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Overview

As part of Zendesk, Sunshine Conversations serves as a live chat solution. Integrating it with Chatbase gives your AI agent the ability to connect a customer to a live human agent for problems that need human interaction. This centralizes communication, so your support workspace can track and resolve inquiries efficiently.

What you can do:

Let the AI handle routine questions, and hand the customer to a live Zendesk agent in real time when the issue needs a person.

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Before you start

  • A Chatbase account with an agent
  • A Zendesk account on a Professional Suite plan or above
  • Zendesk must already be connected in Chatbase before you connect Sunshine
This integration requires your Zendesk account to have a minimum Suite plan of Professional or above.

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How to connect Sunshine

1

Create an API key in Zendesk

  1. Sign in to your Zendesk account as an Admin and navigate to the Admin Center.
  2. Navigate to Apps and integrations > APIs > Conversations API.
  3. Click Create API Key, enter Chatbase as the name, and press Next.
  4. Copy the App ID, Key ID, and Secret key displayed.
Creating a Conversations API key in the Zendesk Admin Center
2

Set up the Sunshine integration in Chatbase

  1. Navigate to your Chatbase dashboard.
  2. Click the agent you wish to enable live chat for.
  3. Navigate to Integrations. Make sure Zendesk is connected before you attempt to connect Sunshine.
  4. Enter the copied App ID, Key ID, and Secret key, then press Submit.
3

Enable multi-conversations in Zendesk

Multi-conversations lets the same customer open multiple tickets, one per conversation, at the same time. Since a customer can have several conversations open at once, this must be enabled for a smooth experience.
  1. Sign in to your Zendesk account as an Admin and navigate to the Admin Center.
  2. Click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
  3. At the top of the page, click Manage settings.
  4. Under Web Widget and Mobile SDKs, expand Multi-conversations.
  5. Click Set up multi-conversations.
  6. Click Turn on multi-conversations for your account, select the channels you want to offer multi-conversations on, then click Save.
For more detail, see Zendesk’s Understanding multi-conversations for messaging.
4

Enable end messaging sessions in Zendesk

This lets agents end conversations when issues are resolved.
  1. Sign in to your Zendesk account as an Admin and navigate to the Admin Center.
  2. Click Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
  3. At the top of the page, click Manage settings.
  4. Under Advanced, expand Ending sessions.
  5. Select Agents can end messaging sessions at any time.
  6. Click Save settings.
For more detail, see Zendesk’s About ending messaging sessions.
5

Enable the Live Chat action

This action lets all customers, both identified and unidentified, start a live chat from the Chat Bubble, Help Page, or Center Stage.
  1. Navigate to your Chatbase dashboard.
  2. Choose the agent you integrated with Sunshine Conversations.
  3. Navigate to Build > Actions.
  4. Click Create Action, then select Sunshine live chat.
  5. Customize the When to use field, then save and enable the action.
Test the integration by asking your agent to speak to a human, and confirm the conversation reaches a live agent in Zendesk.

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Limitations

  • Sunshine requires Zendesk. The Zendesk integration must be connected in Chatbase first.
  • A Professional Suite plan or above is required on your Zendesk account.
  • Live chat needs an available agent. If nobody is present to take the conversation, the customer waits.

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Next steps

Escalations action

Prefer an asynchronous handoff? Open a ticket instead of routing the customer to a live agent.