Migrate from ClearFeed to Zendesk

ClearFeed Tickets map to Zendesk Tickets. Each ClearFeed ticket carries a unique ID (CF-XXXXX format), title, status, priority, assignee, creation timestamp, Slack thread URL, collection_id, and full conversation thread. We preserve the original ClearFeed ticket ID as a custom field cf_original_id__c on the Zendesk ticket for cross-reference. Status mapping is direct: Open, Pending, Snoozed, Resolved, and Closed from ClearFeed map to the corresponding Zendesk ticket status values. Priority maps to Zendesk Priority (low, normal, high, urgent). Note that Zendesk assigns its own sequential ticket IDs on import; the original ClearFeed ID is preserved in the custom field for customer service and audit purposes.

ClearFeed conversation threads — external replies, internal notes (marked with the lock emoji), and responder messages — migrate as Zendesk Ticket Comments. We preserve message authorship by resolving the Slack author's email against the Zendesk user table; where no match exists, the comment is attributed to the requester or a system user. Internal notes from ClearFeed map to private Zendesk comments. Thread chronological ordering is preserved using the original message timestamp. Slack message content transfers as plain text with markdown formatting retained where applicable.

ClearFeed Agents map to Zendesk Users. User records carry display name, email, and role. We resolve agents by email match against the Zendesk user table during migration. Role mapping requires attention: ClearFeed roles (Admin, Manager, Responder) have Zendesk equivalents (Agent, Admin), but permission hierarchies differ. We flag role mismatches and provide a role mapping table in the migration manifest. Any ClearFeed Agent without a matching Zendesk User goes to a reconciliation queue for the customer's Zendesk admin to provision before record import continues.

ClearFeed Collections group related tickets by product line, region, or team. We offer two migration strategies: map Collections to Zendesk Organizations (preferred for external customer segmentation) or to Zendesk Tags applied to each ticket (preferred when the customer has no external-facing org structure). The customer selects during scoping. Each Collection membership becomes either an Organization membership or a tag on the corresponding Zendesk ticket. Organizations are created before ticket import so the lookup relationship is satisfied at insert time.

ClearFeed standard custom fields map to Zendesk Ticket Fields. Text, number, date, dropdown, checkbox, and multi-select field types migrate directly with type equivalence maintained. AI Fields — which ClearFeed populates automatically using a language model — transfer their extracted values as text fields in Zendesk, but the extraction logic does not transfer. We flag every AI-populated field in the migration manifest and note that Zendesk AI or an external AI integration is required to reproduce the auto-population behavior. Custom field ordering on the ticket form is preserved via Zendesk field positioning in the admin interface.

ClearFeed Request Channels are Slack channels that serve as intake sources. There is no direct Zendesk equivalent, since Zendesk's intake model is channel-agnostic (email, web form, chat, API). We preserve the Request Channel association as a read-only text field on each Zendesk ticket (cf_request_channel__c), recording the Slack channel name and URL. This allows support teams to retain channel attribution for reporting without rebuilding the channel context inside Zendesk.

ClearFeed ticket tags migrate to Zendesk Tags. Tags are stored as an array on each ticket and transfer directly to the Zendesk tag field. Zendesk automatically creates tags that do not already exist. Note that Zendesk tags are not typed and do not support tag hierarchies; if ClearFeed tags use a hierarchical naming convention (e.g., product-region-tier), those are preserved as flat tag strings in Zendesk.

SLA rules and metrics are available on ClearFeed Internal and External Helpdesk plans but are explicitly excluded from the Integrations Edition, where the external ticketing system owns SLA. We flag the source plan during scoping. For Internal and External Helpdesk migrations, SLA policies migrate as Zendesk SLA Policies with time-based triggers (First Reply Time, Next Business Hour, Next Response) mapped to Zendesk's SLA Policy conditions. For Integrations Edition sources, we document the absence of ClearFeed SLA data and recommend the customer configure Zendesk SLA Policies from scratch using the connected external system's historical SLA records as reference.

ClearFeed Forms capture structured request data and auto-fill ticket fields. Zendesk has a native Ticket Forms feature that serves the same purpose. We export ClearFeed form definitions (field structure, required/optional settings, default values) and document them as Zendesk Ticket Form specifications. The customer's Zendesk admin recreates the forms in Admin > Objects and Rules > Tickets > Forms. Form responses already embedded in ticket records transfer as field values on the corresponding Zendesk tickets.

ClearFeed automation rules — including SLA alerts, escalations, out-of-office responses, and dynamic routing — are platform-native constructs. We document every active automation rule with its trigger conditions, actions, and configuration settings in a written automation inventory. This document serves as the reference for the customer's Zendesk admin to rebuild equivalent logic using Zendesk Triggers, Automations, and SLA Policies. We do not migrate automation rules as executable code because ClearFeed and Zendesk automation models are structurally different.

ClearFeed AI Agents automate FAQ responses and connect to external tools like Okta, HubSpot, and Jira. AI Agent configurations are platform-specific and cannot be transferred to Zendesk. We export the AI Agent configuration as a JSON manifest documenting the connected tools, response triggers, and action mappings. If the customer licenses Zendesk AI (Advanced AI or Intelligent Triage), we recommend mapping ClearFeed AI Agent response topics to Zendesk AI article suggestions or macro triggers. Otherwise, the customer's admin rebuilds FAQ automation in Zendesk manually.

ClearFeed supports bi-directional sync links to Zendesk, Jira, JSM, ClickUp, Linear, GitHub, Intercom, FreshDesk, and HubSpot. Integration configuration metadata is exported for documentation purposes, but sync links are not replicated during migration. We provide a written inventory of every active sync link with its trigger rules and connected tool details. The customer's Zendesk admin reconfigures any required integrations post-migration, starting with the Zendesk API credentials and webhook endpoints for each connected platform.