Messaging recipe: Checking agent availability during an AI agent conversation (Legacy)


In this recipe, you’ll use the bot builder'sMake API callandBranch by conditionsteps to branch an existing AI agent answer based on the number of online agents at the time of the conversation. TheMake API callstep gets a count of the current online agents by calling the Zendesk Real Time Chat REST API'sGet Agent Status Countendpoint. TheBranch by conditionstep then uses the count to branch the answer's flow.


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Live chat and messaging Team, Professional, or Enterprise








This article describes functionality that moved into legacy
status on February 2, 2025. On December 10, 2026, this functionality will no longer
be available. For more information, see this announcement.

The bot builder's Add business hours condition step lets you branch
an AI agent's answers based on your business hours. However, it can't branch a
conversation based on agent availability.
In this recipe, you’ll use the bot builder's Make API call and Branch by condition steps to branch an existing AI agent answer based on the
number of online agents at the time of the conversation. The Make API call step
gets a count of the current online agents by calling the Zendesk Real Time Chat REST
API's Get Agent Status Count endpoint. The Branch by
condition step then uses the count to branch the answer's flow.


Note: If your account was created after November 11, 2021, you
can't use the use the Get Agent Status Count endpoint. Instead, use the Agent
Availability API's Get agent availabilities endpoint.

You can use this setup to send customized AI agent messages before creating a ticket using the
Transfer to agent step. These messages can help set better customer
expectations around wait or response times.

The recipe involves the following tasks:

Task 1: Checking your setup
Task 2: Creating an API connection
Task 3: Retrieving agent availability
Task 4: Branching based on agent availability
Task 5: Publishing your updated AI agent
Task 6: Testing your changes




Task 1: Checking your setup

To complete this recipe, you'll need the following:

A Zendesk account with a published AI agent. If you are on a Suite Enterprise or Enterprise Plus
plan, you can use a sandbox testing environment to
test the AI agent before using it in production. To set up an AI agent on
a web and mobile messaging channel, see Creating an AI agent for your web and mobile
channels.

An OAuth access token for the Zendesk Chat API. To create this token, see
Chat API tutorial: Generating an OAuth
token.





Task 2: Creating an API connection

To start, create an API connection to store your OAuth access token for the Chat API. Your AI
agent can use this connection to authenticate calls to the API.

To create the connection

In Admin Center, click
Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Connections >
Connections.
Click
Create connection.
Select the
Bearer token
authentication type.
For
Connection name, enter "zendesk_chat_api_oauth_token".
For Token, enter your OAuth access token (see Task 1: Checking your setup).
For
Allowed domain, enter "rtm.zopim.com".
Click
Save
to create the connection.





Task 3: Retrieving agent availability

Next, add a Make API call step to an existing answer in your AI agent. This step gets a
current count of online agents from the Real Time Chat API's Get Agent Status Count endpoint.
To add the Make API call step

In Admin Center, click
AI in the sidebar, then select AI agents > AI agents.
Click the AI agent you want to update, then click the answer you want to
update.
In bot builder, add a step to the desired location in the answer's
flow.
Under Choose step, select Make API Call.
Enter Get agent availability as the Name.
Under API details, enter
https://rtm.zopim.com/stream/agents/agents_online as the
Endpoint URL.

In Authentication, select the zendesk_chat_api_oauth_token
connection.
To test the API request, click Make API call.
Under Test Data, enter Melbourne, AU as the Location.
Click Make API call.
Save the following variable using its default name:

content > data > agents_online



(Optional) Add a step under the Get agent availability step’s API call
failed branch. This step runs if the Get Agent Status Count request
fails.




Task 4: Branching based on agent availability

Next, add a
Branch by condition
step to branch the answer's flow based on the
value of the
agents_online
variable.
To add the Branch by condition step

In the bot builder, add a step in the
Get agent availability
step's
API call successful
branch.
Under
Choose step, select
Branch by condition.
Enter
Check agent availability
as the
Name.
In the
If this
branch, enter
Agents are online
as the
Name.
In the
If this
branch, click
Add condition. Configure the
condition as follows:


Variable: agents_online

Operator: Is not

Value: 0


Click
Add.
Add any desired steps under the
Agents are online
and
Else
branches. Steps under the
Agents are online
branch run when the
Get Agent Status Count
request
indicates one or more agents are online. Steps under the
Else
branch run
when the request indicates no agents are online.




Task 5: Publishing your updated AI agent

When you're done editing the answer, you can publish the updated AI agent.

To publish the AI agent
Click Done in the upper right corner of the bot builder.
On the AI agent page, click Publish AI agent.
Click Publish.





Task 6: Testing your changes

After you publish your changes, you can test the updated answer by using one of its training
phrases in a conversation with the updated AI agent. For more information about
testing AI agents, see Testing the end user's messaging experience.



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