Zendesk Messaging MCP server

Zendesk Messaging (Smooch) provides a modern conversational platform for customer communication across web, mobile, and social channels. An MCP server for Zendesk Messaging lets AI agents manage conversations, send messages, and route chats to the appropriate channels or agents.

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

1. Sign in to AI Gateway and select MCP Servers from the left navigation.
2. Select New MCP Server.
3. Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.

Configure the server

1. Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
2. Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
3. Set the Timeout value. 30 seconds works for most APIs; increase to 60 seconds for APIs that return large payloads.
4. Toggle Production mode on if this server will be used in a live workflow.
5. 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

1. Set any Rate limits appropriate for your use case and the API's own limits.
2. Enable Logging if you want AI Gateway to record requests and responses for auditing.
3. 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.

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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:

• Claude Desktop
• Claude Code
• Cursor
• VS Code
• Windsurf

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 Messaging uses JWT tokens or API Key authentication. For JWT, include the token in the Authorization header as Bearer {token}. For API Key, use Basic auth with your Key ID and Secret encoded as {keyId}:{secret} in Base64. Both methods require your App ID in the URL path. In the Zendesk Messaging dashboard, go to Settings > API Keys to create or retrieve your API credentials.

Value	Setting
Base URL	https://api.smooch.io/v2
JWT header	Authorization: Bearer {token}
API key auth	Basic auth — {keyId}:{secret} (Base64-encoded)

Available tools

The Zendesk Messaging MCP server provides tools for managing conversations, sending messages, and routing between channels and agents.

Conversation Management

Tool	Description
list_conversations	List conversations for a user with filtering and pagination
create_conversation	Create a new conversation with participants
get_conversation	Retrieve conversation details by ID

Message Operations

Tool	Description
list_messages	Retrieve messages from a conversation with pagination
send_message	Send text, image, file, or carousel messages
get_message	Retrieve a specific message by ID

User Management

Tool	Description
create_user	Create new users in the messaging system
get_user	Retrieve user profile details
update_user	Update user information

Switchboard & Routing

Tool	Description
list_switchboards	View switchboard configurations for conversation routing
pass_control	Transfer conversation control between integrations (for example, bot to human agent)
get_switchboard_status	Check current routing configuration

Integration Management

Tool	Description
list_integrations	List available integrations (web, iOS, Android, etc.)
get_integration	Retrieve integration details

Tips

Use list_conversations with filters to find specific conversations by user, status, or date rather than retrieving all conversations.

Verify the switchboard configuration first using list_switchboards when routing conversations between bot and human agents.

Check for errors in the response when message delivery happens asynchronously — don't poll for delivery confirmation.

Implement user creation before starting conversations to ensure proper participant tracking.

Monitor message rate limits and implement backoff strategies when handling high-volume messaging.