get historical chat data, fetch transcripts, manage your agents, and update chat information after a conversation has ended. We’ll be using this API in our example below.

• Real-Time Chat API: This one is a streaming API built to monitor what’s happening right now. If you need to build a dashboard showing how many chats are active or which agents are online at this very second, this is the API you want.

• Conversations API (GraphQL): This API was originally designed for building applications that could act like agents, such as custom chatbots. However, Zendesk has put this API into maintenance mode and it’s no longer available for new integrations. For any new project, you should steer clear of this one.

• Web SDK: This isn’t a typical API, but rather a JavaScript library that lives on the client side. It gives you the power to build a completely custom chat widget for your website, giving you total control over the look, feel, and user experience.

To make it even clearer, here’s a simple table to help you decide:

Step 3: Generate your API credentials

To talk to the API securely, your code needs to prove it has permission. The standard way to do this is by creating an OAuth client in your Zendesk Chat dashboard, which will give you the credentials you need to generate an access token.

Here’s how to get it done:

1. Head over to your Zendesk Chat dashboard. You can typically find this in the product tray (the four-square icon) in your main Zendesk Support account.

2. In the menu on the left, navigate to Settings > Account and then click the API & SDKs tab.

3. Click the big Add API Client button.

4. You’ll see a form. Give your client a memorable Client Name (something like "Chat Data Integration" works well) and fill in your Company name. For the Redirect URLs, you can just enter "https://localhost" for now. This is a placeholder that’s required for the authentication flow, and it’s perfectly fine for what we’re doing today.

5. After you create the client, Zendesk will show you a Client ID and a Client Secret. Go ahead and copy the Client Secret and store it somewhere safe, like a password manager. This is your only chance to see it.

6. These credentials are used in a process called an OAuth authorization flow to get a temporary bearer token. To keep this guide simple, we’ll fast-forward and assume you have generated an access token to use directly in your requests.

Step 4: Make your first API call

And now for the moment of truth. Let’s use the credentials you just generated to pull some real data from your account. Our goal is straightforward: retrieve a list of your most recent chats.

The Endpoint

The API endpoint is just the URL you send your request to. To get a list of all chats, the endpoint is "GET /api/v2/chats".

Authentication

Every request you send needs to be authenticated to prove it’s you. You do this by including your access token in an "Authorization" header. The format is simple: "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN".

Putting It All Together (cURL Example)

Using cURL from your terminal is one of the quickest ways to test an API without any fuss. Open your terminal, replace YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with the actual token you have, and run this command:

"`bash

curl https://www.zopim.com/api/v2/chats \

-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

"`

If everything was set up correctly, Zendesk’s server should respond with a bunch of JSON-formatted text containing a list of your chats.

Example Response

The response will be a JSON array of chat objects. Here’s a simplified snippet of what that might look like:

"`json

{

"chats": [

{  

  "id": "1A2B3C4D5E",  

  "visitor": {  

    "name": "Jane Doe",  

    "email": "jane.doe@example.com"  

  },  

  "history": [  

    {  

      "type": "chat.msg",  

      "display_name": "Jane Doe",  

      "msg": "Hi, I have a question about my recent order.",  

      "timestamp": 1678886400000  

    },  

    {  

      "type": "chat.msg",  

      "display_name": "Support Agent",  

      "msg": "Hello Jane, I’d be happy to help with that!",  

      "timestamp": 1678886460000  

    }  

  ],  

  "timestamp": "2023-03-15T12:00:00Z"  

}  

],

"count": 1

}

"`

And just like that, you’ve done it! You’ve successfully used the Chat API Zendesk provides to fetch real data. You can see all sorts of useful info here, like the chat ID, visitor details, and the full conversation history with timestamps.

Common mistakes to avoid when working with the Chat API Zendesk

Getting your first API call to work is a great first step, but as you start building more advanced integrations, there are a few common traps that are easy to fall into. Here’s some friendly advice to help you sidestep them.

• 1. Using the Wrong API for the Job: We’ve mentioned it a few times, but it bears repeating because it’s the number one mistake people make. Before writing a line of code, double-check if your goal involves classic Live Chat or modern Messaging. Trying to get Messaging data with the Chat API just won’t work and will leave you wondering why nothing is showing up.

• 2. Ignoring Rate Limits: To keep their service stable for everyone, Zendesk’s Chat API has a rate limit, which is typically around 200 requests per minute. If you go over this limit, you’ll get a "429 Too Many Requests" error. A good practice is to always check the "X-Rate-Limit-Remaining" header in the API response to see how many calls you have left, and build some simple logic in your application to pause if you’re getting close to the limit.

• 3. Building a New Project on a Deprecated API: As we noted earlier, the Conversations API is in maintenance mode. It might look powerful, but starting a new project on an API that Zendesk isn’t actively developing anymore is setting yourself up for problems down the road. Stick to the actively supported APIs for any new work.

These kinds of challenges highlight the hidden costs of building and maintaining custom integrations. It’s not just the initial time it takes to write the code; it’s the ongoing work of handling errors, adapting to API changes, and managing all the technical upkeep. This is where you might ask if building from scratch is worth it. For a tiny fraction of the engineering effort, a tool like eesel AI offers a powerful simulation engine that lets you test your AI’s performance on thousands of historical tickets before it ever interacts with a real customer. You can deploy sophisticated automation with confidence, and without the development risk.

Skip the Chat API Zendesk code and automate with AI

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the sometimes-confusing world of the Chat API Zendesk provides, from generating your credentials all the way to pulling real data. That’s a solid foundation for building whatever custom tools you have in mind.

However, if your ultimate goal is to automate resolutions, make your agents more efficient, and give customers instant answers, building everything yourself is a long road that requires a lot of developer time. There’s a much faster way to get there.

eesel AI plugs directly into your Zendesk instance in just a few minutes, giving you a complete set of AI tools right out of the box. From an autonomous agent that can resolve tickets on its own to an AI Copilot that gives your human agents superpowers, you can be up and running in minutes, not months. You get all the benefits of powerful automation without the engineering headaches.

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