Zendesk rich message templates and carousels: A complete guide for 2026

Zendesk rich message templates and carousels: A complete guide for 2026

Your customers expect more than plain text responses. They want product carousels they can swipe through, quick reply buttons that speed up conversations, and visual elements that make support interactions feel modern. Zendesk's rich message templates deliver exactly that, but the implementation paths can get confusing fast.

This guide consolidates Zendesk's scattered documentation into one practical resource. We'll cover every structured message type, compare the four main implementation methods, and walk through creating your first carousel template. For teams that want rich messaging without the complexity, we'll also look at how eesel AI simplifies the process by handling customer interactions autonomously.

What are Zendesk rich messages?

Zendesk rich messages (also called structured messages) are interactive message types that go beyond plain text. Instead of typing out descriptions, you can show customers a carousel of product options. Rather than listing steps, you can present quick reply buttons that guide conversations.

Here's why they matter for support teams:

• Higher engagement: Visual elements and interactive buttons keep customers in the conversation
• Faster resolutions: Quick replies eliminate typing and reduce back-and-forth
• Better self-service: Forms and carousels let customers help themselves
• Professional appearance: Rich media makes your support feel modern and polished

The catch is that Zendesk offers multiple ways to implement rich messages, and the documentation is spread across developer docs, help center articles, and marketplace apps. Let's break down what's available.

Types of Zendesk structured messages

Zendesk supports several structured message types, each with specific limits and use cases. Understanding these constraints upfront saves troubleshooting time later.

Carousels

Carousels display a horizontally scrollable set of up to 10 items. Each item (called a card) includes an image, title, description, and up to 3 action buttons.

Platform	Max Cards	Title Limit	Description Limit	Button Text Limit
Sunshine Conversations	10	128 characters	128 characters	35 characters
Zendesk Chat	10	150 characters	150 characters	20 characters

Best for: Product showcases, multi-option displays, appointment booking, FAQ navigation.

Quick replies and buttons

Quick replies present up to 11 pre-defined response buttons that customers tap instead of typing. Button templates show 1-3 clickable buttons with link or postback actions.

The difference is that quick replies insert text into the conversation, while button templates trigger actions or open URLs.

Best for: Guided conversations, common FAQs, routing customers to the right department, collecting simple choices.

Panel and list templates

Panel templates combine an image, title, subtitle, and buttons in a single visual block. List templates display 2-4 items with an optional button per item.

Best for: Organized information display, service menus, product summaries, account information.

Forms and rich text

Forms collect structured data through email fields, text inputs, and dropdown selects. Rich text supports HTML and markdown formatting (bold, italic, lists, headings, code blocks) up to 4,096 characters.

Best for: Lead capture, data collection, formatted responses with visual hierarchy.

Quick reference table

Message Type	Max Items	Max Buttons	Best Use Case
Carousel	10	3 per item	Product displays
Quick Replies	11	N/A	Guided flows
Button Template	1	3	CTAs
Panel Template	1	3	Visual info
List Template	4	1 per item	Item lists
Forms	Multiple fields	N/A	Data collection
Rich Text	4,096 chars	N/A	Formatted responses

How to implement Zendesk rich message templates

Zendesk offers four main implementation methods, each with different complexity levels and requirements. Here's how they compare:

Method	Coding Required	Plan Required	Flexibility	Best For
Sunshine Conversations API	Yes	Suite Professional+	Highest	Development teams
AI Agents - Advanced	Minimal (JSON)	AI Agents add-on	Medium-High	Admin-managed templates
Bot Builder (Legacy)	No	Suite Team+	Medium	Simple bot flows
Third-party Apps	No	Sunshine Conversations	Medium	Agent-facing tools

Method 1: Sunshine Conversations API

The Sunshine Conversations API provides the most flexibility for developers. You can create any message type programmatically and integrate with external systems.

Template shorthand syntax: Use %((template:template_name))% or %{{template:template_name}}% to reference templates in messages.

Key syntax elements:

• Link buttons: %[Label](URL)
• Reply buttons: %[Label](reply:PAYLOAD)
• Postback buttons: %[Label](postback:PAYLOAD)
• Images: ![](image_url)

Sample templates for testing:

• %((template:smooch_tmpl_things_to_do))% displays a carousel
• %((template:smooch_tmpl_lead_capture))% shows a form
• %((template:smooch_tmpl_rate_conversation))% presents quick replies

Requirements: Suite Professional ($115/agent/month) or higher, or a separate Sunshine Conversations license.

