Why do users need to View original email for messages from external senders?

Question

Why do users have to View original email on tickets with the message This message is from external sender?

Answer

In Zendesk, the View original email option appears on some tickets because the email was identified as coming from an external sender. This is a security feature designed to protect users from potential phishing attacks or malicious content.

Here are a few reasons why this might happen:

External sender warning: Zendesk flags emails from external domains to alert users that the message is not from an internal or trusted source. This helps users be cautious about the content and links within the email.

Email formatting: Sometimes, the email formatting might not be fully compatible with Zendesk's interface, so viewing the original email ensures that the user sees the content as intended by the sender.

Attachments and links: Emails with attachments or links might be flagged to ensure that users know potential risks. Viewing the original email helps users verify the authenticity of these elements.

Security policies: Organizations may have security policies that require users to review emails from unknown sources in their original format. This prevents automated scripts or hidden content from running in Zendesk.

Select View original email to see the email in its original format and assess the legitimacy and content of the message.

Note that Zendesk Customer Support can't assist with email services because the yellow banner or the error message, This message is from external sender, is a security warning.

For more information, see this article: Viewing the HTML and original source for incoming tickets.