Zendesk add followers automatically with triggers or macros

Let’s be honest, manually adding followers to Zendesk tickets is a drag. You need to keep an account manager in the loop on a key client’s issue or ping a technical specialist for a certain type of bug. But it's one of those small, repetitive tasks that’s so easy to forget. When it slips, you end up with communication gaps and slower resolutions.

The good news is that Zendesk has a couple of built-in tools that can handle this for you. With a little setup, you can use triggers and macros to automatically add followers to tickets, making sure the right people are looped in every time without any extra clicks.

This guide will walk you through exactly how to set up Zendesk to add followers automatically with triggers or macros. We'll cover both approaches so you can pick the one that fits your team's workflow. We’ll also talk about where these native tools fall short and introduce a more powerful, scalable option for teams ready to take their automation up a notch.

What you’ll need to get started

Before we jump in, let’s make sure you have a few things squared away. The process is pretty simple, but you'll need the right permissions to make these changes.

• A Zendesk account: You'll need to be on a Zendesk Suite or Support plan (Team, Growth, Professional, or Enterprise).

• Admin or agent permissions: You’ll need the ability to create or edit triggers and macros in your Zendesk account.

• Followers enabled: The follower feature has to be turned on in your settings. Don't worry, we'll cover how to check this in the very first step.

Step 1: Enable followers in your Zendesk settings

Okay, first things first. Let's make sure the follower feature is actually on. If it's disabled, none of the other steps will work because the option to add followers won't even show up.

Followers are different from CCs because they’re invisible to the customer. This is perfect for looping in internal team members without making the main email thread messy.

Here’s how to enable followers:

1. Click the gear icon in the sidebar to head to your Admin Center.

2. Under Objects and rules, find and click on Tickets > Settings.

3. Scroll down until you see the CCs and followers section.

4. Make sure the checkbox for Allow followers is checked. If it isn't, go ahead and check it.

5. Click Save.

Once that’s enabled, you'll see the "Followers" field on your tickets and get the "Add follower" action in your business rules.

Step 2: Use macros to add followers automatically

Macros are your best friend for tasks that an agent still needs to kick off manually. Think of them as one-click shortcuts for repetitive actions. A macro is a great choice if you have a standard set of internal experts who need to be added to certain tickets after an agent has had a look. For example, you could have a macro called "Escalate to Tier 2" that adds the Tier 2 support lead as a follower and drops in an internal note.

To create a macro that adds a follower:

1. In Admin Center, navigate to Workspaces > Agent tools > Macros.

2. Click the Create macro button.

3. Give your macro a memorable name, like "Add Account Manager as Follower."

4. Under the Actions section, click Add action.

5. From the dropdown menu, select Add follower.

6. In the field that shows up, just start typing the name of the agent you want to add and pick them from the list.

7. You can also add other actions to the same macro, like adding a tag (e.g., "follower_added") or setting the ticket's priority.

8. Click Create to save it.

Now, your agents can apply this macro from any ticket, and it will instantly add the right person as a follower. Simple.

Step 3: Use triggers to add followers automatically

If macros are for one-click tasks, triggers are for the tasks you don't want to click at all. They are fully automated and fire whenever a ticket meets a set of conditions you define, no agent needed. This is the way to go if you want to add followers automatically based on things like which channel a ticket came from, the customer's organization, or even a specific phrase in the subject line.

For instance, you could set up a trigger that automatically adds a dedicated account manager as a follower any time a ticket comes in from a VIP client.

A screenshot showing the Zendesk interface where a user can set up triggers to add followers automatically based on specific ticket conditions.

To create a trigger that adds a follower:

1. In Admin Center, go to Objects and rules > Business rules > Triggers.

2. Click the Create Trigger button.

3. Give it a clear name, something like "Auto-add follower for VIP Inc."

4. Under Conditions, you'll tell the trigger when to run. For our example, you'd set:

   • Meet ALL of the following conditions:

     • "Ticket" | "Is" | "Created"
     • "Organization" | "Is" | "VIP Inc."

5. Under Actions, click Add action.

6. From the dropdown menu, choose Add follower.

7. Select the agent you want to add as a follower from the list.

8. Click Create, and your trigger is live.

From this point on, every new ticket from "VIP Inc." will automatically have that agent added as a follower without anyone lifting a finger.

When you outgrow Zendesk's triggers and macros

Macros and triggers are great for straightforward automation. But as your support team gets busier and your needs get more complex, you might start to feel the limitations.

Common growing pains

• It just doesn't scale: What happens when you want to add a different account manager for each of your 100 enterprise clients? Using the trigger method above, you’d have to create and manage 100 separate triggers. Setting that up is a pain, and keeping it updated is a nightmare.

• Things get technical, fast: To work around the scaling problem, some teams turn to webhooks and the Zendesk API. This means writing JSON code, dealing with API keys, and pulling in a developer. Suddenly, a simple goal has turned into a technical project, and the support team can no longer manage it themselves.

• The logic is pretty basic: Zendesk triggers can only look at fixed ticket fields. They can't really understand the context of a ticket. What if you want to add a billing specialist only when a customer talks about an "invoice" or "refund"? Or loop in a security expert when a message mentions a "data breach"? Native triggers just can't do that.

This is usually the point where teams realize they need something more intelligent. Instead of relying on rigid, hard-coded rules, an AI platform can help you build workflows that are both smart and scalable.

A more powerful alternative: eesel AI

The headaches that come with scaling native tools are exactly why we built eesel AI. It connects directly to helpdesks like Zendesk and gives you a powerful, easy-to-use workflow engine to automate things far beyond what triggers can do on their own.

With a tool like eesel AI's AI Triage, you can create automation that:

• Understands customer intent: It can read a ticket to figure out what the customer is actually asking for, then take action, like adding the correct specialist as a follower.

• Works with your other tools: It can do things like look up order details in Shopify before deciding who to loop in.

• Goes live in minutes: You can set up these kinds of advanced workflows from a simple dashboard with a one-click integration. No coding or long sales calls are needed.

Here’s a quick look at how the different methods stack up:

Tips and common slip-ups

As you get your automation set up, keep these points in mind to steer clear of a few common issues.

<protip text="Use tags to keep track. When you build your trigger or macro, add an action that applies a tag like "auto_follower_added". This makes it super easy to run reports later and see how often your automation is working.">

• Common Mistake: Thinking notifications are instant. Adding a follower does not send them a notification right away. They only get an email when the next public or internal comment is added. Don't rely on this action alone to flag an urgent issue for someone.

• Common Mistake: Trying to trigger off a "follower added" event. A Zendesk rule can add a follower as an action, but it can't use "follower added" as a condition to start another workflow.

Work smarter by adding followers automatically

You now have two solid ways to use Zendesk to add followers automatically with triggers or macros. For many teams, these built-in tools are a fantastic starting point for cutting down on manual work and keeping internal communication flowing smoothly.

But as your team grows, you'll eventually need tools that are more powerful and intelligent. When you find yourself creating dozens of triggers or wishing for smarter automation, it might be time to look beyond the native features.

Ready to see what the next level of support automation looks like? With eesel AI, you can build an AI agent that triages tickets, adds followers based on what the customer needs, drafts replies, and even fully resolves common issues on its own.

Get started with eesel AI for free or book a demo to see how you can build truly scalable support workflows in minutes.