Zendesk is a customer support platform with ticketing and helpdesk features. Connecting Zendesk to WAX syncs your WAX contacts' attributes to Zendesk, so your agents have customer context right in their tickets, without switching tools. If the WAX AI Agent is turned on, it escalates to your Zendesk agent the conversations it can't handle on its own.
Before you start: what you need to know
WAX plan: your WAX workspace must be on the Professional plan.
Assisted setup: unlike other integrations, this connection isn't self-service. It's set up with the help of the WAX technical team.
Zendesk rights: you need admin rights on your Zendesk account to authorize WAX's access (OAuth authentication).
Conversations in Zendesk: creating tickets from your WAX conversations goes through the Zendesk Sunshine Conversations integration, which is set up separately. See How do I connect Zendesk Sunshine?
⚠️ Zendesk is gradually replacing API token connections with OAuth. If your integration was connected a while ago, update it before April 30, 2027, when Zendesk will permanently turn off API tokens: How do I switch to the new Zendesk authentication method?
Step 1️⃣: Ask the WAX team to connect it
Contact your CSM, or write directly to support@getwax.io to start the setup.
The WAX team turns on the connection with your Zendesk account.
Step 2️⃣: Map your WAX attributes to your Zendesk attributes
Once the WAX team has finished the setup, go to the integration page to map your WAX attributes to the matching attributes in Zendesk: Settings > Integrations > Zendesk.
Your WAX contacts' attributes (for example their loyalty status or preferences) then show up in Zendesk. Your agents get more customer context without leaving Zendesk.
How does the AI Agent escalate to your Zendesk agent?
If the WAX AI Agent is turned on, it replies to your customers first. When it detects a situation it can't handle on its own (ambiguous request, sensitive topic, action outside its scope), it escalates the conversation to your teams. It then shows up:
in the Action needed tab of the WAX Inbox;
in Zendesk (through Zendesk Sunshine Conversations), where your agent takes over and replies to the customer.
Once the request is handled, close the conversation from Zendesk: the AI Agent automatically takes over again. You can also hand it back from WAX (Let AI agent take over button), or let it take over automatically after a set delay. See How does the AI Agent work in the Inbox?
Tips
Map the attributes useful to support (loyalty status, preferences…): your agents get context without leaving Zendesk.
Authentication update: if you switch from API token to OAuth, you don't need to redo the attribute mapping. Only the connection method changes.
Zendesk or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations? They're two separate integrations, available separately in Settings > Integrations: the first syncs your contacts' attributes, the second creates tickets from your conversations. If in doubt, contact WAX support through the chat.
RCS and SMS: RCS replies show up in your helpdesk just like WhatsApp replies. SMS replies are only visible in the WAX Inbox. See RCS / SMS and helpdesk: how does it work?