How do I set up my AI agent to use help center content?

<h2 id="h_01HYBAYSYE6D5MS9R76RP14V1N">Question</h2><p>How do I use an AI agent to generate answers from my help center content? Are the recommended articles based on the organizations that the end users belong to? How can I make sure my articles will appear in AI? How can I create content for AI?</p><h2 id="h_01HYBAYSYEBM197897FQ8P2KW9">Answer</h2><p>AI agents respect the end user's access permissions in the help center every time. The AI agent bases AI-created replies and article recommendations on the <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408837707290-Creating-user-segments-for-Guide-user-permissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">user segment</a> of the viewer.</p><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: right;">
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</script><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01KJVT5B1TCRMFB0HHT4GD5WFF">Step 1: Create and enable your help center and articles</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>Before you publish an AI agent, prepare your help center:</p>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="ebff86588b9cf03151bd0c230b4b8269e">Create your <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408846795674-Getting-started-with-your-help-center#topic_ndf_fpf_mk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">help center</a>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e64e655b66d5a4fa3a262e479e131ea57">Create your <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408845897370-Organizing-knowledge-base-content-in-categories-and-sections#topic_hjs_tl4_kk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">categories</a>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e1c57379881498f8518b141053af460b6">Create your <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408845897370-Organizing-knowledge-base-content-in-categories-and-sections#topic_ysj_wtt_zz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sections</a>, within these categories</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ef4971476742ca457e0087bde1289731b">Create <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408839258778-Creating-articles-in-the-knowledge-base#topic_fwm_vkx_cfc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">articles</a>, within each section</li>
<li data-list-item-id="efb6d8d10eca3e94748ac40675204c0e6">Ensure your article content follows <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408845739162" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">best practices</a>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e2fa0b5adc01c93a58924c41b1be13400">Ensure the <strong>Visible to</strong> field of your article settings shows <strong>Everyone</strong>, if you want AI to be able to show that information to anyone</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ea5816dd42ec2e2775ca8d1e87b11723a">Ensure your articles are <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408839258778-Creating-articles-in-the-knowledge-base#topic_ngr_25x_cfc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">published</a>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e62d8021bdd9c62931878515e68a533d1">Customize the <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408821842714-Editing-your-Help-Center-theme" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">theme</a> of your help center</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e132a7bca352dbf9eb239da88b85b232f">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408846795674-Getting-started-with-your-help-center#topic_ckn_wc4_qy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Activate</a> your help center   </li>
</ol>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01KSQ7HB9FGBKRKT4NPHNS1394">Step 2: Restrict access to articles for AI with user segments</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p><strong>User segments added to your article settings restrict AI agent access to content</strong></p>
<h4 id="h_01KX60FJC4KNXXD75Z9E0WKGNF">To hide an article from AI agents</h4>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="e8a841edf26ff2ceb3682fbcce1d080fd">Create <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408837707290-Creating-user-segments-for-help-center-user-permissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">user segments</a> </li>
<li data-list-item-id="e78d9056a1851c3ad2ae70941a8492792">In your <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408893875610-How-can-I-limit-access-to-articles-categories-or-sections" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">article settings</a>, apply that user segments under the <strong>Visible to</strong> field</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eb3a93e5efa2e99d23b87e6f7ec86c900">You can <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836336154-Updating-knowledge-base-articles-in-bulk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bulk update articles</a>, too</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="h_01KX60FQAZZN4C5XC93AFZQN0H">If your user belongs to 1 user segment but you have multiple user segments</h4>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="ee88e132df8db3e2f0ecac3cfce14eefd">The user is in the <strong>Premium Customers</strong> user segment and is <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4411666638746-Understanding-and-setting-up-user-authentication-for-messaging" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">authenticated</a> in messaging</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ecb8d8a85dd3aa28241a06048c029ec85">The AI agent will surface only articles visible to <strong>Everyone</strong> and <strong>Premium Customers</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e61ebc0a79e27dd9ff49834fdf3a543b7">AI responses won't include additional restricted articles, for example, <strong>Enterprise Features</strong>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="h_01KX60FW54W5B40CXWRQ49GAY9">If you use no user segments in your article settings</h4>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e60264cb7f77a52a423653dc6933dadfa">Non-authenticated and anonymous end users will be able to access the article from your AI agent</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ef40c37a2ce93a83e7436af327757388d">The AI agent will only surface visible to everyone, which means public articles without restrictions</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="h_01KX60J0E5JQMVT6P45E0RJHPG">The difference between signed-in, authenticated users compared to anonymous users in AI agents</h4>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="ed2e916f802d85940ef793e587e2fc45b">For signed-in users, the AI uses their specifically assigned user segments in article settings to show content</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e9890abc16ac98429b6facbdb0f19444f">For anonymous users that are not signed in or authenticated in messaging, the AI assumes no user segment and returns only publicly available help center articles</li>
</ul>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01KX62FEX83V0SPHG52FG7BE5Z">Step 3: Set up AI agents</h3></div><div class="panel">
