How to integrate Zendesk using Alteryx

Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect Zendesk with Alteryx for smooth data access.

Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required. You can do it all using the high-performance Zendesk ODBC Driver for Alteryx (often referred to as the Zendesk Connector). We'll walk you through the entire setup.

Ready to dive in? Download the product to jump right in, or follow the step-by-step guide below to see how it works.

Zendesk ODBC Driver Powering this integration

High performance
Bidirectional
Low-code / No-code
Easy to use

Built on the ZappySys API Driver, the Zendesk ODBC Driver is a high-performance, low-code / no-code solution. It enables you to connect to Zendesk data without any coding right in your SQL Server, or any ODBC/JDBC application. Part of the ODBC PowerPack.

Documentation

Create data source using Zendesk ODBC Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from Zendesk using Alteryx, we first need to create an ODBC data source. We will later read this data in Alteryx. Perform these steps:

Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).
Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):
Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys API Driver driver:

ZappySys API Driver
- Create and use a User DSN if the client application runs under a User Account. This is the ideal option at design time (e.g., when developing in Visual Studio). Use it for both types of applications (64-bit and 32-bit).
- Create and use a System DSN if the client application runs under a System Account (e.g., as a Windows Service). This is usually the required option in a production environment. If your Windows Service is a 32-bit application, you must use the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure this
When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already, then select "Zendesk" from the list of Popular Connectors. If "Zendesk" is not present in the list, then click "Search Online" and download it. Then set the path to the location where you downloaded it. Finally, click Continue >> to proceed with configuring the DSN:

ZendeskDSN

Zendesk

Now it's time to configure the Connection Manager. Select Authentication Type, e.g. Token Authentication. Then select API Base URL (in most cases, the default one is the right one). More info is available in the Authentication section.

Token Authentication

Zendesk authentication

Authenticate using Static Token instead of userid / password ([Token Access] option must be enabled under Admin Console > Channel > API > Settings and then Click [ADD API Token] to generate new token. These settings typically found here https://YOUR-SUB-DOMAIN.zendesk.com/agent/admin/api/settings [API reference]

Please refer to external API reference

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to Token Authentication [Http]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Finally, hit OK button:

ZendeskDSN

Zendesk

Token Authentication [Http]

https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2

Required Parameters
Sub Domain (e.g. mycompany)	Fill-in the parameter...
UserId	Fill-in the parameter...
Token	Fill-in the parameter...
Optional Parameters
RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
RetryStatusCodeList	429
RetryCountMax	5
RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True

OAuth Authentication

Zendesk authentication

OAuth App must be created under Admin Console > Channel > API > Settings. These settings typically found here https://YOUR-SUB-DOMAIN.zendesk.com/agent/admin/api/oauth_clients [API reference]

Please refer to external API reference

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to OAuth Authentication [OAuth]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Press Generate Token button to generate the tokens.
Finally, hit OK button:

ZendeskDSN

Zendesk

OAuth Authentication [OAuth]

https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2

Required Parameters
Sub Domain (e.g. mycompany)	Fill-in the parameter...
ClientId	Fill-in the parameter...
ClientSecret	Fill-in the parameter...
Permissions	Fill-in the parameter...
RedirectUrl	Fill-in the parameter...
Optional Parameters
RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
RetryStatusCodeList	429
RetryCountMax	5
RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True

UserID/Password Authentication (2FA must be OFF)

Zendesk authentication

Authenticate using your userid / password (2FA must be OFF and [Password Access] option must be enabled under Admin Console > Channel > API > Settings. These settings typically found here https://YOUR-SUB-DOMAIN.zendesk.com/agent/admin/api/settings [API reference]

Please refer to external API reference

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to UserID/Password Authentication (2FA must be OFF) [Http]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Finally, hit OK button:

ZendeskDSN

Zendesk

UserID/Password Authentication (2FA must be OFF) [Http]

https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2

Required Parameters
Sub Domain (e.g. mycompany)	Fill-in the parameter...
UserName (2FA Must be OFF)	Fill-in the parameter...
Password	Fill-in the parameter...
Optional Parameters
RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
RetryStatusCodeList	429
RetryCountMax	5
RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True

Once the data source connection has been configured, it's time to configure the SQL query. Select the Preview tab and then click Query Builder button to configure the SQL query:

ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk

Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.

