You might have already tried using triggers to automatically send messages to eBay or Amazon and had nothing happen. Don't worry—using ChannelReply and Zendesk as an eBay and Amazon autoresponder just takes a little extra setup.
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Click on any image to view it at full resolution. Updated on 3/28/2018 with Amazon SLA–compatible setup and new customization options.
How to Set Up an Amazon Autoresponder
Need an Amazon autoresponder that meets the requirements for answering within 24 hours? It just takes 2 steps: enabling Zendesk’s autoresponder to work with Amazon, and preventing double messaging.
Step 1: Prevent Double Messaging
Send in the Clones
Zendesk already has a trigger that informs customers you’ve received their request. All we have to do is create a version that works for Amazon.
In Zendesk, go to Admin (the gear icon on the left) -> Triggers (under Business Rules) and find “Notify requester of received request.”
Mouse over the trigger, then click the “…” sign that appears on the right. (You might need to scroll right if you have a small screen.) Select “Clone.”
Name the clone “Amazon Autoresponder.”
Filter Your Triggers
Edit the “Notify requester of received request” trigger. Add the following ALL condition: |Tags||Contains none of the following||(Your ChannelReply Amazon tags)|
Here’s an example for someone with two Amazon accounts, one tagged with “AmazonNA” and the other “AmazonEU”:
Then do the opposite with your newly created Amazon Autoresponder trigger. To make sure it only responds to Amazon messages, add the following ALL condition: |Tags||Contains at least one of the following||(Your Amazon tags)|
Now you have “Notify requester of received request” to handle your non-marketplace messages, and “Amazon Autoresponder” just for Amazon.
Finally, edit the default trigger "Notify requester of comment update." (This is different from “Notify requester of received request,” the trigger you worked with earlier.)
Under “Meet ALL of the following conditions,” add this condition: |Tags||Contains none of the following||(Your ChannelReply Amazon tags)|
This will make sure your customers don’t get two copies of your replies.
Step 2: Give Zendesk Permission to Message Amazon Directly
You’ll need your default Zendesk support address for this step. If you aren’t sure what it is, you can find it by going to your Zendesk admin, clicking “Email” under “Channels,” and then seeing what you have listed under “Support addresses.” If you have more than one support address, simply mouse over them to reveal which one is default.
Note: Be sure to use the address shown in your own Zendesk account, not our address from this screenshot.
Next, log in to Amazon Seller Central. Click “Messages,” then “Authorized Emails.”
Finally, add your default Zendesk support address to your list of approved senders (be sure to click “Add to list”), then click “Done.”
That’s it—you’re all set! All Amazon messages that create a new ticket will receive responses from your “Amazon Autoresponder” trigger, and it will count as a response within 24 hours. For optional instructions on customizing your response and playing safe with Amazon’s rules, click here.
How to Set Up an eBay Autoresponder
Setting up an eBay autoresponder also takes two steps: preventing double messaging and enabling delivery.
1. Prevent Double Messaging
Creating an eBay autoresponder starts the same way as making one for Amazon. Follow step 1 from “How to Set Up an Amazon Autoresponder” above with two differences: name your cloned trigger “eBay Autoresponder” and use your eBay tags rather than your Amazon tags.
(In other words, every time we say “Amazon,” think “eBay” instead!)
2. Enable Messaging through ChannelReply
In the default Zendesk setup, triggers send emails instead of adding a comment. ChannelReply therefore can't deliver the messages to eBay, because it can only send comments. However, by following the steps below, you can use triggers to create a comment so ChannelReply will send it.
Create a Target
Go to Admin -> Extensions (under “Settings”) -> Targets -> add target.
Choose “URL target” from the list.
Name the target “ChannelReply Autoresponder.” Then enter the following data:
URL: https://www.channelreply.com/zendesk-app/auto-reply/company/{{ticket.id}}
- IMPORTANT: Change “company” in the URL to your company’s Zendesk domain. If your Zendesk domain URL were https://fakebusiness.zendesk.com, you would use the following URL: https://www.channelreply.com/zendesk-app/auto-reply/fakebusiness/{{ticket.id}}
Method: POST
Attribute Name: ticket[comment][body]
In the “Basic Authentication” fields, enter your ChannelReply username and password.
Here is an example:
You can then test and create your new target with the options at the bottom right.
Modify Your Custom Trigger
Now you can finalize your eBay Autoresponder trigger. Go to Admin -> Triggers -> eBay Autoresponder.
Scroll down to "Actions" and change the action to "Notifications: Notify target." Then choose “ChannelReply Autoresponder” from the right-hand dropdown menu.
Now, when you receive a new ticket, your autoresponder will add a new comment to it and ChannelReply will deliver it to the eBay member.
Optional (eBay and Amazon): Remove That Naughty Link and Customize
Zendesk’s default message, shown below, may violate Amazon and eBay policies against links in seller messages.
The placeholder {{ticket.id}} will transform into a link leading to the ticket in Zendesk when the message is sent. Since that’s not allowed, you may want to remove {{ticket.id}} from the message in your Amazon Autoresponder and/or eBay Autoresponder trigger(s).
None of our users who have left it in have reported a problem, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
You can do this and customize your autoresponder message by going to Triggers in your Zendesk admin, editing your autoresponder trigger(s), and scrolling down to Actions. Consider including your business hours and other important info. Just be sure not to include any links.
And You’re Done!
Congratulations on setting up your eBay/Amazon autoresponders! For more time-saving options, see our other advanced setup tutorials. Or, if you have any questions or got stuck, just contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
