How to configure Zendesk channel instances per brand

If you're managing multiple brands under one Zendesk account, you need separate channel instances for each brand. This means distinct email addresses, help centers, and messaging widgets that all route to the right place while keeping each brand's identity intact.

Here's the short version: Zendesk lets you create multiple brands within a single account, each with its own channels. But getting the configuration right takes some planning. This guide walks through setting up channel instances per brand, from creating the brands themselves to configuring AI agents for each one.

If you're looking for a more flexible approach to multi-brand AI support, eesel AI offers a different model that doesn't tie AI agents to single brands. We'll cover that later.

What you'll need

Before you start configuring channel instances per brand, make sure you have:

• Zendesk Suite Professional or higher (multibrand isn't available on lower tiers)
• Admin permissions in your Zendesk account
• A clear brand structure (know which brands need separate channels)
• Channels already configured (email addresses, messaging, help centers)
• For AI agents: Zendesk AI Agent Essentials (included in Suite) or Advanced (add-on)

Understanding Zendesk's multibrand architecture

Let's break down how brands work in Zendesk. When you create a Zendesk account, you get a primary subdomain (yourcompany.zendesk.com). With multibrand enabled, you can create additional brands, each with their own subdomain (brand1.yourcompany.zendesk.com, brand2.yourcompany.zendesk.com).

Each brand operates as a separate entity with its own:

• Help center and knowledge base
• Email support addresses
• Web widgets and messaging channels
• Branding (logos, colors, themes)
• Agent assignments and permissions

One brand is always designated as the "default" brand. Tickets created from non-branded channels get assigned here. You can change which brand is default in your account settings.

Brand limits vary by plan:

Source: Zendesk Pricing

The key thing to understand: channels are associated with specific brands. When a customer emails support@brand1.com, that ticket gets tagged with Brand 1. When they use the widget on Brand 2's website, the conversation routes through Brand 2's configuration.

Step 1: Create your brands in Zendesk

Start by setting up the brands themselves. Here's how:

1. Navigate to Admin Center > Account > Brand management > Brands
2. Click "Add brand" (or "Create brand" depending on your interface version)
3. Enter the brand name (this appears to customers)
4. Set the subdomain (brand.yourcompany.zendesk.com)
5. Configure optional settings:
   • Upload a brand logo
   • Set a custom signature template
   • Configure host mapping if you want a custom domain
6. Set brand membership for agents (who can access tickets for this brand)
7. Save the brand

Repeat this process for each brand you need to create.

A few things to keep in mind:

• The subdomain must be unique across your Zendesk account
• Host mapping requires DNS configuration and SSL certificate setup
• New agents start with access to zero brands by default (a security feature added with Department Spaces)

Step 2: Configure email channels per brand

Each brand needs its own support email address. Here's how to set them up:

1. Go to Admin Center > Channels > Email
2. Click "Add address"
3. Select the brand this email address belongs to
4. Choose your setup method:
   • Zendesk subdomain: Creates support@brand.yourcompany.zendesk.com
   • External email forwarding: Forward emails from your own domain to Zendesk
5. Configure email templates specific to this brand (logo, colors, signature)
6. Test the email by sending a message to the new address

If you're using external forwarding (like support@brand1.com), you'll need to:

• Set up forwarding rules in your email provider
• Verify the forwarding address in Zendesk
• Configure SPF and DKIM records for deliverability

Email templates can be customized per brand, so each brand's automated responses match their voice and visual identity.

Step 3: Set up help centers for each brand

Each brand can have its own help center with unique content, themes, and branding:

1. Navigate to the Guide admin (or Help Center settings)
2. Select the brand you want to create a help center for
3. Enable the help center for that brand
4. Customize the theme:
   • Upload brand logo and favicon
   • Set brand colors
   • Configure the homepage layout
5. Set up host mapping (optional):
   • Point help.brand1.com to brand1.yourcompany.zendesk.com/hc
   • Generate and install SSL certificates
6. Configure article permissions (public, signed-in users, or specific segments)
7. Add brand-specific content to the help center

Host mapping lets you use custom domains like help.brand1.com instead of the default Zendesk subdomain. This requires:

• A CNAME record in your DNS pointing to Zendesk
• An SSL certificate (Zendesk can generate this automatically)
• Verification that you own the domain

Step 4: Configure messaging and widget channels

Messaging channels (web widget, mobile SDK, social platforms) can also be configured per brand:

1. Go to Admin Center > Channels > Messaging
2. Select the brand you want to configure
3. Set up the Web Widget:
   • Customize appearance (colors, position, launcher text)
   • Configure the greeting and automated responses
   • Set operating hours
4. Add social messaging channels (if needed):
   • WhatsApp Business
   • Facebook Messenger
   • Instagram Direct
   • Each connects to a specific brand
5. Configure Mobile SDK for iOS/Android apps (if applicable)
6. Test each widget on the brand's actual website

The Web Widget (Classic) can be embedded on each brand's website with brand-specific styling. When customers initiate a chat, they're automatically connected to the correct brand's configuration.

