Zendesk Guide MCP server
Zendesk Guide is a knowledge base and help center platform that helps organizations publish, manage, and discover self-service content. An MCP server for Zendesk Guide lets AI agents create and organize help articles, manage translations, and maintain a searchable knowledge base.
Setting up an MCP server
This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the individual application pages.
Before you begin
You'll need:
- Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers
- API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the relevant application page for what to collect)
Create an MCP server
Find the API in the catalog
- Sign in to AI Gateway and select MCP Servers from the left navigation.
- Select New MCP Server.
- Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
Configure the server
- Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose (for example, "Zendesk Support — Prod").
- Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
- Set the Timeout value. 30 seconds works for most APIs; increase to 60 seconds for APIs that return large payloads.
- Toggle Production mode on if this server will be used in a live workflow.
- Select Next.
Configure authentication
Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section of the relevant application page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.
Configure security
- Set any Rate limits appropriate for your use case and the API's own limits.
- Enable Logging if you want AI Gateway to record requests and responses for auditing.
- Select Next.
Deploy
Review the summary, then select Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.
Connect to an AI client
Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:
Tips
- You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
- If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
- You can edit a server's name, description, timeout, and security settings after deployment without redeploying.
Authentication
Zendesk Guide uses OAuth 2.0 authentication through your Zendesk account. Create an OAuth application in your Zendesk Admin Center and obtain a Client ID and Client Secret. The OAuth endpoints are subdomain-specific: https://{subdomain}.zendesk.com/oauth/authorizations/new for authorization and https://{subdomain}.zendesk.com/oauth/tokens for token exchange. The primary scopes for Guide are hc:read (read help center content) and hc:write (manage help center content).
Available tools
The Zendesk Guide MCP server provides tools for creating and organizing knowledge base content, managing articles, and configuring help center structure.
Article Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| create_article | Create a new help article |
| get_article | Retrieve article details by ID |
| update_article | Update article content and metadata |
| delete_article | Delete an article |
| list_articles | List articles with filtering and pagination |
| search_articles | Search articles by title or content |
Categories & Sections
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| create_category | Create a new help center category |
| get_category | Retrieve category details |
| update_category | Update category information |
| delete_category | Delete a category |
| list_categories | List all categories |
| create_section | Create a section within a category |
| list_sections | List sections in a category |
| update_section | Update section details |
Translations & Localization
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| create_translation | Create a translated version of an article |
| get_translation | Retrieve a translation by ID |
| list_translations | List all translations for an article |
| update_translation | Update translation content |
| delete_translation | Delete a translation |
Help Center Configuration
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| get_settings | Retrieve help center settings |
| list_locales | List enabled languages/locales |
| create_label | Create a content label or tag |
| list_labels | List available labels |
Search & Analytics
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| search | Search help center content across articles |
| list_article_fields | List available custom fields for articles |
Tips
Organize articles hierarchically under categories and sections to improve user navigation.
Create the original article first, then add translations rather than updating all versions at once when managing multiple languages.
Use labels and custom fields consistently to improve searchability and filtering.
Verify article status before expecting visibility — articles in draft status won't appear in the published help center.
Implement a naming convention for articles and sections to make bulk operations easier.
Cequence AI Gateway