Zendesk Explore legacy analytics migration: A complete guide for 2026

If your team relies on Zendesk Explore for support analytics, you have a deadline looming. Zendesk is retiring the legacy dashboard builder, and all custom dashboards must be migrated to the new version by December 31, 2026. After that date, legacy dashboards become view-only.

This is not just a technical upgrade. It is a chance to clean up years of accumulated reports, standardize your metrics, and build dashboards that actually get used. This guide walks you through the migration timeline, the steps to move your dashboards, common problems you will encounter, and how to use this transition as an opportunity to improve your analytics.

Understanding the Zendesk Explore legacy analytics migration

Zendesk Explore (now branded as Zendesk Analytics) is the reporting platform built into Zendesk. In November 2024, Zendesk released a completely new dashboard builder with an improved interface, better sharing controls, and new features like dashboard restrictions.

The legacy dashboard builder still works, but Zendesk is phasing it out. Here is what you need to know about the two types of dashboards:

• Prebuilt dashboards: These are the ready-made reports that come with your Zendesk plan. Zendesk migrates these automatically, but you must recreate any shares, schedules, or public links yourself.
• Custom dashboards: These are dashboards your team built or customized. You must migrate these manually using Zendesk's importer tool.

The new builder is not just a visual refresh. It changes how you create, share, and manage dashboards. Understanding these differences before you start will save you time and frustration.

Key migration deadlines you need to know

Zendesk has set specific dates for this transition. Mark these on your calendar:

The December 31, 2026 deadline was extended from the original February 28, 2026 date. Zendesk made this change based on customer feedback that more time was needed, especially since features like global and cascading filters will not be available in the new builder until later in 2026.

Bottom line? You have more time than originally planned, but procrastination is not your friend here. Starting early lets you test, fix issues, and optimize without pressure.

Preparing for your Zendesk Explore migration

Before you click any migrate buttons, do some housekeeping. A little preparation now prevents headaches later.

Audit your current dashboards

Open your Dashboards library in Explore and look at the Migration column. You will see one of three statuses:

• Migrate: The dashboard can be migrated immediately with full functionality
• Migrate (limited): The dashboard can be migrated, but some features will work differently or not be available
• No status: The dashboard is already using the new builder

While you are there, check the Views column. It shows how many times each dashboard was viewed in the past six months. If a dashboard has zero views, consider whether it is worth migrating at all.

Document your current setup

Before you migrate, write down:

• Who has access to each dashboard (admins, editors, viewers)
• Which dashboards have scheduled email deliveries
• Any public links or embeds you are using
• Custom calculations or filters that might be complex to recreate

Sharing settings and schedules do not transfer automatically. You will need to recreate them manually, so having a record saves you from guessing later.

Plan your consolidation strategy

The new dashboard builder supports dashboard restrictions, which let you show different data to different users from a single dashboard. For example, you can create one Team Performance dashboard that shows agents only their own metrics while managers see the full team view.

This means you might be able to consolidate multiple similar dashboards into one. Look for dashboards that differ only by the team or user group they target. These are prime candidates for consolidation.

How to migrate your dashboards

Once you have audited and planned, it is time to migrate. The process differs depending on your dashboard type.

Migrating prebuilt dashboards

Prebuilt dashboards migrate automatically, but you still have work to do:

1. Verify the migration: Check that the new prebuilt dashboards appear in your library. The legacy versions will have "(legacy)" in their titles.
2. Recreate shares: The new dashboards are automatically shared with the same users as the legacy versions, but verify this is correct.
3. Recreate schedules: Scheduled email deliveries do not transfer. You must set these up again in the new dashboards.
4. Update public links: If you shared dashboard links externally, those URLs will break. Create new public links in the new dashboards and update your documentation.

Migrating custom dashboards

Custom dashboards require manual migration using Zendesk's importer tool:

1. Open the Dashboards library: Click the Dashboards library icon in the left sidebar of Explore.
2. Select a dashboard: Find the dashboard you want to migrate and click Migrate.
3. Review limitations: If the dashboard has complex features, you will see a page listing what will and will not migrate. Read this carefully.
4. Start the migration: Click Migrate to create a copy of your dashboard in the new builder.
5. Verify the result: Open the migrated dashboard and check that all widgets, filters, and calculations work as expected.
6. Recreate shares and schedules: Set up permissions and scheduled deliveries for the new dashboard.
7. Delete the legacy version: Once you confirm the new dashboard works, you can delete the legacy version to avoid confusion.

Zendesk notes that they cannot guarantee the migrated dashboard will be an exact replica. The layout and functionality should transfer, but you may need to adjust formatting or recreate certain elements.

