Connect Zendesk to TNZ so agents can send an SMS as a public ticket reply and receive the mobile response in Zendesk. The Zendesk address that sends the email must be registered with TNZ, and TNZ must apply its Zendesk-compatible reporting template.
Overview
- For an outbound SMS, the ticket requester or recipient uses the TNZ address
mobilenumber@sms.tnz.co.nz.
- Zendesk sends the public ticket reply as email. TNZ converts the email body to SMS and sends it to the mobile number in the address.
- The exact address TNZ sees in the email’s From header must be registered as a TNZ User. In a multi-brand account, each brand may use a different sending address.
- TNZ applies a Zendesk-compatible reporting template so replies can be parsed and returned to the Zendesk workflow.
- The preferred reply flow appends the mobile response to the originating ticket. If no matching ticket can be found, a bespoke implementation can optionally create a new ticket.
Before you start
- Zendesk Support administrator access, or access to the Zendesk partner agency that manages the implementation.
- A TNZ account and permission to add the applicable Zendesk sending address as a TNZ User.
- The exact email address Zendesk uses in the From header for the affected brand and ticket workflow.
- A test mobile number you control.
- A decision from your Zendesk administrator or partner about whether an unmatched reply should be rejected, routed for manual review, or used to create a new ticket.
Set up the integration
- Confirm the ticket workflow with your Zendesk administrator or partner agency. This guide uses an agent-created ticket whose requester or recipient address is
mobilenumber@sms.tnz.co.nz, followed by a public ticket reply.
- In Zendesk Admin Center, open Channels > Talk and email > Email, then select Manage support addresses. Identify the support address used to send notifications for the relevant brand. Because ticket and brand rules can change the address, send a test email to an address you control and check its full From header rather than relying on its display name.
- Register the exact sending address as a TNZ User by following Adding a new email address for sending. If different brands send from different addresses, register and configure each address that will use TNZ.
- Contact TNZ and ask for the Zendesk-compatible reporting template to be applied to each applicable TNZ User.
- Create a test ticket. Set the requester or recipient email address to the mobile number followed by
@sms.tnz.co.nz, for example 021000001@sms.tnz.co.nz. Use the number format approved for your TNZ account.
- Add the SMS text as a public reply and submit the ticket. A private note does not send a customer email and therefore does not create an SMS.
- Check the test phone and TNZ reporting. Then reply from the phone and confirm that the response is appended to the originating Zendesk ticket.
Troubleshooting
TNZ rejects the sender
If you receive an "Invalid User" bounceback email notification from TNZ, inspect the email’s full From header and compare it with the TNZ User. Register the address TNZ actually receives, not the Zendesk display name or an address assumed from the brand name. Contact TNZ for further assistance.
The ticket update does not send an SMS
Confirm the requester or recipient uses the complete mobilenumber@sms.tnz.co.nz address and that the agent submitted a public reply rather than a private note.
The SMS contains extra ticket text
Review the Zendesk notification trigger and email template with your Zendesk administrator or partner. Keep the public reply concise, then repeat the controlled test before rollout.
The mobile reply does not appear in Zendesk
Confirm TNZ applied the Zendesk-compatible reporting template to the correct TNZ User. Check that the reply exists in TNZ reporting, then ask the Zendesk partner to inspect inbound-email processing and ticket-matching rules.
The reply creates a new ticket instead of updating the original
The implementation could not match the incoming reply to the original ticket. Ask the Zendesk partner to inspect the ticket references retained by the outbound and inbound email templates; do not automatically merge tickets without confirming the requester and message context.
One brand works but another does not
Check the actual From address used by each brand. Register every address that sends through TNZ and ask TNZ to apply the Zendesk reporting template to each corresponding User.
Need help with this setup?
Send TNZ Support the integration name, your TNZ user, the time of your test, and any Message ID or error text.
Contact TNZ Support →
