AI agents glossary

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<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">The table below defines many of the terms related to AI agents and provides links to more information about them.</p>
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<p class="p">The table below defines many of the terms related to AI agents and provides links to more
information about them. </p>
<p class="p">Related article: </p>
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<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408834322842" target="_blank">AI agent resources</a></li>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><strong class="ph b">Term</strong></td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><strong class="ph b">Definition</strong></td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><strong class="ph b">Learn more</strong></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Advanced AI agent</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A previous term for an AI agent created in the AI
agents - Advanced add-on. On May 11, 2026, the AI agent
functionality previously restricted to the add-on became part of all
Suite and Support plans.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6970583409690-About-AI-agents" target="_blank">About AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Agentic AI</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A type of artificial intelligence that can perceive,
reason, plan, and act independently to achieve complex goals with
minimal human supervision.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8966284087066" target="_blank">About AI agents with agentic
AI</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">AI agent</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">An AI-powered chatbot that interacts with customers on
one of your support channels.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6970583409690" target="_blank">About AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">AI agent ticket</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A ticket for a messaging conversation that was handled
entirely by an AI agent or a default messaging response. By
definition, an AI agent ticket hasn’t yet been or never was
escalated to a human agent.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9204149016346-Understanding-AI-agent-tickets-for-AI-agent-only-conversations" target="_blank">Understanding AI agent tickets
for AI agent–only conversations</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Automated resolution</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">The unit of measurement used for calculating and
billing your account for AI agent usage.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5352026794010" target="_blank">About automated resolutions for
AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Configured action</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A configurable task that an AI agent can perform during
a conversation with a customer.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756651290-About-actions-for-advanced-AI-agents" target="_blank">About configured actions for
advanced AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Conversation flow</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">How a conversation between an AI agent and a customer
unfolds. A conversation flow can be shaped by a generative procedure
or a dialogue.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" style="vertical-align:top;">
<p class="p" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8979864563610" target="_blank">Creating generative
procedures to shape flexible conversation flows for AI
agents</a></p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749494810" target="_blank">Creating dialogues to define
scripted conversation flows for AI agents</a></p>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Default messaging response</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A previous method of configuring the first message sent
to a customer when they launch the Web Widget. This response
included a basic greeting, a request for more information, and a
message letting the customer know they’re being connected to a human
agent.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4500737327258" target="_blank">Configuring messaging responses
and business hours</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Dialogue </td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A scripted conversation flow that uses branching logic
to determine an AI agent's responses and actions during a
conversation with a customer.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749494810" target="_blank">Creating dialogues to define
scripted conversation flows for AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Entity</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A piece of information that has a specific meaning,
which an AI agent can recognize and treat in a particular
way.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749740698-Creating-entities-in-conversation-flows-for-advanced-AI-agents" target="_blank">Creating entities in conversation
flows for advanced AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Escalation</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">The process of handing off a customer conversation from
an AI agent to a human agent.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756604186-Configuring-escalation-strategies-and-flows-for-advanced-AI-agents" target="_blank">Configuring escalation strategies
and flows for advanced AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Essential AI agent</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A previous term for an AI agent created using the AI
agents - Essential level of AI agent functionality. On May 11, 2026,
AI agents - Essential became legacy functionality.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6970583409690" target="_blank">About AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Generative AI</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A type of artificial intelligence capable of creating
content based on large training datasets. In AI agents, the created
content types include text and audio.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6059285322522" target="_blank">Generative AI at
Zendesk</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Generative procedure</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A flexible conversation flow that uses agentic AI to
guide an AI agent's responses and actions during a conversation with
a customer.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10473649691418" target="_blank">About generative procedures for
AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Generative reply</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Content that an AI agent creates using generative AI.
Also referred to as an AI-generated answer.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/8264324584858" target="_blank">Configuring generative replies in
AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Integration builder</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A no-code tool that enables you to connect an AI agent
to any API or data source without extended technical or programming
skills.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756844442" target="_blank">About the integration builder for
AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Legacy AI agent</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A term for an AI agent created using AI agent
functionality that is no longer current. Often refers to an AI agent
built using the bot builder, answers, and intents.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6970583409690" target="_blank">About AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Parameter</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A piece of information you can collect and use to
tailor AI agent workflows, including using in conditional blocks,
segments, and API integrations.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9522180655386" target="_blank">Using parameters in AI
agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Procedure</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">See <em class="ph i">Generative procedure</em>.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10473649691418" target="_blank">About generative procedures for
AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Reply</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A container for the dialogue that's triggered when the
associated use case is detected during a conversation. Distinct from
<em class="ph i">Reply method</em>.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9624068102682" target="_blank">Creating and managing replies for
AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" style="vertical-align:top;">Reply method</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" style="vertical-align:top;">Whether a use case uses a generative procedure or a dialogue.
Distinct from <em class="ph i">Reply</em>.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9041911005850#topic_elk_mcf_52c" target="_blank">Configuring whether a use case
uses a dialogue or generative procedure</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Segment</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A collection of customers who share common traits. You
can use segments to tailor AI agent workflows for distinct subsets
of your user base.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9413046533530" target="_blank">Creating segments to target
specific customers in AI agent conversations</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Structured message template</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A form, webview, or custom template that can be used to
collect or present certain information to a customer during a
conversation with an AI agent. Distinct from
<em class="ph i">Template</em>.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357757976474" target="_blank">Creating and managing structured
message templates for AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">System reply</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A response that an AI agent sends to a customer at a
specific point in a conversation, such as a welcome message or a
feedback request.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749481882" target="_blank">Viewing and editing system
replies for AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Template</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A centralized reply that you can link to from multiple
generative procedures or dialogues. Distinct from <em class="ph i">Structured
message template</em>.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756562330" target="_blank">Using templates in conversation
flows for AI agents</a></td>
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<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Use case</td>
<td class="entry nocellnorowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">The mechanism by which an AI agent understands what a
customer is asking about during a conversation. Use cases are the
topics that your customers need help with, such as order returns or
refund requests.</td>
<td class="entry cell-norowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9041901679130" target="_blank">Creating use cases for AI agents
to identify what customers are asking about</a></td>
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<td class="entry row-nocellborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">Zero-training AI agent</td>
<td class="entry row-nocellborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;">A previous generation of Zendesk AI agents that used
use cases to understand customer requests and link to scripted
dialogues. Much of the configuration performed for zero-training AI
agents (such as use cases) remains the same for the current, agentic
AI generation of Zendesk AI agents. The important distinction is
that AI agents with agentic AI can also use generative
procedures.</td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" dir="ltr" style="vertical-align:top;"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6970583409690" target="_blank">About AI agents</a></td>
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