Common migration issues and how to solve them

Based on experience from Zendesk implementation partners, here are the problems that come up most often during migration.

Filter logic breaks

Dashboards with complex filter combinations, especially those that evolved over years of tweaks, may behave differently in the new builder. Filters that interacted in specific ways might produce unexpected results.

Solution: Test every filter combination after migration. If something does not work, you may need to rebuild the filter logic using the new builder's interface.

Sharing permissions need reconfiguration

The new sharing system is more granular but also more complex. Teams sometimes lose access to reports because permissions were not mapped correctly during migration.

Solution: Document your current sharing settings before migrating. After migration, verify that each user group has the access they need. The new builder lets you set permissions at the dashboard and even individual widget level, so take advantage of this for better security.

External links become invalid

Any bookmarks, documentation links, or email signatures that point to legacy dashboard URLs will break after migration.

Solution: Create a list of all places where dashboard URLs appear. After migration, update these with the new URLs. The new dashboard URLs have a different structure, so old bookmarks will not redirect automatically.

Multiple dataset filter issues

If your dashboard combines reports from different datasets (for example, tickets and chat conversations), applying global filters across all widgets can cause unexpected behavior.

Solution: Test dashboards with multiple datasets thoroughly after migration. You may need to adjust how filters are applied or split complex dashboards into separate, dataset-specific versions.

What is new in the Zendesk Explore dashboard builder

The new builder offers several improvements worth knowing about:

• Granular sharing options: Control access at the dashboard, tab, or even individual widget level. Assign roles like Admin, Editor, or Viewer with specific permissions.
• Dashboard restrictions: Create dynamic filters that adapt based on who is viewing. Show agents only their own tickets while managers see team-wide data, all from one dashboard.
• Templates: Start new dashboards from templates based on best practices, saving time on layout and common metrics.
• Improved interface: Faster load times and a more intuitive design, especially for users who do not work in Explore daily.

These features mean you can often do more with fewer dashboards. Instead of maintaining separate reports for each team, you can build one adaptive dashboard that shows relevant data to each viewer.

Using migration as an opportunity to improve your analytics

The forced migration is actually a good excuse to fix problems that have accumulated in your reporting. Here is how to turn this into an improvement project:

Declutter

Be honest about which dashboards get used. If something has not been viewed in six months, leave it behind. Migration is your chance to start fresh with only the reports that drive decisions.

Standardize

Different teams often define the same KPI differently. One team might calculate "first reply time" from ticket creation, another from assignment. Use migration as a chance to align these definitions across your organization.

Simplify

Dashboards that require extensive explanations are too complex. If you need a guide to explain how to read a dashboard, simplify the design. The best dashboards are self-explanatory.

Document

As you rebuild, write down what each dashboard is for, how metrics are calculated, and who should use it. Future you (and your teammates) will thank you.

For more guidance on building effective support dashboards, see our guide to Zendesk Explore dashboards for support leaders.

Going beyond Explore: Adding predictive insights to your support data

Explore does an excellent job showing you what happened. It tells you how many tickets you solved, what your CSAT was, and whether you hit your SLAs. But it does not tell you what will happen or what you should do about it.

This is where AI-powered analytics can help. While Explore shows historical trends, AI tools can:

• Predict ticket volume spikes before they happen
• Identify knowledge gaps that are driving repeat contacts
• Surface automation opportunities you might have missed
• Analyze sentiment and intent at scale

We built eesel AI to complement platforms like Zendesk with forward-looking insights. Our AI teammate analyzes your past tickets, help center articles, and macros to identify patterns Explore might miss. You can run simulations on historical data to see how changes would have performed, or get recommendations for improving your knowledge base based on actual customer questions.

The two approaches work best together. Use Explore for your regular reporting and operational dashboards. Use AI analytics when you need to understand why trends are happening or what to do about them.

Start your Zendesk Explore migration today

You do not need to migrate everything at once. Here is a practical plan to get started:

This week:

• Audit your dashboards and identify which ones are actively used
• Document current sharing settings and schedules
• Identify one or two low-risk dashboards to migrate as a test

This month:

• Migrate your test dashboards and verify they work correctly
• Train your team on the new builder interface
• Create a migration schedule for remaining dashboards

Before December 2026:

• Complete migration of all custom dashboards
• Verify all shares, schedules, and links are working
• Decommission legacy dashboards

Need help with your support analytics strategy? Explore how eesel AI can enhance your reporting with predictive insights that complement your Zendesk Explore dashboards.