ZendeskDSN
Start by selecting the Table or Endpoint you are interested in and then configure the parameters. This will generate a query that we will use in Alteryx to retrieve data from Zendesk. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.
```
SELECT * FROM Tickets
```
Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the Zendesk API, e.g. filtering parameters. It means that filtering will be done on the server side (instead of the client side), enabling you to get only the meaningful data much faster.
Now hit Preview Data button to preview the data using the generated SQL query. If you are satisfied with the result, use this query in Alteryx:
ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk

Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.

ZendeskDSN
```
SELECT * FROM Tickets
```
You can also access data quickly from the tables dropdown by selecting <Select table>.

A WHERE clause, LIMIT keyword will be performed on the client side, meaning that the whole result set will be retrieved from the Zendesk API first, and only then the filtering will be applied to the data. If possible, it is recommended to use parameters in Query Builder to filter the data on the server side (in Zendesk servers).
Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video Tutorial

Read Zendesk data in Alteryx Designer (workstation)

Here we will be reading Zendesk data on your workstation using Alteryx Designer. Follow the steps below to connect via ODBC and run your workflow locally.

Version requirement: Alteryx support was added in ODBC PowerPack v2.2.1. You must have ODBC PowerPack v2.2.1 or higher installed. How to check version of my ODBC PowerPack.

Open Alteryx Designer.
First, verify your DCM Settings to ensure you can access ODBC drivers. Go to Options > User Settings > Edit User Settings.

If DCM Mode is set to DCM Only, change it to DCM Optional if you would like to access the legacy Generic ODBC Connection.

After changing this setting, you may need to click Save and restart the connection window for the "Generic ODBC" icon to appear.
Drag an Input Data tool onto your Alteryx canvas.
In the Configuration pane, click Set Up a Connection.
Note for DCM Users: If your environment has DCM (Data Connection Manager) enabled, the classic "Generic ODBC" icon may be hidden. To find it, select Data sources on the left and type "ODBC" in the search bar.
Once the ODBC window opens, click Connect Asset and select your ZendeskDSN DSN from the list.

Ensure you have configured a 64-bit System DSN in the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator before this step.
After selecting your DSN, configure your SQL Query in the Input Data tool configuration:
To save your data, drag an Output Data tool and connect it to the Input Data tool.
Configure the Output Data tool to write to a CSV file:
Press Run (Ctrl+R) to execute the workflow. Verify the results in the Results Window at the bottom.

Using DSN-less Connection String

If you prefer to use a DSN-less connection string instead of creating an ODBC data source in Alteryx, you can enter the connection string directly in the Input Data tool's connection setup:

Deploy workflow and run on server (e.g. Alteryx Server)

To run your Alteryx workflow on a server (e.g. Alteryx Server or a machine used for scheduled runs), install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack and configure the same DSN on that server so the workflow can connect to Zendesk data.

On the server where the workflow will run, download and install ODBC PowerPack (v2.2.1 or higher for Alteryx support).
Open ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) on the server and create a System DSN with the same name and settings as on your workstation (use the same driver and connection configuration). An easy way to copy your workstation DSN settings to the server is described in How to copy ODBC DSN or Data Gateway settings to another server (use Copy Settings on the workstation, then Load settings on the server).
Deploy or publish your workflow to the server (e.g. upload to Alteryx Server or copy the workflow to the server).
Run the workflow on the server; it will use the DSN you created in step 2 to connect to Zendesk.

Optional: Centralized data access via ZappySys Data Gateway

In some situations, you may need to provide Zendesk data access to multiple users or services. Configuring the data source on a Data Gateway creates a single, centralized connection point for this purpose.

This configuration provides two primary advantages:

Centralized data access
The data source is configured once on the gateway, eliminating the need to set it up individually on each user's machine or application. This significantly simplifies the management process.
Centralized access control
Since all connections route through the gateway, access can be governed or revoked from a single location for all users.

	Data Gateway	Local ODBC data source
Simple configuration
Installation	Single machine	Per machine
Connectivity	Local and remote	Local only
Connections limit	Limited by License	Unlimited
Central data access
Central access control
More flexible cost

To achieve this, you must first create a data source in the Data Gateway (server-side) and then create an ODBC data source in Alteryx (client-side) to connect to it.