<h4 id="h_01KX63JCRNEDWDTNPGDDQPW8B8">To get started with AI agents</h4>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="e65afa565ece12a8c1361b723eeab56a7">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408827701530-Getting-started-with-messaging-for-your-website-help-center-and-mobile-apps" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Set up messaging</a>, where your AI bot will live</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ed7d99e08e06106e454f50f834073223e">Use <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8724978128282-Getting-started-with-AI-agents"><span class="wysiwyg-underline">Getting started with AI agents</span></a>. As of May 2026, Zendesk offers a single, unified AI agent experience. Advanced agentic capabilities are now unlocked across all Zendesk Suite and Support plans: </li>
<li data-list-item-id="ed0584c3c971f427893ef69c438aab2bc">Use the <strong>guided, self-service setup flow</strong> to configure your AI agent for simpler use cases across email and messaging</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e7c5fc3b572c810284259b49189a58526">Create a <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357733365402-Best-practices-for-creating-use-cases-for-advanced-AI-agents" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">use case</a> or instruction that directs the AI agent to use help center content when it answers customer questions</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e31819cd05723bda70c39303f803c54ae">If needed, configure advanced capabilities, such as agentic logic, multi-step procedures, and external API integrations for more complex tasks</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ec4e9f79137ab437a5c21c35e5fc248af">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/7232810932250" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Publish</a> the AI agent</li>
</ol>
<div class="p"><div class="note">
<span class="notetitle"><strong>Note for existing customers:</strong></span> If you still use <strong>AI agents - Essential</strong> or legacy functionality that includes bot builder, Zendesk will stop technical development for these tools by August 31, 2026. End-of-life and full service shut-off will occur on December 10, 2026. Complete your migration to the new experience by August 31 to avoid disruptions.</div></div>
<h4 id="h_01KSQ7NMYS75TM5CFXW514ZN83">Understand AI agent terminology</h4>
<h5 id="h_01KX634ETT0DQM87X37V3EA5D9">What is the difference between Instructions and Use cases?</h5>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e86bebd7f5398c3b4310166dad0348caf">Instructions are general company policies that apply to everything</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ecc96b8ce5d7e71c8953cd8e3ac1e48b1">Use cases are department-specific procedures that apply only to specific situations</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="h_01KX602S783K45MXW7FZT8FZYH">Instructions refer to</h5>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e88059322cf6637ced99293356a41459b">System-level prompts that define the AI agent's overall behavior</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e0fa4738815bd83253ef471add5de4848">Examples include "Be friendly and professional", "Offer to escalate to a human agent every time the customer is frustrated", and "Use simple language, and avoid jargon"</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e2b0e278c3614db2afd5205be9b861498">Sets the overall tone and personality</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ea38f0d7018a97c4ce71ba93918b63978">Applies to all conversations</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="h_01KX602WZXPA4BHK508093G613">Use cases refer to</h5>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="ea6e899a57fc1b4cbee9c0fe67026c1aa">Specific scenarios that the AI agent handles</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e0233d97ecbb4bde363e47fa82200f58e">Examples include Password reset requests, billing questions, and product feature explanations</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ec7d7610cec92dd7c8de6be062e3425ff">Each use case can have unique logic to address issues</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e182d17d03ec79dd8e8b4e2d695fe37a0">The AI routes to the appropriate use case based on specific questions from customers</li>
</ul>
</div><div class="panel">
<h5 id="h_01KX60361N2KXEX9B1XR9HTD6A">Deflection</h5>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="ea81dee6ac6ce77d32cf8c9074972634b">The AI agent fully resolves a customer question without human agent involvement</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ef3cbf565867ad53377f8a447f1b10034">Successful deflection means a ticket is prevented</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e0dc5210fb1817010087e23e961ff56c5">
<strong>Deflection rate</strong> is the metric for the percentage of conversations that the AI resolves</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="h_01KX603AEGBFFXN0J20AHXY8F2">Escalation</h5>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e1e6ae41a24966121fd33f9282499bb89">The AI agent transfers the conversation to a human agent</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e30c24154dde514f494717a9b35f48467">This happens when the AI can't answer, the customer explicitly requests a human, or the system detects a complex issue</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e4e55facce70ecbd33d024e51b8293a70">
<strong>Escalation rate</strong> is the metric for the percentage of transferred conversations</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="h_01KX603E9CH7CPK117ZEY6K7XD">Handoff</h5>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e3d7589d07a46a5c581cfaf80cc215746">The exact moment a conversation transfers from the AI to a human agent</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ed267e8010a288314f1c9175b27d09eb5">This includes full conversation history so the human agent has immediate context</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee7b6a1bf9ef6b1a9c180b7fbe936c5ac">A customer request, an AI decision, or a session timeout can trigger this action</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="h_01KX603KBMWMFREAZ1X35YC0HS">Knowledge base</h5>
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="ebae8387683738e8d75e20a19d49d35a8">This is the collection of your help center articles</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e380c2eea08b35d93e439e55ecf18d604">The AI agent searches this knowledge base to find and construct answers</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e7d94415a5b70a854c4cce4778149429d">A more complete knowledge base results in better AI performance</li>
</ul>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01KSQ7KBZWCGEMB9NZEBRZXHBJ">Step 4: Test user segment behavior</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>To verify that the AI agent respects user segments and returns content:</p>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="edb9b278c6c013b3bee1f9f90b01bd64e">Create a test user account assigned to a specific user segment</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ef5221b7496532b7140255fa07d4c1535">Sign in as that test user and open messaging</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e1a18b8f027277d534fd9333684244303">Ask the AI agent a question about restricted content</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ec305f27c97f4bd48b5f965dd5c0efbb9">Verify the following if AI suggests articles the user can see. The AI shouldn't suggest articles the user can't see</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eeefaa358a6bce1e622e524ba8d6245b9">A common issue occurs when the AI agent suggests a restricted article to the wrong user. This occurs because the article's user segment restriction isn't configured correctly. To fix this issue, review the <strong>Visible to</strong> settings for articles in Knowledge</li>
</ol>
</div>