Announcing a data export tool for legacy custom objects

Announced on | Rollout starts
February 20, 2026 | February 20, 2026

We are excited to announce the release of a new self-service legacy custom object data export tool. This tool is designed to assist administrators in initiating the transition to our enhanced custom objects platform.

This announcement includes the following topics:

What is changing?

Why is Zendesk making this change?

What do I need to do?

What is changing?

As shared in our previous announcement, Zendesk plans to sunset legacy custom objects by July 2026. To support a smooth migration for administrators, we are providing a data export tool that lets administrators export legacy custom object records and relationship records to CSV. This capability enables administrators to readily export their legacy custom objects into CSV, modify it as necessary and upload their data into the new custom objects using the data importer.

To access this functionality in Admin Center, click Objects and Rules > Custom Objects > Legacy Custom objects. From there select the export tool. Upon accessing the tool, data can be downloaded for each object or relationship and subsequently used with the data importer for upload into the enhanced custom objects platform. For more information, see Exporting legacy custom objects using the data export tool in our developer document.

Why is Zendesk making this change?

We rebuilt custom objects to provide a more powerful and scalable foundation for custom data in Zendesk. The new custom objects infrastructure unlocks capabilities that were previously unavailable, including:

Rich Data Modeling: Advanced field types and native lookup relationships.

Seamless Ecosystem Integration: Deep connectivity with tickets, triggers, and AI-powered workflows.

Native Insights: Support within Zendesk Explore for reporting on lookup relationships and custom objects.

Enhanced Experience & Security: Better native interfaces for agents and end-users, backed by granular permission sets.

We are continuing to invest heavily in this platform throughout 2026, with upcoming releases focused on expanded field limits, even deeper AI integrations, AI powered reporting and advanced security features. Migrating to the new experience ensures your business can leverage these improvements immediately.

This export tool is designed to make migration easier by giving you control over what data you export, how you transform it, and when you import it into the new custom objects experience.

What do I need to do?

First, verify if this change affects you. In Admin Center, click Objects and Rules > Custom Objects.

If you do not see Legacy Custom Objects listed, no action is required.

If Legacy Custom Objects are active in your account, we recommend you begin planning your migration now.

Use the data export tool to manage your transition on your terms, clean up historical data, and move to a more integrated and powerful custom objects experience. See our step-by-step migration examples for more information.

If you have feedback or questions related to this announcement, visit our community forum where we collect and manage customer product feedback. For general assistance with your Zendesk products, contact Zendesk Customer Support.