Let's not wait and get going!

Create Zendesk data source in the gateway

In this section we will create a data source for Zendesk in the Data Gateway. Let's follow these steps to accomplish that:

Search for gateway in the Windows Start Menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway Configuration:
Go to the Users tab and follow these steps to add a Data Gateway user:
- Click the Add button
- In the Login field enter a username, e.g., john
- Then enter a Password
- Check the Is Administrator checkbox
- Click OK to save
Now we are ready to add a data source:
- Click the Add button
- Give the Data source a name (have it handy for later)
- Then select Native - ZappySys API Driver
- Finally, click OK
ZendeskDSN

ZappySys API Driver
When the ZappySys API Driver configuration window opens, go back to ODBC Data Source Administrator where you already have the Zendesk ODBC data source created and configured, and follow these steps on how to Import data source configuration into the Gateway:
- Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk
  
  Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.
  
  ZendeskDSN
- The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard:
- Then go to Data Gateway configuration and in data source configuration window click Load settings:
  
  ZendeskDSN
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk
  
  Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.
  
  ZendeskDSN
- Once a window opens, just paste the settings by pressing CTRL+V or by clicking right mouse button and then Paste option.
Once done, go to the Network Settings tab and Add a firewall rule for inbound traffic:
- This will initially allow all inbound traffic.
- Click Edit IP filters to restrict access to specific IP addresses or ranges.
Crucial Step: After creating or modifying the data source, you must:
- Click the Save button to persist your changes.
- Hit Yes when prompted to restart the Data Gateway service.
This ensures all changes are properly applied:

Skipping this step may cause the new settings to fail, preventing you from connecting to the data source.

Create ODBC data source to connect to the gateway

In this part we will create an ODBC data source to connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway from Alteryx. To achieve that, let's perform these steps:

Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):
Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver:

ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server

If you don't see the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver in the list, choose a similar version.
Then set a Name for the data source (e.g. Gateway) and the address of the Data Gateway:

ZappySysGatewayDSN

localhost,5000

Make sure you separate the hostname and port with a comma, e.g. localhost,5000.
Proceed with the authentication part:
- Select SQL Server authentication
- In the Login ID field enter the user name you created in the Data Gateway, e.g., john
- Set Password to the one you configured in the Data Gateway
Then set the default database property to ZendeskDSN (the one we used in the Data Gateway):

ZendeskDSN

ZendeskDSN

Make sure to type the data source name manually or copy/paste it directly into the field. Using the dropdown might fail because the Trust server certificate option is not enabled yet (next step).
Continue by checking the Trust server certificate option:
Once you do that, test the connection:
If the connection is successful, everything is good:
Done!

We are ready to move to the final step. Let's do it!

Access data in Alteryx via the gateway

Finally, we are ready to read data from Zendesk in Alteryx via the Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:

Go back to Alteryx.
Drag an Input Data tool onto your Alteryx canvas.
In the Configuration pane, click Set Up a Connection.
Note for DCM Users: If your environment has DCM (Data Connection Manager) enabled, the classic "Generic ODBC" icon may be hidden. To find it, select Data sources on the left and type "ODBC" in the search bar.
Once the ODBC window opens, click Connect Asset and select your ZappySysGatewayDSN DSN from the list.

Ensure you have configured a 64-bit System DSN in the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator before this step.
Read the data the same way we discussed at the beginning of this article.
That's it!

Now you can connect to Zendesk data in Alteryx via the Data Gateway.

If you are asked for authentication details, use Database authentication, SQL authentication or Basic authentication option and enter the credentials you used when configuring the Data Gateway, e.g. john and your password.

Supported Zendesk Connector actions

Got a specific use case in mind? We've mapped out exactly how to perform a variety of essential Zendesk operations directly in Alteryx, so you don't have to figure out the setup from scratch. Check out the step-by-step guides below:

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to Zendesk in Alteryx and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by Zendesk ODBC Driver.

Download ODBC PowerPack now or ping us via chat if you have any questions or are looking for a specific feature (you can also reach out to us by submitting a ticket):

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