Upgrade from the legacy Zendesk Chat integration

Last Updated: August 25, 2023 17:35

Pendo has upgraded the Zendesk Chat integration experience to use the native Zendesk web widget in the context of the Resource Center.

This article describes how to upgrade from the legacy version of the Zendesk Chat integration installed in their Pendo subscription. If you're only installing the latest version the Zendesk Chat integration, refer to Integrate Zendesk Chat with Pendo.

This is one of three integrations with Zendesk that deploy the Zendesk web widget from the Pendo Resource Center:

The Zendesk Chat integration launches the web widget live chat feature.
The Zendesk Help Center integration launches the web widget help center feature.
The Zendesk messaging integration supersedes both Zendesk Chat and Zendesk Help Center.

You can either deploy Zendesk Chat and Zendesk Help Center independently, or deploy Zendesk messaging, which allows you to embed messaging into your help center.

How it works

The legacy Zendesk Chat modal is rendered in an iframe in the Pendo Resource Center. With the upgrade, Zendesk Chat is launched in Zendesk's web widget through a Resource Center module. This suppresses the launcher button that's typically generated by Zendesk's web widget.

The new integration has additional installation steps that weren't required in the legacy version.

The new Zendesk Chat integration must be added to the Pendo subscription. Contact your Pendo customer success or sales representative to add the integration to your Pendo subscription.
The new Zendesk Chat module must be added to the Resource Center
The legacy Zendesk Chat module must be removed.
The Zendesk chat snippet must be added to the header of your application.

The Pendo Resource Center only supports one chat integration at a time and only loads the first module listed.

Prerequisites

You must have an active Zendesk Chat integration for your Pendo subscription. You must also have admin permissions to both your Pendo and Zendesk accounts, and a published Resource Center in Pendo.

Additionally, the Zendesk snippet must be installed below the Pendo install script in the page header. Installing the Zendesk snippet without publishing the Zendesk Chat module in the Resource Center will load the Zendesk launch badge over your UI.

Install

Upgrading the Zendesk Chat integration is a three-step process.

The Chat module must be added to the Resource Center.
The legacy Chat module must be removed from the Resource Center.
The Zendesk snippet must be installed on any page where the Chat module is used.

If the Zendesk snippet is installed and the Resource Center module isn't published, the Zendesk snippet loads Zendesk's launch button over your UI. If the Chat module is in the published Resource Center, it doesn't show up in the Resource Center until it detects the installed Zendesk snippet in your application. This install order acts a fail-safe to only show the Chat module when it's functional.

Step 1. Upgrade the Zendesk Chat module to the Resource Center

The Zendesk Chat integration needs to be added to the subscription before the Chat module can be added to the Resource Center. The Chat module must be added to the Resource Center and published before the snippet is installed in your application to avoid Zendesk displaying their launch badge until the Resource Center module is added.

Navigate to Settings > Integrations.
Find the Zendesk Chat integration in Live Chat integrations and select Edit Integration.
Edit the Resource Center module details.
Select Save to Staging to make the integration available in the Resource Center.
Navigate to Guides > Resource Center.
Select Add Module and add the Zendesk Chat module.
Select Add Modules to save the new module to your draft Resource Center.

Step 2. Remove the legacy Zendesk chat module from the Resource Center

Find the legacy Zendesk Chat integration module in the list of modules in the draft Resource Center.
Select View Module Details and delete the legacy Zendesk Chat module. This doesn't remove the module from the current published Resource Center. Changes aren't visible until this version of the Resource Center is published.
Select Push to Staging to promote your Resource Center to staging. As a best practice, you should review the new Resource Center and test the integration in your staging environment.
Select Push to Production to promote your Resource Center from staging to your production environment. The Zendesk Chat module is now available in your Resource Center.

Additionally, to change the order of your Resource Center modules or make any other changes, select Manage in My App. You can also apply a segment. The Chat module is hidden for anyone outside of the segment. The default is Everyone.

Step 3. Install the Zendesk Chat snippet

Zendesk has installation instructions for installing the Chat snippet. The process is similar to installing Pendo through the install script. The snippet needs to be added to the <head> of any page that you want to use Zendesk Chat. The Chat module in the Resource Center doesn't load unless the snippet is present on the page.

The Zendesk Chat snippet must be installed below the the Pendo install script in the <head>. If the Zendesk snippet loads before Pendo, Zendesk loads their own launch button instead of using the Resource Center module.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this chat integration if I'm using Zopim?

Zopim is Zendesk's legacy Chat widget. This integration doesn't support Zopim. If you want to use this chat integration, you must upgrade your Zendesk legacy Chat account to use their enhanced experience. Zendesk has articles about the upgrade process.