Connect Salesforce to Zendesk
Automate workflows between Salesforce and Zendesk. No coding required.
The most-used recipe
Salesforce
CRM
DeskFerry agent
Create ticket when new contact created
Runs on its own
Zendesk
Help Desk & Support
Popular workflows
What you can automate between Salesforce and Zendesk
These are the most popular automations teams set up between Salesforce and Zendesk. Each one runs automatically once activated — no manual steps.
Create ticket when new contact created
Open a new support ticket automatically when a new contact is added to your crm.
Create contact when new ticket created
Add a new contact to your CRM automatically when a customer submits a support request.
Sync Salesforce changes to Zendesk
Keep Zendesk updated when a new deal or opportunity is created.
How data flows
What syncs between Salesforce and Zendesk
Support interactions from Salesforce are logged against customer records in Zendesk. Sales and success teams see the full support history.
Data from Salesforce
- Contacts
- Deals / opportunities
- Pipeline stages
- Notes
- Custom fields
Data from Zendesk
- Tickets
- Customer messages
- Priority levels
- Assignees
- Resolution status
Step-by-step guide
How to connect Salesforce to Zendesk
Follow these steps to set up your integration. The entire process takes under 5 minutes.
What you'll need
- An active Salesforce account with API access enabled
- An active Zendesk account
- A free DeskFerry account (sign up takes 30 seconds)
- Admin or API access in Salesforce to authorize the connection
- Step 01
Create your DeskFerry account
Sign up at deskferry.app — it takes 30 seconds and starts a 7-day free trial. You'll land on the dashboard where you can create your first workflow.
- Step 02
Authenticate Salesforce
Click "Add Connection" and select Salesforce from the app directory. You'll be redirected to Salesforce's authorization page. Grant DeskFerry read/write access to your contacts, deals, and pipeline data. You choose which objects the integration can access.
- Step 03
Authenticate Zendesk
Same process for Zendesk. Click "Add Connection," select Zendesk, and authorize access. Grant DeskFerry access to your tickets, contacts, and support queues. You select which ticket views and queues the integration can access.
- Step 04
Choose your trigger
Select what event starts the workflow. For this integration, popular triggers include: new contact created in salesforce or new ticket created in zendesk. The trigger fires automatically whenever that event happens — no manual intervention.
- Step 05
Configure the action
Define what happens when the trigger fires. For example: create ticket in zendesk. Map the data fields between Salesforce and Zendesk so the right information lands in the right place.
- Step 06
Test and activate
Run a test to confirm data flows correctly between Salesforce and Zendesk. Check that the fields map as expected, then toggle the workflow on. It runs 24/7 from here — DeskFerry handles retries, error logging, and monitoring automatically.
Benefits
Why connect Salesforce and Zendesk?
Manually moving data between Salesforce and Zendesk is error-prone and eats into your team's productive hours. Connecting them through DeskFerry eliminates that overhead — events in one app trigger actions in the other automatically.
Tips
Tips for your Salesforce + Zendesk integration
Get more out of this integration with these best practices.
Use cases
Who uses the Salesforce + Zendesk integration?
Teams across industries connect Salesforce and Zendesk to streamline their workflows.
Sales reps tracking deal progress who rely on Zendesk for help desk & support
Customer support who need real-time data from Salesforce
Sales teams and customer support collaborating across tools
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect Salesforce to Zendesk?
Sign up for a free DeskFerry account, then click "Add Connection" to authenticate both Salesforce and Zendesk via OAuth. Choose a workflow template — like syncing crm events to help desk & support actions — customize the field mapping, and activate. The entire setup takes under 5 minutes.
What can I automate between Salesforce and Zendesk?
You can automate a wide range of workflows: sync new Salesforce events to Zendesk actions, trigger Zendesk updates when Salesforce data changes, create Zendesk records from Salesforce events, and build conditional workflows with filters and field mapping. Each workflow runs 24/7 with automatic retries.
Is the Salesforce and Zendesk integration free?
DeskFerry's 7-day free trial is enough to prove the workflow out. If your Salesforce-to-Zendesk workflows need more volume, paid plans start at $49/month with unlimited workflows and priority execution.
Is my Salesforce data secure when connected to Zendesk?
Yes. DeskFerry uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication — we never store your Salesforce or Zendesk passwords. All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). Your crm data is only accessed when a workflow runs, and you can revoke access at any time from your DeskFerry dashboard.
Can I sync data both ways between Salesforce and Zendesk?
Yes. You can set up workflows that trigger from either Salesforce or Zendesk. For example, create a workflow where Salesforce events update Zendesk, and a separate one where Zendesk changes sync back to Salesforce. Each direction is configured independently so you have full control.
Do I need technical skills to connect Salesforce and Zendesk?
No coding is required. DeskFerry's builder is prompt-based: you describe the trigger and what should happen in plain English, and the agent handles the field mapping. If you can use Salesforce and Zendesk, you can set up the integration. Most users are running their first workflow within 10 minutes.
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Automate Salesforce + Zendesk
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