A complete guide to Zendesk custom apps

Your support team is doing great work, and as you grow, you might find new opportunities to refine your workflows. You know you could be even more efficient if you could automate a specific task, connect to an internal tool, or give your agents more context right inside Zendesk. Zendesk is built to be incredibly flexible, and you're likely wondering how to take that extensibility to the next level.

The primary way to do this is through Zendesk custom apps. They’re designed to stretch the platform’s already impressive capabilities to fit your specific needs. In this guide, we'll walk through what these apps are, how to get them, and how to successfully manage them as you scale. Most importantly, we'll look at modern approaches that work alongside these apps to give you even more power.

What are Zendesk custom apps?

At their core, Zendesk custom apps are small applications built with standard web tech (like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) that run directly inside the Zendesk agent interface. Their role is to add new features, pull in information from other systems, or connect to external services to make your team’s life easier.

These apps generally come from two places:

1. Public Apps: These are ready-to-go solutions you can grab from the Zendesk Marketplace. With over 1,500 apps from Zendesk and other developers, you can find a tool for almost any requirement.

2. Private Apps: These are apps built by a company just for its own teams, or by a developer for a specific, non-public workflow. This is a great way to build proprietary tools that stay within your organization.

These apps integrate seamlessly into the platform; they have designated spots in the Zendesk UI so they feel like a natural part of the agent experience. You'll usually see them in the:

• Ticket sidebar

• User sidebar

• Top navigation bar

• Running in the background (for automated tasks)

All of this is made possible by the Zendesk Apps framework (ZAF), a robust toolkit that lets these apps safely and reliably interact with Zendesk data like tickets, users, and customer info.

How to get Zendesk custom apps: The build vs. buy decision

Once you know you want to extend Zendesk, you have two great paths forward: you can buy a solution someone else has already perfected, or you can build one yourself to your exact specifications. Both options offer unique advantages.

Buying Zendesk custom apps from the Zendesk Marketplace

Heading to the Marketplace is the fastest way to get started. It’s full of reliable apps that solve common problems, from adding AI chatbots to connecting with industry-leading tools like JIRA or Shopify.

This route is fantastic for implementing a specific enhancement quickly. The upside is that installation is fast, you're using a tool that has been tested by other users, and it allows you to solve a single, clear problem immediately.

When managing marketplace apps, it's helpful to keep an eye on your total toolset. As you add more specialized apps, you can create a very feature-rich environment for your agents. It’s a good practice to periodically review your apps to ensure they all continue to align with your evolving support strategy.

Building your own Zendesk custom apps

If your workflow is truly one-of-a-kind, building your own app is an excellent option. This gives you complete control over the functionality, allowing you to build exactly what your team needs.

To go this route, you’ll need developers who are comfortable with web technologies and the Zendesk Apps framework (ZAF). If you don't have that expertise on your team, many specialized agencies can build high-quality custom solutions for you.

The benefit here is that you get an app that is tailor-made for your exact process. Every button and feature is built just for your unique business logic.

When building custom, it's important to plan for the long term. This involves budgeting for development and ensuring you have a plan for periodic updates as your business grows and as Zendesk continues to release new, exciting features for you to leverage.

Considerations when using traditional Zendesk custom apps

Whether you build or buy, managing a collection of apps is a standard part of a growing support operation. Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your setup remains efficient:

• Coordinating multiple tools: Most apps are specialized to do one thing very well. As you add more, like a time-tracking app and a JIRA integration, you'll want to ensure they work together harmoniously. Many teams look for ways to bridge these tools so agents have a smooth experience.

• Managing your investment: As you scale, per-agent monthly fees for various apps are a natural part of your software budget. If you've built your own app, remember that the investment includes both the initial build and the ongoing refinement to keep it performing at its best as your needs evolve.

• Unifying insights: Because apps often focus on a specific task, they might hold data in different places. Leading support teams often look for ways to unify these insights so that what is learned in one tool can help inform actions in another, creating a more cohesive strategy.

• Planning your implementation: Implementing a custom app is a significant project. To ensure success, it's best to have clear goals and a way to measure the app's performance. Many teams find it helpful to pilot new apps with a small group of agents to gather feedback before a full rollout.

The modern alternative to Zendesk custom apps: A unified AI platform

Instead of relying solely on many single-purpose apps, many support teams are finding success by adding a unified AI platform that complements their Zendesk setup. This is where a solution like eesel AI fits in. It acts as an intelligent layer that can handle tasks that might otherwise require several different integrations.

Here’s how this approach enhances your Zendesk experience:

• A comprehensive solution: eesel AI combines an AI Agent, a Copilot for your team, and AI-powered Triage in one place. It works alongside Zendesk to provide a suite of features that might otherwise require multiple separate apps.

• Rapid implementation: You can enhance your setup quickly. eesel AI’s one-click Zendesk integration means you can be up and running in minutes. It's designed to be user-friendly, allowing you to add powerful functionality without a long development cycle.

• Centralizing your knowledge: eesel AI works by connecting to all your company knowledge, wherever it lives. It can draw from past tickets, help centers, Confluence pages, Google Docs, and more. This ensures your AI provides consistent, accurate support by using all available resources.

• Reliable testing: eesel AI includes a simulation mode that lets you test your setup on thousands of your past tickets. This allows you to see how the AI would have responded and forecast its impact on your resolution rates and efficiency before going live, giving you total confidence in the results.

Zendesk pricing and plan requirements for Zendesk custom apps

Zendesk offers several subscription plans to match the needs of different team sizes. Your access to specific app features is based on these tiers, ensuring you have the right tools for your current scale.

Here’s a quick look at the options:

Zendesk Plan Tier	Public Apps (Marketplace)	Private Apps (Custom-built)
Support Team	✓	✗
Suite Team	✓	✓
Suite Professional	✓	✓
Suite Enterprise	✓	✓

Getting the most out of your Zendesk custom apps

Zendesk custom apps are a powerful way to add value to your helpdesk. As you grow, managing your toolset thoughtfully allows you to build a highly effective support environment. While single-purpose apps are great, you can also look toward unified platforms to help streamline your operations.

eesel AI is designed for teams who want to add custom automation to their Zendesk platform quickly and easily. It’s about giving your team a smart system that complements your existing tools and helps them provide world-class service.

Ready to see how a unified AI platform can enhance your Zendesk support? Simulate eesel AI on your past tickets for free and see your automation potential in minutes.