Turning on private attachments in messaging




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Verified AI summary ◀▼
Enable private attachments in messaging to securely share files in conversations, ensuring only authorized participants can access them. This feature is ideal for handling sensitive information, offering robust security through authentication. Supported file types include PDFs, images, and videos. To activate, adjust your settings to require secure downloads, enhancing privacy and control over shared documents.




Zendesk messaging attachments allow both agents and end users to send and receive various
types of files within a messaging conversation. This is helpful for providing detailed
support, sharing necessary documents, and improving the overall communication
experience.
Messaging attachments can be either conversation-scoped or app-scoped. App-scoped
attachments refer to files or documents that are linked to a specific account within a
broader platform or system, such as Zendesk. These attachments are accessible by anyone
that is associated with the account. These files still require authentication, ensuring
that only authorized users can access them. When using the post message API to send an
app-scoped attachment, all participants across any conversation within the account who
have access to the URL will be able to access the attachment.

Note: The private attachments in messaging feature is on by default
for accounts created on or after December 5, 2024. Make sure to turn on secure downloads. This setting controls
whether agent-facing attachment URLs require authentication, and should be turned on to
ensure attachments are always kept private.
For information about configuring private attachments, see Configuring private attachments for
messaging.
This article includes the following sections:


Understanding how private attachments differ from public attachments
Supported file types for messaging attachments
Turning on private attachments for messaging




Understanding how private attachments differ from public attachments

Private and public attachments offer ways to store and distribute documents or files
within systems, each providing varying degrees of accessibility. Both can be
uploaded, downloaded, and managed with a user interface or an API, depending on the
system's configuration.
A private attachment is an attachment that is only accessible within the specific
conversation in which it was shared. To access the attachment, a client must authenticate themselves to prove they have
permission to view it.
Here are some comparisons between public and private attachments in messaging.










Public attachments
Private attachments




Accessibility
Accessible to anyone who has the link or access to the channel
where the attachment is shared. No specific permissions are required
to view public attachments, making them suitable for information
intended for general distribution.
Restricted based on user permissions or participation in a
private messaging conversation between the agent and the end user.
Private attachments are ideal for confidential or sensitive
information that should not be accessible to everyone on the
platform.


Use cases
Often used for less sensitive information like general
announcements, public reports, marketing materials, or any content
intended for wide distribution.
Commonly used for sharing confidential documents such as personal
information, internal reports, strategic documents, or any other
content that requires controlled access.


Security measures
Extensive security controls are not applied because these files
are intended for public access.
Robust security measures are in place, including strict
authentication protocols to guard against unauthorized
access.


Visibility and tracking
Visibility is broad, and tracking who has accessed the document
can be challenging unless specific analytic tools are
employed.
Access can be closely monitored, and usage analytics are often
more detailed, allowing administrators to see who has accessed the
file and when (based on their IP address).







Supported file types for messaging attachments

Zendesk messaging supports the following file types as attachments:
3g2, 3gp, 7z, aac, amr, avi, bmp, caf, csv, doc, docx, eml, gif, heic, heif, ics,
jfif, jpeg, jpg, key, log, m4a, m4v, mov, mp3, mp4, mp4a, mpeg, mpg, mpga, neon,
numbers, odt, oga, ogg, ogv, opus, pages, pdf, pkpass, png, pps, ppsx, ppt, pptx,
qt, svg, tif, tiff, txt, usdz, vcf, wav, webm, webp, wmv, xls, xlsx, xml, yaml, yml,
zip



Turning on private attachments for messaging

To turn on private attachments for messaging

In Admin Center, click
Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Tickets > Settings.
Click Downloads and attachments to expand it.
Select Enable secure downloads in messaging.
At the bottom of the page, click Save.




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