How to integrate Zendesk with Power BI
Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect Zendesk with Power BI 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 Power BI (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.
Video Tutorial
This video covers the following topics and more, so please watch carefully. After watching the video, follow the steps outlined in this article:
- How to download and install the required PowerPack for Zendesk integration in Power BI
- How to configure the connection for Zendesk
- Features of the ZappySys API Driver (Authentication / Query Language / Examples / Driver UI)
- How to use the Zendesk in Power BI
Create data source using Zendesk ODBC Driver
Step-by-step instructions
To get data from Zendesk using Power BI, we first need to create an ODBC data source. We will later read this data in Power BI. Perform these steps:
-
Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).
-
Search for
odbcand 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 deployed to production, Power BI runs under a Service Account. Therefore, for the production environment, you must create and use a System DSN. -
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:
ZendeskDSNZendesk
-
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.
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:
ZendeskDSNZendeskToken Authentication [Http]https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2Required 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
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:
ZendeskDSNZendeskOAuth Authentication [OAuth]https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2Required 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
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:
ZendeskDSNZendeskUserID/Password Authentication (2FA must be OFF) [Http]https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2Required 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
-
Set Authentication Type to
-
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 - ZendeskRead 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 Power BI 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 datamuch 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 Power BI:
ZappySys API Driver - ZendeskRead and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.ZendeskDSNSELECT * FROM Tickets
You can also access data quickly from the tables dropdown by selecting <Select table>.AWHEREclause,LIMITkeyword will be performed on the client side, meaning that thewhole 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
Connect to Zendesk data in Power BI
Import data from a table or view
-
Once you open Power BI Desktop click Get Data to get data from ODBC:
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A window opens, and then search for "odbc" to get data from ODBC data source:
-
Another window opens and asks to select a Data Source we already created. Choose ZendeskDSN and continue:
ZendeskDSN
-
Most likely, you will be asked to authenticate to a newly created DSN. Just select Windows authentication option together with Use my current credentials option:
ZendeskDSN
-
Finally, you will be asked to select a table or view to get data from. Select one and load the data!
-
Finally, finally, read extracted data from Zendesk in a Power BI report:
Import data using a SQL query
If you wish to import Zendesk data from SQL query rather than a table then you can use advanced options during import steps (as below). After selecting DSN you can click on advanced options to see SQL Query editor.
SELECT * FROM Tickets
Publish Power BI report to Power BI service
Here are the instructions on how to publish a Power BI report to Power BI service from Power BI Desktop application:
-
First of all, go to Power BI Desktop, open a Power BI report, and click Publish button:
-
Then select the Workspace you want to publish report to and hit Select button:
-
Finally, if everything went right, you will see a window indicating success:
What's next? If you need to periodically refresh Power BI semantic model (dataset) to ensure data accuracy and up-to-dateness, you can accomplish that by using Microsoft On-premises data gateway. Proceed to the next section - Refresh the Power BI semantic model via the gateway - and learn how to do that.
Refresh the Power BI semantic model (dataset) via the gateway
Power BI allows you to refresh semantic models (previously known as "datasets") that are based on data sources residing on-premises. This is achieved using the Microsoft On-premises data gateway. It acts as a secure bridge between Power BI cloud services and your local Zendesk ODBC data source:
There are two types of On-premises data gateways:
- Supports Power BI and other Microsoft Cloud services
- Installs as a Windows service
- Starts automatically
- Supports centralized user access control
- Supports the
Direct Queryfeature - Ideal for enterprise solutions
- Supports Power BI services only
- Cannot run as a Windows service
- Stops when you sign out of Windows
- Does not support access control
- Does not support the
Direct Queryfeature - Best for individual use and POC solutions
You can download the On-premises data gateway directly from the Microsoft Fabric or Power BI portals:
Below are instructions on how to refresh the semantic model using both gateway types.
Use the Standard mode gateway (recommended)
Best for enterprise production environments where multiple users need to share the same gateway connection.
Follow these steps to refresh a Power BI semantic model using the On-premises data gateway (Standard mode):
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Go to Power BI My workspace, hover your mouse cursor over your semantic model, and click Settings:
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If you see this view, it means you must install the On-premises data gateway (Standard mode):
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Download On-premises data gateway (standard mode) and run the installer.
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Once the configuration window opens, sign in:
Sign in with the same email address you use for Microsoft Fabric. -
Select Register a new gateway on this computer (or migrate an existing one):
-
Name your gateway, enter a Recovery key, and click the Configure button:
Save your Recovery Key in a safe place (like a password manager). If you lose it, you cannot restore or migrate this gateway later. -
Once Microsoft gateway is installed, check if it registered correctly:
-
Go back to Power BI portal
-
Click Gear icon on top-right
-
And then hit Manage connections and gateways menu item
-
-
Continue by clicking the On-premises data gateway tab and selecting Standard mode gateways from the dropdown menu:
If your gateway is not listed, the registration may have failed. To resolve this:
- Wait a couple of minutes and refresh Power BI portal page
- Restart the machine where On-premises data gateway is installed
- Check firewall settings
-
Success! The gateway is now Online and ready to handle requests.
