Zendesk Messaging Configuration

This guide outlines the steps to embed a Zendesk messaging widget on a web page.

Step 1: Log into Zendesk

• • Access your Zendesk account using your credentials.
  • Navigate to the Zendesk Admin Center.

Step 2: Enable Zendesk Messaging

• • From the Admin Center, go to Channels > Messaging and Social.
  • Under Messaging, select Web Widget.
  • Click Get Started and follow the prompts to enable the messaging widget on your account.

Step 3: Configure the Web Widget

Once Zendesk Messaging is enabled, you can customize the appearance and behavior of the web widget:

1. Branding: Set the color, theme, and logo to match your brand.
2. Positioning: Choose where the widget will appear on the page (e.g., bottom-right or bottom-left).
3. Settings: Enable or disable proactive messages, greetings, and pre-chat forms.
4. Language: Configure the language of the widget to match your target audience.

Step 4: Obtain the Web Widget Code

• • After configuring the widget, scroll down to the Installation section.

• • Copy the provided JavaScript snippet and paste it onto the same web page as the Forethought widget. Without this, the Zendesk Messaging handoff action will not work.
  • Example Zendesk Messaging Widget Script:
    

    <script id="ze-snippet" src="https://static.zdassets.com/ekr/snippet.js?key=YOUR_SNIPPET_KEY"> </script>

Step 5: Start building workflows in your Forethought dashboard using the Zendesk Messaging Handoff action

Authenticating Zendesk Messaging

There are two methods for authenticating the Zendesk Messaging:

Option 1: Authenticate the Zendesk Messaging Widget on Page Load

• Since both Forethought and the Zendesk (ZD) Messaging Widget are present on the same web page, you can authenticate the user directly with the ZD Messaging Widget using the following Web API call: https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/widget-messaging/web/authentication/
• By authenticating directly with the ZD widget, there's no need to pass a JSON Web Token (JWT) to Forethought during a handoff, as the user is already authenticated within the messaging widget.

Option 2: Pass Forethought the JWT on Forethought Widget Script initialization and Forethought authenticates on handoff

• You can configure an Authentication token Context Variable and set that in the Zendesk Messaging Handoff action under the field Authorization Token.
  
• You would then pass us that JWT token on Forethought Widget Initialization via Context Variables. For reference, see Solve Widget UI Guide for Developers. 
• Forethought would then call the same login function via the Web API on handoff using that value.