Method 2: AI Agents - Advanced

For teams without developers, AI Agents - Advanced offers a visual template builder. You can create three template types: Forms, Webviews, and Custom (JSON).

Setup location: Admin Center > Channels > AI agents > Settings > CRM Integration > Templates

This method uses the same shorthand syntax as the API but lets admins create templates through a web interface. You can then insert templates into dialogue flows using the dialogue builder.

Requirements: Suite Team ($55/agent/month) or higher, plus AI Agents - Advanced add-on.

Method 3: Bot Builder (Legacy)

Bot Builder provides a no-code interface for adding images, buttons, GIFs, and carousels to conversation flows. It's the simplest option but is being phased out in favor of AI Agents - Advanced.

Limitations:

• Up to 10 button links per message
• Images must be publicly accessible URLs
• Maximum image size: 10MB
• Not supported on mobile SDKs

Method 4: Third-party marketplace apps

Third-party marketplace apps provide agent-facing template pickers without requiring API development. Apps like Interactive Messaging Templates by Zenplates offer no-code template creation for teams that want simpler workflows.

Pricing: Typical marketplace apps cost around $1/agent/month.

Trade-off: Most still require a Sunshine Conversations license, adding to the total cost.

Creating your first Zendesk carousel template

Let's walk through creating a carousel using AI Agents - Advanced, since it balances flexibility with ease of use.

Step 1: Access structured message templates

Navigate to Admin Center in your Zendesk instance. Go to Channels > AI agents and select your advanced AI agent. Click Settings, then CRM integration, then Templates.

Step 2: Create a custom JSON template

Click Create template and select Custom (JSON). Enter a template name using hyphens or underscores (no spaces). The name becomes part of your shorthand reference.

For a product carousel, your JSON structure includes an items array where each item contains:

• mediaUrl: URL to the card image
• title: Card heading (128 characters max)
• description: Card description (128 characters max)
• actions: Array of up to 3 buttons with type, text, and URI/payload

Step 3: Add the carousel to your conversation flow

Copy the template shorthand from the Templates list (it looks like %((template:your_template_name))%). Open the dialogue builder for your AI agent and paste the shorthand into a message block where you want the carousel to appear.

Step 4: Test and publish

Use the messaging preview to verify your carousel renders correctly. Check that button actions work as expected. Once you're satisfied, publish your AI agent to make the carousel live.

Pro tip: Start with Zendesk's sample templates to understand the JSON structure before building custom carousels.

Channel support and fallback behaviors for Zendesk rich messages

Not all channels support all message types. Understanding fallback behaviors prevents surprises when customers use different channels.

Channel	Full Support	Fallback Behavior
Web Widget	All types	N/A
Mobile SDK (v2.30.0+)	Most types	Older versions: plain text
WhatsApp	Partial	Forms become hosted web form links
Social channels	Partial	Rich text becomes plain text
Unity SDK	None	Plain text only

Zendesk automatically applies fallbacks for unsupported channels. However, this can create inconsistent experiences. A beautifully designed carousel in your web widget might become a clunky text list on WhatsApp.

Testing recommendation: Before launching rich messages, test across every channel your customers use. Identify where fallbacks kick in and decide if the degraded experience is acceptable.

eesel AI: A simpler approach to Zendesk rich messaging

If the implementation complexity above feels daunting, you're not alone. Many teams want rich customer experiences without the licensing costs, JSON configurations, and channel compatibility headaches.

eesel AI takes a different approach. Instead of building templates that customers navigate, we train AI that understands your business and handles conversations autonomously.

