To ensure Sidekick is configured correctly and can operate reliably within your helpdesk, you’ll need to complete a few setup steps and provide specific information to Gladly. This guide outlines what you’ll need to prepare, what Gladly handles on your behalf, and which tasks you’ll complete directly in your helpdesk.
What You’ll Need to Provide
To enable the Sidekick integration, your team must supply the following:
A Dedicated User Seat
Create a user account in your helpdesk specifically for Gladly, typically requiring Admin-level permissions.
The username should be Gladly AI.
This user seat allows Gladly to act on your behalf when responding to tickets.
Access Credentials
Your helpdesk will require one or more of the following, depending on the platform:
API token
Subdomain
Relevant support email addresses
These credentials allow Gladly to connect securely to your helpdesk environment.
Required Account Level
Some platforms—such as Zendesk—require a certain subscription tier (e.g., Team, Professional, Enterprise) for API and webhook support.
Confirm your account plan meets the minimum requirements for integrating with external systems.
A Dedicated Error-Handling Email Address
To prevent error messages from being re-processed by Sidekick and creating a loop, you must create an email address used exclusively for Sidekick error notifications—for example:
Gladly sends these error notifications from support@thankful.ai
You should whitelist this sender to ensure delivery.
This dedicated inbox can then be excluded via a business rule so that error emails are never pulled back into your helpdesk for processing.
High-Volume Consideration for Zendesk Users
If you expect more than 200 tickets per hour, you should avoid using a Zendesk-based support address.
Zendesk’s rate limits may cause email drops at high volumes, which may impact Sidekick performance. Use a non-Zendesk support email instead.
What Gladly Will Handle
Once you provide the required credentials and access:
Configure the Integration in Gladly
Gladly adds your helpdesk integration to the Gladly dashboard and enters the credentials you share.
Generate Notification Endpoints
Gladly provides unique webhook URLs your helpdesk will use to send ticket-event notifications to Sidekick.
Manage Conversations Through the Dedicated User Seat
Sidekick uses the user account you provisioned to view, manage, and reply to customer tickets.
What You’ll Need to Configure in Your Helpdesk
After Gladly prepares your integration, a few final steps must be completed directly in your helpdesk:
Create the Dedicated User Seat
You’ll need to manually create the Gladly AI user within your helpdesk using the required email format (e.g., ai@gladly.com) and assigning the correct role or permission level.
Set Up Webhooks or Triggers
Your helpdesk must be configured to notify Gladly when ticket events occur. This typically includes:
Creating a webhook, trigger, automation, or workflow
Pasting in the webhook URL provided by Gladly
Selecting the ticket events you want to send to Gladly (e.g., ticket created, updated)
Generate and Share API Tokens
From your helpdesk’s admin settings, generate a unique API token and securely send it to Gladly. This token authenticates your system with the Sidekick integration.