Connecting AI Agents Essentials and Advanced to channels
Zendesk improved AI Agent management by introducing a new channel manager UI for AI Agents Advanced, removing the need for Switchboard API use. It simplifies linking bots to channels, especially in mixed or transitional setups, but key inconsistencies between Essentials and Advanced remain.
Zendesk support setups have evolved. Most teams now rely on some form of automation—whether it’s the classic Flow Builder, AI Agent Essentials with generative replies, or the moreAI Agent Advanced (powered by Ultimate). Each approach offers different levels of control and capability, but the goal is the same: resolve more tickets, faster.
As support environments grow, so does the need for flexibility. You might route one AI Agent to social media channels, another to logged-in users on your website. Zendesk lets you mix and match bots across brands, audiences, and channels—but only if you know where to configure them.
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Zendesk now displays a “Response type” for each messaging channel in Admin Center, making it easier to see what kind of automation is in place. Here’s how to read the labels:
- Basic – No AI Agent is linked. The system asks for name, email, or other input before escalating to an agent. This is configured in the channel’s settings.
- AI Agent Advanced – The channel is linked to an Ultimate-powered bot. Responses are managed entirely outside Zendesk, through the AI Agent’s own dashboard.
- AI Agent Essentials – Essentials bots appear under their custom names in the list. You manage them from within Zendesk, including assigning which channels they handle.
The linking process differs depending on whether you’re using Essentials or Advanced bots. Let’s break it down.
Linking AI Agents Essentials to channels
Essentials bots—whether powered by generative replies or classic Flow Builder—are managed entirely from within Zendesk. To assign channels to a specific bot:
- Go to Admin Center | AI | AI Agents
- Select the bot you want to configure
- Open the Settings tab
- Choose which channels should use this bot
Changes apply instantly, and you can return to this panel at any time to adjust which channels are connected.
Linking AI Agents Advanced to channels
AI Agent Advanced (powered by Ultimate) connects to Zendesk through the Sunshine Conversations platform. Sunshine acts as the middleware between your customer-facing channels, your AI Agent, and Zendesk’s ticketing system.
Unlike Essentials bots, Advanced bots are managed outside Zendesk. The actual conversation routing is configured through Sunshine Conversations—and until recently, that required direct API configuration using the Switchboard.