How we simplify Zendesk messaging

Our Zendesk integration works alongside your existing setup:

• No Sunshine Conversations license required: We integrate directly with Zendesk Agent Workspace
• No template configuration: Our AI learns from your help center, past tickets, and macros
• No developer resources needed: Connect in minutes, not days
• Works across all channels: Email, chat, social messaging with consistent quality

What makes our approach different

Capability	Zendesk Templates	eesel AI
Setup time	Hours to days	Minutes
Developer required	Often yes	No
Additional licensing	Sunshine Conversations ($50+/month for MAUs)	Included
Learning curve	Steep (shorthand syntax, JSON)	Minimal (plain-text prompts)
Autonomous resolution	Template-based, predefined flows	AI-driven, learns from content
Simulation/testing	Sandbox (Enterprise only)	Included in Business plan

Results you can expect

Teams using our AI agents for Zendesk see up to 81% autonomous resolution rates in mature deployments. The typical payback period is under 2 months.

Our pricing model

Instead of per-agent fees that scale with your team size, we charge based on AI interactions:

Plan	Monthly Price	Interactions	Key Features
Team	$239	1,000/month	AI Copilot, Slack integration, up to 3 bots
Business	$639	3,000/month	AI Agent, past ticket training, bulk simulation
Custom	Contact us	Unlimited	Multi-agent orchestration, custom integrations

For a team of 10 agents, Zendesk Suite Professional alone costs $1,150/month before any add-ons. Our Business plan covers the whole team for $639/month with AI capabilities included.

Start a free trial to see how we handle your actual support conversations.

Getting started with Zendesk rich messages

Rich messages can transform your customer experience when implemented thoughtfully. Here's your action plan:

Quick start checklist:

• Verify you have Suite Professional+ or the required Sunshine Conversations license
• Decide on implementation method based on your team's technical skills
• Start simple: test quick replies before building complex carousels
• Test across all customer channels before going live
• Monitor engagement metrics after launch

For teams wanting faster time to value:

• Consider eesel AI for autonomous messaging without template complexity
• Evaluate the total cost: Zendesk licensing + development time vs. all-inclusive AI solutions

Resources:

• Zendesk Developer Docs: Structured messages
• Zendesk Help Center: Creating carousel templates
• Our Zendesk AI guide

The bottom line is that Zendesk rich messages are powerful, but the implementation overhead is real. Choose the method that matches your team's resources, and don't hesitate to explore alternatives that might get you to the same destination faster.

Frequently asked questions

Q1: What Zendesk plan do I need for rich message templates and carousels? A1: For full structured message support including carousels, you need Zendesk Suite Professional ($115/agent/month) or higher. Suite Team ($55/agent/month) supports basic rich messaging through Bot Builder and AI Agents, but advanced carousel functionality typically requires the Sunshine Conversations platform.

Q2: How many items can I include in a Zendesk rich message carousel? A2: Zendesk rich message templates and carousels support up to 10 items (cards) per carousel. Each card can have up to 3 buttons. Title and description limits vary by platform: 128 characters on Sunshine Conversations and 150 characters on Zendesk Chat.

Q3: Do Zendesk rich message templates work on WhatsApp? A3: WhatsApp has partial support for Zendesk rich message templates and carousels. Forms automatically convert to hosted web form links. Rich text may render as plain text. Test your specific message types on WhatsApp before deploying to customers.

Q4: What is the shorthand syntax for Zendesk rich message templates? A4: Zendesk rich message templates use shorthand syntax like %((template:template_name))% or %{{template:template_name}}%. You can also use %[Label](URL) for link buttons and ![](image_url) for inline images.

Q5: Are there alternatives to building Zendesk rich message templates manually? A5: Yes, several alternatives exist for Zendesk rich message templates and carousels. Third-party marketplace apps like Zenplates offer no-code template creation ($1/agent/month). AI solutions like eesel AI bypass templates entirely by handling conversations autonomously, starting at $239/month for the whole team.

Q6: Why won't my Zendesk carousel template display on mobile? A6: Zendesk rich message templates and carousels have specific mobile requirements. Mobile SDKs need version 2.30.0 or higher for rich text support. Unity SDK doesn't support carousels at all (falls back to plain text). Verify your SDK version and test on actual devices before launching.

Q7: How do I troubleshoot "Bot is not authorized" errors in Zendesk rich message templates? A7: This common error with Zendesk rich message templates and carousels usually indicates permission or configuration issues. Verify your AI agent has the correct permissions in Admin Center, confirm your Sunshine Conversations integration is active, and check that your template JSON is valid. Zendesk support can help with persistent authorization errors.