Step 5: Configure AI agents per brand

Here's where it gets interesting. Zendesk AI agents are configured per brand, meaning each AI agent can only access one brand's help center content.

1. Navigate to Admin Center > AI > AI agents
2. Create a new AI agent (or configure an existing one)
3. Select the brand this AI agent will serve
4. Choose channels for the AI agent:
   • Messaging (web widget, mobile, social)
   • Email
   • Web form
5. Configure knowledge sources:
   • The AI agent automatically uses the selected brand's help center
   • Add external content sources if needed (Advanced tier)
6. Set up the AI agent persona (name, tone, avatar)
7. Create instructions for how the AI should handle specific scenarios
8. Test the AI agent with sample conversations
9. Publish to make it live

If you have multiple brands, you'll need to create separate AI agents for each one. There's no way to have a single AI agent serve multiple brands with different help centers in Zendesk.

For more details on this process, see our guide on Zendesk AI agent brand and channel configuration.

Best practices for managing channel instances per brand

Once you've got everything set up, you'll want to keep it organized:

• Use consistent naming conventions. Name brands clearly ("Brand X - US" vs "Brand X - EU") so agents know which they're working with.

• Document your brand-channel mapping. Create a reference doc showing which email addresses, widgets, and AI agents belong to which brands.

• Monitor performance per brand. Zendesk's reporting lets you filter by brand, so you can see if one brand's AI agent is performing better than others.

• Set up brand-specific triggers and automations. Route tickets to the right teams based on brand, apply brand-specific SLAs, and use brand-appropriate tags.

• Manage agent access carefully. With Department Spaces, brand membership controls ticket visibility. Make sure agents are members of the brands they need to support.

• Audit configurations quarterly. Check that SSL certificates are current, host mappings are working, and AI agents are responding correctly for each brand.

Common configuration mistakes to avoid

After helping teams set up multibrand Zendesk configurations, here are the pitfalls we see most often:

• Forgetting to publish changes. Zendesk auto-saves but doesn't auto-publish. Click that publish button or your AI agent won't go live.

• Mixing up channels between brands. Double-check that the widget on Brand A's site is actually connected to Brand A, not Brand B.

• Not configuring SSL for host-mapped brands. Custom domains need SSL certificates. Zendesk can generate these, but you need to set them up.

• Overlooking agent brand membership. New agents start with access to zero brands. If an agent can't see tickets, check their brand membership first.

• Not testing before going live. Send test emails, try the widgets, and have conversations with your AI agents before customers see them.

An alternative approach: eesel AI for flexible multi-brand support

Zendesk's approach works if you need completely separate brand experiences. But the one-brand-per-AI-agent limitation can be restrictive for some teams.

eesel AI handles multi-brand setups differently:

• Multi-source knowledge. Train your AI on multiple help centers, past tickets, Confluence, Google Docs, Notion, and PDFs simultaneously. Not limited to one help center per AI agent.

• Interaction-based pricing. Pay for AI interactions ($239/month for 1,000 interactions on the Team plan), not per agent per month. This can be more predictable for teams with fluctuating volume.

• Simulation before deployment. Test your AI on historical tickets before going live. See exactly how it would have handled past conversations.

• Plain-English configuration. Tell the AI what to handle and when to escalate using natural language. No complex routing rules or API configuration needed.

If you find Zendesk's brand limitations restrictive, or you want to train your AI on more than just help center content, our AI agent plugs directly into your existing Zendesk setup while offering a different approach to multi-brand support.

Getting started with Zendesk channel instances per brand

Configuring Zendesk channel instances per brand comes down to a few key steps: create your brands, set up brand-specific channels (email, help center, messaging), configure AI agents for each brand, and test everything before going live.

Start with one brand, get it working correctly, then expand to additional brands. It's easier to troubleshoot issues when you're not juggling multiple configurations at once.

For official documentation and the latest feature updates, check Zendesk's multibrand help center.

If you need more flexibility than Zendesk's native multibrand setup provides, particularly around AI agent configuration, try eesel AI and see how a different approach to multi-brand knowledge and channel configuration might work for your team.