-
Now, return to your semantic model settings in the Power BI portal. Refresh the page, and you should see your newly created gateway. Click the arrow icon to expand the options, and then click the Add to gateway link:
ODBC{"connectionstring":"dsn=ZendeskDSN"}
-
Once you do that, you will create a new gateway connection. Give it a name, set the Authentication method, Privacy level, and click the Create button:
dsn=ZendeskDSN
In this example, we use the least restrictive Privacy level.If your connection uses a full connection string, you may hit a length limitation when entering it into the field. To create the connection, you will need to shorten it manually. Check the section about the limitation of a full connection string on how to accomplish this.
On-premises data gateway (Personal mode) does not have this limitation.
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Select the newly created connection to map it to your dataset:
ODBC{"connectionstring":"dsn=ZendeskDSN"}
-
Finally, you can refresh the semantic model:
Use the Personal mode gateway (POC)
Best for single-user scenarios, quick tests (POC), or when you don't have administrative rights to install the Standard gateway.
Follow these steps to refresh a Power BI semantic model using the On-premises data gateway (Personal mode):
-
Go to Power BI My workspace, hover your mouse cursor over your semantic model, and click Settings:
-
If you see this view, it means you must install the On-premises data gateway (Personal mode):
-
Install On-premises data gateway (personal mode) and sign-in:
Use the same email address you use when logging in into your account. -
Once Microsoft gateway is installed, check if it registered correctly:
-
Go back to Power BI portal
-
Click Gear icon on top-right
-
And then hit Manage connections and gateways menu item
-
-
Continue by clicking On-premises data gateway tab and select Personal mode option from the dropdown:
If your gateway is not listed, the registration may have failed. To resolve this:
- Wait a couple of minutes and refresh Power BI portal page
- Restart the machine where On-premises data gateway is installed
- Check firewall settings
-
The On-premises data gateway is now Online and ready to receive requests.
-
Return to your semantic model Settings, expand Data source credentials, click Edit credentials, select the Authentication method and the Privacy level, and then click the Sign in button:
dsn=ZendeskDSN
-
Finally, you are ready to refresh your semantic model:
Advanced topics
Editing query in Power BI
There will be a time you need to change the initial query after importing data into Power BI. Don't worry, just right-click on your table and click Edit query menu item:
Using parameters for dynamic queries
In the real world, many values of your REST / SOAP API call may be coming from parameters. If that's the case for you can try to edit script manually as below. In below example its calling SQL Query with POST method and passing some parameters. Notice below where paraAPIKey is Power BI Parameter (string type). You can use parameters anywhere in your script just like the normal variable.
To use a parameter in Power BI report, follow these simple steps:
-
Firstly, you need to Edit query of your table (see previous section)
-
Then just create a new parameter by clicking Manage Parameters dropdown, click New Parameter option, and use it in the query:
= Odbc.Query("dsn=ZendeskDSN", "SELECT ProductID, ProductName, UnitPrice, UnitsInStock FROM Products WHERE UnitPrice > " & Text.From(MyParameter) & " ORDER BY UnitPrice")
Refer to Power Query M reference for more information on how to use its advanced features in your queries.
Using DirectQuery (live connection)
By default, Power BI imports Zendesk data into its internal cache. However, if you require real-time data, you can use the DirectQuery mode.
Since the native Power BI ODBC connector limits you to Import mode,
we must bridge the connection via Microsoft SQL Server.
To do this, we configure the ZappySys Data Gateway
and create a Linked Server pointing to it:
Follow these steps to use DirectQuery:
-
Configure ZappySys Data Gateway and create a Linked Server in SQL Server.
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Once the Linked Server is ready, open Power BI Desktop.
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Click Get Data and select SQL Server.
-
Enter your SQL Server instance name and a valid database name (e.g.,
master). -
Under Data Connectivity mode, select DirectQuery.
-
Expand Advanced options and enter your SQL query using the
OPENQUERYsyntax below (replace[LINKED_SERVER_NAME]with your actual Linked Server name):SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_ZENDESK_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Tickets')
SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_ZENDESK_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Tickets') - Click OK and load the data. Your Zendesk data is now linked live rather than imported.
DirectQuery unless it is required for very large datasets or real-time data needs.
Data is fetched on demand, which can impact performance compared to the cached Import mode.
