Jira Zendesk integration
Project management and customer support work better together with the Jira and Zendesk integration by Getint. This connection brings project tracking and customer communication into one workflow, helping teams stay aligned and respond faster. With real-time information shared between Jira and Zendesk, teams can manage tasks, updates, and support requests without switching between platforms. This guide walks through the setup process and shows how the integration helps improve collaboration, visibility, and day-to-day operations for teams of any size.
Jira-Zendesk Licensing Model
The Jira-Zendesk licensing model with Getint fits various integration needs. Here’s an overview:
Standard Licensing
A Getint license is required only on Jira, enabling data synchronization between Zendesk and Jira.
This keeps setup simple and quick, with no extra configurations needed in Zendesk.
Flexible License
For managed services companies or organizations integrating four or more instances (same or different tools), Getint provides a Flexible License. This custom option covers a set number of connections (up to 10 instances) without tool limits. You can switch integrated tools anytime during the license term for maximum adaptability.
For licensing details, visit our Pricing Page.
Requirements to Build Your Integration
The Getint app must be installed in Jira.
Comments are attributed to the user who created the connection. Therefore, we recommend using dedicated Service Accounts for both instances. Create a Service Account here: How to Create a Jira Service Account.
Personal Access Tokens are required for Jira and Zendesk authentication. Learn more here: Access Tokens.
Setting Up Your Jira-Zendesk Integration
1. Access the Getint App in Jira:
Navigate to Jira, go to Apps, and select the Getint app (Jira ↔︎ Zendesk Integration in this case).
2. Create Integration
Click Create Integration and select either:
Continuous Sync for ongoing synchronization.
Migration for a one-time data transfer.
3. Generate a Jira API Token
Log in to your Atlassian account and navigate to Account Settings > Security > API Tokens > Create and manage API tokens.
Choose between Create API token and Create API token with scopes. Generate the token, copy it, and securely store the token, as it will be used as the password for Jira Cloud.
For detailed steps and specific permissions for the Jira user, refer to our guide Connection.
4. Generate a Zendesk Personal Access Token
Log in to your Zendesk account, click on the dropdown right next to the Zendesk logo, at the upper left corner, and select Admin Center.
On the next page, locate the option Apps and Integrations in the far left menu, then select API Tokens from the secondary left menu.
Tick the agreement checkbox and click Get Started. Once on the next page, click Add API Token, then proceed to name your API token and save it. The token should be generated after saving it.
After generating the token, click API Configuration on the secondary left menu, and enable Allow API Token Access.
You can reset the API Key to stop an app from connecting to your helpdesk if you need to. Remember that doing so will also disconnect other apps that use the same key.
5. Create a Connection with Jira and Zendesk
Jira Connection:
Select the Jira app. Then enter your Jira instance URL, username, the Access token generated, and click Add.
Select the Jira project(s) you want to synchronize and select Connect.
Zendesk Connection:
Select Zendesk as the connection app, and click Create New Connection.
Enter your Zendesk instance URL in the URL field and click Next.
Assign a name to the connection and enter the API token.
Add the connection and select it.
For detailed steps on how to configure your Zendesk API token, please refer to our guide Connection.
6. Configure Type Mapping
Quick Build: Use the Quick Build feature to automatically map fields and types between applications, simplifying the process.
Manual Mapping: For greater control, manually map the types yourself. This approach lets you tailor the mapping to meet your specific needs. Click + Add type mapping to add the types (Ticket, Task, Bug, Epic, Story) by yourself.
For example, Task ↔ Ticket.
7. Configure Field Mapping
Select the fields to synchronize, such as Title, Description, Assignees, and Custom fields. In addition to this, for the Zendesk connection to work, it is necessary to map some key fields:
Title (Subject) field:
Map Zendesk’s Title (Subject) field to Jira’s Title (Summary) field, as neither Zendesk nor Jira allows item creation with a blank title.
Description field:
Description is a mandatory field for Zendesk items to be created, meaning it must be mapped. If the Zendesk Description field is mapped to Jira’s Description field, ensure that the mapped Jira work items have data in the description field during their creation. Otherwise, the synchronization run might fail.
You can also add a fixed value mapping to either of the aforementioned fields. You can check how to do it through this documentation.
After all fields and types have been configured, give your integration a distinctive name and save the settings.
8. Assignee Mapping
Use the assignee mapping option to match Jira assignees to Zendesk assignees, enabling precise synchronization of task ownership. For more details, visit our doc: Assignees (users) mapping.
9. Status Mapping
Map status fields to align between Jira and Zendesk. For example, To do in Jira could be mapped to New in Zendesk.
10. How to Manage Comments & Attachments:
Check the Comments & Attachments tab. These settings are active by default, but you can modify them to fit your specific requirements.
Synchronization Directions
The platform supports three distinct logic flows for these items:
Bidirectional: Updates to comments or attachments in either Jira or Zendesk will reflect in the other platform.
Unidirectional to Jira: Data flows exclusively from Zendesk to Jira. Changes made in Jira will not sync back to Zendesk.
Unidirectional to Zendesk: Data flows exclusively from Jira to Zendesk. Changes made in Zendesk will not sync back to Jira.
Disabling Sync
If your organization has strict data privacy policies or if these items are not relevant to a specific integration, you can disable comments and attachments entirely. This prevents any data transfer for these specific fields while keeping other mapped fields active.
11. Filtering Options
Customize synchronization by applying filters:
After completing your integration, add filters to each app by clicking the filter icon next to its app icon. This will affect the corresponding side of the integration.
Choose the filter scope:
ALL items filter: Rules will be verified for every item before synchronization.
NEW items filter: Rules will be verified only for newly created items that have not yet been synced.
SYNCED items filter: Rules will be verified for items that were already synced in the past.
Add values for the filters and click Apply. For more details on how to use the filter, refer to our Filtering Guide.
JQL Filtering (Jira-Specific)
Beyond standard item filtering, integrations involving Jira support Jira Query Language (JQL). This allows for granular control over exactly which issues enter the synchronization scope.
Custom JQL Configuration
In the Custom JQL field, you can input a specific query to refine your data set. The platform automatically appends your custom string to the system-generated filters.
Logic: The final query used to identify issues is effectively
(System Filters) AND (Your Custom JQL).Example: If you only want to sync issues currently being worked on, you would enter:
status IN ("In Progress")
Key Benefits
Precision: Target specific issue types, labels, or custom field values that standard UI filters might not cover.
Performance: By narrowing the scope of the sync via JQL, you reduce the volume of data the platform needs to scan, often resulting in faster processing.
Flexibility: Use advanced operators (e.g.,
WAS,CHANGED,is EMPTY) to handle complex workflow requirements.
12. Test the Integration
Before deploying the integration to your production environment, perform a verification cycle to ensure data flows correctly between Zendesk and Jira.
Verification Steps
Initial Creation:
Create a test ticket in Zendesk.
Create a test issue in Jira.
Confirm that the items appear in the respective platforms according to your mapping rules.
Field & Feature Validation:
Updates: Modify a mapped field and confirm the change reflects on the linked platform.
Comments & Attachments: Add a comment or upload a file to verify the sync direction and visibility.
Status Transitions: Change the status (e.g., move a Jira issue to "In Progress") and verify the Zendesk ticket updates accordingly.
Audit Logs:
Access the Logs tab within the platform.
Review the entries to confirm successful executions and identify any potential mapping errors or permission conflicts.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you have established a functional integration between Jira and Zendesk. This setup automates the synchronization of records, workflows, and communication, bridging the gap between support and development teams.
For further assistance, please contact us at the Support Center or Schedule a Demo.
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