Beginner
How to add agents and assign roles on Zendesk
Quick Answer
To add agents in Zendesk, navigate to Admin Center > People > Team members, click Add team member, enter their details, and assign their role. Roles can be customized with specific permissions based on your team's needs.
Prerequisites
- Admin access to your Zendesk account
- Valid email addresses for new agents
- Understanding of role permissions needed for your team
- Active Zendesk subscription with available agent seats
1
Access the Admin Center
Log into your Zendesk account and click the Admin Center icon (gear symbol) in the sidebar. If you don't see this option, ensure you have administrator privileges for your Zendesk instance.
Tip
You can also access Admin Center by clicking your profile picture and selecting 'Admin Center' from the dropdown menu.
2
Navigate to Team Members
In the Admin Center, click People in the left sidebar, then select Team members. This will display your current team roster and available agent seats.
3
Add a New Team Member
Click the Add team member button in the top right corner. Enter the new agent's Email address, Name, and optionally their External ID if you use external authentication systems.
Tip
The external ID is useful for integrating with HR systems or single sign-on solutions.
4
Select Agent Role
In the Role dropdown, choose the appropriate role:
- Agent - Can view and solve tickets
- Admin - Full access to all features
- Light agent - Limited ticket access
- Custom roles if you've created them
Tip
Start new team members with Agent role and upgrade permissions as needed to maintain security.
5
Configure Additional Settings
Set the agent's Default group from the dropdown menu to automatically assign them to relevant tickets. Toggle Restricted agent if they should only see tickets in their assigned groups. Add any relevant Tags for organization.
6
Set Department and Time Zone
Select the appropriate Department if your organization uses departmental routing. Choose their Time zone to ensure accurate timestamp displays and scheduling. This helps with SLA management and reporting.
Tip
Matching time zones to agents' actual locations improves work-life balance and customer expectations.
7
Send Invitation
Review all settings and click Add to create the agent account. Zendesk will automatically send an invitation email to the provided address with login instructions and temporary password setup.
Tip
Ask new agents to check their spam folder if they don't receive the invitation within 15 minutes.
8
Verify and Customize Permissions
Once the agent accepts their invitation, return to Team members to verify their status shows as Active. Click on their name to access advanced permissions, custom fields access, and integration settings as needed.
Tip
Regularly review agent permissions during team meetings to ensure they align with current responsibilities.
Troubleshooting
Agent invitation email not received
Check the recipient's spam folder, verify the email address is correct, and try resending the invitation from the Team members page by clicking the agent's name and selecting Resend invitation.
Unable to add new agents due to seat limits
Check your subscription plan's agent limit in Account > Billing. Either upgrade your plan or deactivate unused agent accounts to free up seats.
New agent cannot see certain tickets or features
Verify their role permissions in People > Configuration > Roles. Check if they're assigned to the correct groups and ensure Restricted agent setting matches your intended access level.
Custom roles not appearing in dropdown
Navigate to People > Configuration > Roles to create or edit custom roles. Ensure the role is set to Active and has appropriate permissions configured before assigning to agents.
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