Zoho Desk Integration

Connect CRM Messaging with Zoho Desk from the Integrations tab so agents can chat on tickets, contacts, and accounts, sync Desk contacts, and get inbound SMS/WhatsApp as private ticket comments.

This takes a few minutes once you have a CRM Messaging account and Zoho Desk admin access.

What’s included

• Ticket / Contact / Account chat — open CRM Messaging chat from Desk detail pages
• Message Logs tab — conversation history beside Activity
• Phone field picker — choose mobile, phone, or custom fields
• Contact sync — pull Desk contacts into CRM Messaging in the background
• Inbound private comments — Desk notification when SMS/WhatsApp arrives

Step 1: Open Zoho Desk Integration

1. Log in to CRM Messaging.

2. In the left sidebar, click Integrations.

3. Open Zoho Desk Integration (under Integration Gateway).

Step 2: Connect your Zoho Desk org

1. Click Install / Upgrade Now (or Connect Your App if shown).

2. Sign in to Zoho when prompted and approve access.

3. When connected, the page shows Zoho Desk Connected with your Desk Org ID, data center (for example zoho.com), and extension version (for example v11.0).

You can disconnect later from the same screen if needed.

Step 3: Copy the API key for the Desk extension

On the Zoho Desk Integration page, find API Key for Desk Extension and click Copy.

You will paste this key in the Desk extension Configuration tab as CRM Messaging API Key. The same key is also available in the developer console.

Keep this key private. Do not share it in tickets, screenshots, or public docs.

Step 4: Install or upgrade the Zoho Desk extension

Still on the Zoho Desk Integration page, under Install or Upgrade Zoho Desk Extension:

1. Select your Zoho Desk data center region. If you are unsure, check your Desk URL — it shows the data center (for example desk.zoho.in = India).

• US / Global — desk.zoho.com
• Europe — desk.zoho.eu
• Australia — desk.zoho.com.au
• Singapore — desk.zoho.sg
• India — desk.zoho.in
• Japan — desk.zoho.jp
• United Kingdom — desk.zoho.uk
• UAE — desk.zoho.ae
• China — desk.zoho.com.cn
• Canada — desk.zohocloud.ca
• Saudi Arabia — desk.zoho.sa

2. Click the install/upgrade link for your region and complete installation in Zoho Desk (accept terms, choose departments/profiles that need access).

Step 5: Configure the Desk extension

After the extension shows as Installed (CRM Messaging for Desk), open it in Zoho Desk and go to the Configuration tab. Fill in these fields, then save:

• CRM Messaging API Key — paste the key from Step 3 (Integrations → Zoho Desk Integration). You can also copy it from the CRM Messaging developer console. This is required for the widget to authenticate.
• Chat URL — https://setup.crm-messaging.cloud/chat/ (CRM Messaging chat widget URL)
• Chat Source — zohodesk (source value sent to the chat widget)
• Contact Lookup URL — https://app.crm-messaging.cloud/index.php/Zohodesk/contactPhones (resolves ticket/contact phone fields)
• Preferred Phone Field — default phone field key. Use mobile, phone, or ticket.phone depending on where you store numbers in Desk.

Other extension tabs (Extension Details, General Settings, Connections) can stay at their defaults unless your Desk admin needs department/profile restrictions.

Important: Without a valid CRM Messaging API Key in Configuration, chat on tickets/contacts/accounts will not load contact phone fields.

Return to CRM Messaging → Integrations → Zoho Desk Integration and click Connect Your App (if not already connected) so the widget can read contact phone fields.

Step 6: Sync Zoho Desk contacts (optional)

On the Zoho Desk Integration page, click Sync Now under Sync Zoho Desk Contacts.

Status shows idle/running and last sync results (inserted, updated, skipped). Contacts continue to sync in the background after the first run.

Step 7: Verify in Zoho Desk

Open a ticket, contact, or account in Zoho Desk and confirm you can:

• Open CRM Messaging chat from the detail page
• See the Message Logs tab beside Activity
• Pick the correct phone field (mobile, phone, or custom)

Send a test SMS or WhatsApp. Inbound replies should create a private comment/notification on the related Desk ticket when configured.

Troubleshooting

• Widget cannot read phone fields — confirm the API key is pasted in Desk Configuration and Connect Your App completed successfully.
• Wrong region install — uninstall/reinstall using the region that matches your Desk URL.
• Contacts not syncing — click Sync Now and wait for the status line to update; skipped rows usually already exist.
• Need to reconnect — use Disconnect on the Zoho Desk Integration page, then Install / Upgrade Now again.

Related: Installation & Registration on Zoho CRM