Using full ODBC connection string
In the previous steps we used a very short format of ODBC connection string - a DSN. Yet sometimes you don't want a dependency on an ODBC data source (and an extra step). In those times, you can define a full connection string and skip creating an ODBC data source entirely. Let's see below how to accomplish that in the below steps:
-
Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
ZappySys API Driver - ZendeskRead 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 just paste the connection string into your script:
ZendeskDSNDRIVER={ZappySys API Driver};ServiceUrl=https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2;CredentialType=Basic;UserName=[$UserId$]/token;Password=[$Password$];
- You are good to go! The script will execute the same way as using a DSN.
Have in mind that a full connection string has length limitations.
Proceed to the next step to find out the details.
Handling limitations of using a full connection string
Despite using a full ODBC connection string may be very convenient it comes with a limitation: it's length is limited to 1024 symbols (or sometimes more). It usually happens when API provider generates a very long Refresh Token when OAuth is at play. If you are using such a long ODBC connection string, you may get this error:
"Connection string exceeds maximum allowed length of 1024"
But there is a solution to this by storing the full connection string in a file. Follow the steps below to achieve this:
- Open your ODBC data source.
- Click Copy settings button to copy a full connection string (see the previous section on how to accomplish that).
- Then create a new file, let's say, in C:\temp\odbc-connection-string.txt.
- Continue by pasting the copied connection string into a newly created file and save it.
-
Finally, the last step! Just construct a shorter ODBC connection string using this format:
DRIVER={ZappySys API Driver};SettingsFile=C:\temp\odbc-connection-string.txt - Our troubles are over! Now you should be able to use this connection string in Power BI with no problems.
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 Power BI (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
gatewayin 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
ZendeskDSNZappySys 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 - ZendeskRead 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:
ZendeskDSNZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]ZappySys API Driver - ZendeskRead 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+Vor by clicking right mouse button and then Paste option.
-
Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
-
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 Power BI. To achieve that, let's perform these steps:
-
Search for
odbcand 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:ZappySysGatewayDSNlocalhost,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):ZendeskDSNZendeskDSN
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 Power BI via the gateway
Finally, we are ready to read data from Zendesk in Power BI via the Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:
-
Go back to Power BI.
-
Once you open Power BI Desktop click Get Data to get data from ODBC:
-
A window opens, and then search for "odbc" to get data from ODBC data source:
-
Another window opens and asks to select a Data Source we already created. Choose ZappySysGatewayDSN and continue:
ZappySysGatewayDSN
-
When the ODBC driver authentication window opens, configure the following:
-
Enter the User name (e.g.,
john) - Enter the Password that you configured in ZappySys Data Gateway
- Hit the Connect button
dsn=ZappySysGatewayDSN
Make sure the Database tab is selected; otherwise, Power BI won't be able to connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway. -
Enter the User name (e.g.,
-
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 Power BI via the Data Gateway.
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 Power BI, so you don't have to figure out the setup from scratch. Check out the step-by-step guides below:
- Create Organization
- Create Ticket (Single)
- Create Tickets (Bulk)
- Create User
- Delete Attachment
- Delete Organization
- Delete Ticket
- Delete Tickets (Bulk)
- Delete Upload Session
- Delete User
- Read Attachment
- Read Brands
- Read Current User Info
- Read Groups
- Read Macros
- Read Organization Count
- Read Organization Fields
- Read Organization(s) by ID
- Read Organizations (All)
- Read Organizations (Incremental) changed after a specified date
- Read Requests
- Read Requests Search
- Read Sessions
- Read Tags
- Read Ticket ActivityStream
- Read Ticket ActivityStream Details
- Read Ticket Attachments
- Read Ticket Comments
- Read Ticket Events (Incremental) changed after a specified date
- Read Ticket Fields
- Read Ticket Forms
- Read Ticket Metric Events (Incremental) changed after a specified date
- Read Ticket Metrics
- Read Ticket(s) by ID
- Read Tickets (All)
- Read Tickets (Incremental) changed after a specified date
- Read Tickets (Recent)
- Read Tickets Count (All)
- Read Tickets Count (for Organization)
- Read Tickets for Organization
- Read Tickets for User (Assigned)
- Read Tickets for User (CCed)
- Read Tickets for User (Requested)
- Read User Fields
- Read User Sessions
- Read User(s) by ID
- Read Users (All)
- Read Users (Incremental) changed after a specified date
- Read Views
- Search Records - NO Sorting (Allows more than 1000 rows)
- Search Records - WITH Sorting and Extra Columns (Max 1000 rows)
- Update Organization
- Update Ticket (Single)
- Update Tickets (Bulk)
- Update User
- Upload Attachment (Single file)
- Upsert Organization - Create or Update
- Upsert User - Create or Update
- Upsert Users (Bulk) - Create or Update
- Make Generic REST API Request
- Make Generic REST API Request (Bulk Write)
Conclusion
In this article we showed you how to connect to Zendesk in Power BI 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):