name: zendesk-chat
description: Enables Claude to manage Zendesk Chat conversations, support tickets, and customer service operations
version: 1.0.0
author: Canifi
category: communication

Zendesk Chat Skill

Overview

Automates Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) operations including live chat management, visitor engagement, chat routing, and integration with Zendesk Support through browser automation.

Quick Install

curl -sSL https://canifi.com/skills/zendesk-chat/install.sh | bash

Or manually:

cp -r skills/zendesk-chat ~/.canifi/skills/

Setup

Configure via canifi-env:

# First, ensure canifi-env is installed:
# curl -sSL https://canifi.com/install.sh | bash

canifi-env set ZENDESK_EMAIL "[email protected]"
canifi-env set ZENDESK_PASSWORD "your-password"
canifi-env set ZENDESK_SUBDOMAIN "your-subdomain"

Privacy & Authentication

Your credentials, your choice. Canifi LifeOS respects your privacy.

Option 1: Manual Browser Login (Recommended)

If you prefer not to share credentials with Claude Code:
1. Complete the Browser Automation Setup using CDP mode
2. Login to the service manually in the Playwright-controlled Chrome window
3. Claude will use your authenticated session without ever seeing your password

Option 2: Environment Variables

If you're comfortable sharing credentials, you can store them locally:

canifi-env set SERVICE_EMAIL "your-email"
canifi-env set SERVICE_PASSWORD "your-password"

Note: Credentials stored in canifi-env are only accessible locally on your machine and are never transmitted.

Capabilities

• Handle live chat conversations
• Manage chat routing and departments
• Access visitor information and history
• Use shortcuts and macros
• Create support tickets from chats
• Monitor chat analytics
• Set agent availability
• Trigger proactive chats

Usage Examples

Example 1: Handle Live Chat

User: "Respond to the waiting chat about account access"
Claude: I'll handle that chat.
- Navigate to Zendesk Chat dashboard
- Accept waiting chat
- Review visitor information
- Compose helpful response
- Send message and continue assisting

Example 2: Create Ticket from Chat

User: "Convert this chat to a support ticket"
Claude: I'll create the ticket.
- Open current chat conversation
- Click create ticket option
- Transfer chat details to ticket
- Set ticket priority and type
- Confirm ticket created with link

Example 3: Use Chat Shortcut

User: "Send the greeting shortcut to the new visitor"
Claude: I'll use that shortcut.
- Open chat with new visitor
- Type shortcut command
- Select greeting message
- Send to visitor
- Confirm delivered

Example 4: Check Chat Statistics

User: "Show me today's chat performance"
Claude: I'll pull those statistics.
- Navigate to Analytics section
- Select today's date range
- Gather chat volume data
- Calculate response metrics
- Present performance summary

Authentication Flow

1. Navigate to subdomain.zendesk.com via Playwright MCP
2. Enter email and password from canifi-env
3. Navigate to Chat section
4. Handle 2FA if enabled (notify user via iMessage)
5. Verify chat dashboard access
6. Maintain session cookies

Error Handling

• Login Failed: Verify subdomain and credentials
• Session Expired: Re-authenticate automatically
• 2FA Required: iMessage for verification code
• Chat Limit Reached: Cannot accept more chats
• Visitor Disconnected: Chat ended by visitor
• Department Not Found: List available departments
• Permission Denied: Check agent permissions
• Rate Limited: Implement queue for responses

Self-Improvement Instructions

When encountering new Zendesk Chat features:
1. Document new UI elements
2. Add support for new chat features
3. Log successful response patterns
4. Update for integration changes

Notes

• Zendesk Chat integrates with Zendesk Support
• Chat triggers require admin configuration
• Departments affect routing rules
• Analytics depend on chat history
• Proactive chat requires visitor tracking
• Some features require Enterprise plan
• Mobile SDK chats appear differently