Connect Zendesk to n8n?

You can connect Zendesk to n8n by creating a Zendesk API token and using the Zendesk node or an HTTP Request node in n8n to authenticate and trigger workflows. This guide shows a clear, step-by-step setup for n8n Cloud or Docker with example commands and a test curl call.

What You Need

• An active Zendesk account and admin access.
• n8n Cloud account or n8n running via Docker.
• Node.js available for local helper scripts (optional).
• Basic curl or HTTP client for testing.

How to Connect Zendesk to n8n

Follow these numbered steps to connect Zendesk to n8n. Each step is short and practical. Use the Docker commands if you run n8n locally, or use the n8n Cloud UI if hosted.

Step 1: Create a Zendesk API token

1. Sign in to Zendesk as an admin.
2. Go to Admin Center > Apps and integrations > APIs > Zendesk API.
3. Enable Token Access and create a new token. Copy the token value.

Step 2: Run n8n with Docker (example)

Start n8n locally with basic auth and a webhook URL. Adjust values for production.

docker run -it --rm -p 5678:5678 \
  -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true \
  -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin \
  -e N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=strongpass \
  -e N8N_HOST=localhost \
  -e WEBHOOK_URL=http://localhost:5678 \
  n8nio/n8n:latest

Step 3: Add Zendesk credentials in n8n

1. Open n8n UI (http://localhost:5678 or n8n Cloud URL).
2. Go to Credentials and create a new Zendesk credential.
3. Use your Zendesk subdomain (example: mysubdomain) and API token. For username use your_email/token and the token as password when using HTTP Basic auth.

Step 4: Build a simple workflow

1. Create a Webhook node in n8n to receive events.
2. Add a Zendesk node or HTTP Request node to create or update tickets.
3. Map incoming fields to ticket fields and activate the workflow.

# Test Zendesk API with curl (replace values)
curl -v -u 'admin@example.com/token:YOUR_ZENDESK_API_TOKEN' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  https://YOUR_SUBDOMAIN.zendesk.com/api/v2/tickets.json

# Test n8n webhook (replace URL path)
curl -X POST http://localhost:5678/webhook-test \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"ticket":{"subject":"Test from curl","comment":{"body":"Hello from n8n test"}}}'

Update

Keep n8n and connectors updated. For Docker, pull the latest image and restart the container. For n8n Cloud, follow the provider update notes. Always test workflows after updates.

# Update n8n Docker image
docker pull n8nio/n8n:latest
# Stop and restart container with the same environment variables

Security

Store Zendesk API tokens securely in n8n credentials. Do not hard-code tokens in public repos or logs. Use HTTPS for webhooks and enable authentication on n8n. Rotate tokens periodically and give least privilege access.

• Use TLS and secure webhook URLs.
• Enable basic auth or OAuth for n8n UI.
• Limit Zendesk API token scope and rotate regularly.

Done

After these steps, n8n can create or update Zendesk tickets and automate support tasks. Test your flow, monitor logs, and adjust field mappings for reliable automation.