Help center authentication for messaging (EAP)

Announced on | EAP starts
May 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025

This early access program enables a seamless authentication experience for messaging end users using the Web Widget inside of a Zendesk Help Center.

This announcement includes the following topics:

What is changing?

Why is Zendesk making this change?

What do I need to do?

What is changing?

For Zendesk accounts participating in this early access program, the Web Widget will function differently when used within a Zendesk help center. To use this feature, set up web widget to add messaging to your help center.

When an end user is logged into the help center, messaging interactions in the Web Widget will automatically adopt the user’s logged-in identity. The user’s name and email will be shared with bots and agents engaging with them.

If an end user starts a conversation in the Web Widget while logged out and then logs into the help center during the interaction, their previous unauthenticated session will be updated or merged with their authenticated profile. This allows the user to continue the conversation seamlessly as a logged-in user.

For Web Widgets embedded outside the help center, authentication remains unchanged, continuing to leverage the JWT-based authentication.

This new help center authentication feature is exclusive to Web Widgets embedded within the Zendesk help center and does not apply to Zendesk Mobile SDKs.

For more information, see Help center authentication for messaging in our developer documentation.

Why is Zendesk making this change?

Zendesk is making this change to enable customers to automatically sign authenticated help center users into the Web Widget, eliminating the need for any extra development work on your part.

What do I need to do?

If you’d like to participate in the EAP, sign up using this Google form and provide feedback using this Google form. You must have Zendesk Suite or have Support with live chat and messaging.