As an alternative to email-based side conversations, agents can use side conversations in a ticket to initiate and participate in Slack threads. The Slack side conversations you initiate are viewable in the ticket and the Slack application. Like email conversations, Slack side conversations are recorded as ticket events, and can be used as ticket trigger conditions.
Creating a side conversation using Slack
When creating a side conversation, you choose between using email or using Slack.
To create a side conversation using Slack
- In a ticket, open the context panel and click the Side conversations
(
) icon, then click the plus sign (+). - Select Slack as the conversation type.
- Enter the Slack channel and your message. You can also add
attachments.
For more information about the composer, see Rich text editing in the side conversation composer.
You start a side conversation in one Slack channel at a time. You cannot combine Slack and email conversations. If you have a lot of Slack channels, it may take a few moments to display the list of available channels.
If you have multiple Slack workspaces connected to Zendesk Support, the workspace appears after the channel name. For example: #support - Workspace A, #general - Workspace A, #support - Workspace B, #general - Workspace B, and so on.
- When you’ve finished composing your message, click Send.
The team in the Slack channel can view your message and reply to the thread directly, without logging into Support.
The Slack replies are automatically included in the ticket’s side conversation.
The conversation can continue back and forth, as long as necessary, until you get the information you need.
- When the side conversation is complete, click Mark done in the ticket to close the side conversation.
Deleting a Slack side conversation
To delete a Slack side conversation, you must be the agent who created the Slack side conversation or an administrator. When you delete, the side conversation is removed from the ticket and Slack. Side conversation messages that are edited or deleted in Slack are also reflected on the ticket.
To delete a Slack side conversation
- In a ticket, open the context panel
and click the Side conversations () icon.
A list of side conversations for the ticket appears.
- Select the side conversation you want to delete.
You can only delete Slack side conversations. You cannot delete email side conversations.
- Click the options menu icon (
) on the right side of the
conversation, then select Delete.
- When a confirmation message appears, click Delete to confirm the deletion.
About limitations and breaking the link between Support and Slack
- Only ticket comments with 1,000 characters or less can be inserted into a Slack side conversation.
- Slack @mentions are supported, but they don't
autocomplete. You must enter the user's Slack member
ID in angle brackets. For example
<@U1H63D8SZ>.To find an agent's Slack member ID, go to the agent's profile in Slack. Click the options menu (
), then select Copy member
ID.Alternatively, you can include @here to notify everyone currently logged in or @channel to alert every channel member.
- Rich text formatting and Slack Markdown text entered in the side conversation composer may not always display as intended in Slack.
The following Slack features are not supported:
- Direct messages
As a workaround, the administrator can set up private Slack channels with only one member, such as #lkelly-private, and add them to the Slack for Zendesk integration.
- Emoji reactions
- Typing indicators
If the link breaks between Zendesk and Slack, for example, if an admin removes the Zendesk app from a Slack channel or if they archive or delete a Slack channel that you used for side conversations, you can still open and view these side conversations in a ticket, but you can no longer use that Slack channel to send or receive updates to side conversations.