Announcing generative replies for advanced email AI agents

Announced on | Rollout on
June 6, 2025 | June 4, 2025

Generative replies are now fully available for email AI agents in the AI agents - Advanced add-on. This feature has moved from an early access program (EAP) to general availability (GA).

This announcement contains the following topics:

What’s changing?

Why is Zendesk making this change?

What do I need to do?

What’s changing?

Generative replies let you connect an advanced email AI agent to knowledge sources—including Zendesk help centers and other supported help centers, websites, and CSV files—to automatically resolve factual email queries end-to-end. Built to seamlessly integrate with conversation flows, generative replies combine the flexibility of generative AI with the precision and control of scripted flows, giving you complete command over your AI-powered email responses.

Why is Zendesk making this change?

Email remains a critical communication channel for many Zendesk customers. Automating factual email replies while maintaining customization and control lets you enhance service efficiency and consistency across channels.

What do I need to do?

To get started with generative replies for advanced email AI agents:

Import a knowledge source.

Customize the AI agent’s persona.

Deploy generative replies in either or both of the following ways:

Include generative replies as part of an otherwise scripted conversation flow. To do this, add the Generative replies block in a dialogue.

Configure a generative reply that your AI agent uses when no other use case is recognized. To do this, activate (if needed) and configure the Generative replies system reply.

For existing AI agents not previously part of the early access program (EAP), the Generative replies system reply is visible but inactive by default. For newly created AI agents, the Generative replies system reply is visible and active by default.

When this setup is complete, the AI agent automatically generates replies to customer queries, while still giving you the flexibility to customize the email greetings and sign-offs. Additionally, you can customize the AI agent’s answer length, with lengths that are appropriate to email (from 150 words all the way up to unlimited length).