Live Channels
Part of Support channel integrations
Connecting email inboxes to a shared support system
Check forwarding, sender identity, ticket creation and reply continuity when moving customer email into a shared support queue.
Choose the address customers will use, add it to the helpdesk, and forward incoming messages to the shared inbox. Then verify the sending domain where required and test that a reply reaches the customer from the intended address.
Choose the address and routing method
List every address currently used for support, including aliases and addresses printed on receipts or help pages. Decide whether each should remain customer-facing, redirect to a replacement, or become a distinct support address. Distinct addresses can help a team separate enquiries, but each one needs a clear owner and its own test.
In Zendesk, open Admin Center > Channels > Talk and email > Email. Zendesk provides a default support address, support@ yoursubdomain .zendesk.com, and lets you add alternative support addresses and receive requests at multiple addresses. If you use several, one is set as the default.
In Gorgias, start from the Settings icon at the bottom left of the helpdesk. Its connection process is to add your email address, set up forwarding in the email provider to the Gorgias inbox, then verify your domain so Gorgias can send from your external address. After connection, you can select which connected address to reply from.
Gorgias supports automatic forwarding on all Helpdesk plans. Advanced and Enterprise plans require it; Basic and Pro plans can also use Gmail or Outlook integrations, which may suit teams sending fewer than 500 emails a day.
In Help Scout, go to Settings (gear icon) > Inboxes > [Your Inbox] > Connect Email & Social. Set your domain address there and copy the Help Scout Inbox address, then configure forwarding or redirection with your email provider. Help Scout's forwarding guidance includes Google Workspace, Microsoft 365/Outlook and Zoho Mail.
For Zendesk external addresses, configure forwarding at the mail provider and set up sender authentication outside Zendesk. Zendesk's recommended DNS records are available in Email settings; SPF authorises senders for the domain, and DKIM may also be needed with restrictive DMARC settings.
Test the whole conversation
Use test messages that resemble actual enquiries but contain no real customer information. Check:
- A new message creates one case under the correct requester and received-at address.
- The assigned team sees it and can identify who owns the reply.
- A reply reaches the sender from the expected address.
- The customer’s next reply continues the right conversation.
- An attachment and a copied recipient appear as intended, or the team knows the limitation.
Run those checks separately for each address. A shared queue can hide a broken alias if another address works. Inspect the customer's received message as well as the agent's ticket; a successful send action in the helpdesk does not by itself establish delivery or the visible sender.
For Gorgias, confirm the domain is verified and select the intended connected address when replying. Check the delivered message to ensure it arrived and shows the right sender.
Make exceptions visible
Set a procedure for messages that fail to create a ticket, land in the wrong queue or appear with the wrong requester. Keep access to the original mailbox or mail administration logs during the transition so someone can investigate missing mail. Record the affected address, approximate time and message identifier where available, while avoiding unnecessary copies of customer content.
Check who can change forwarding and sender authentication. A later mail-provider change can interrupt the path even when no helpdesk setting has changed. Name the owner of both sides of the connection and the test to rerun after a change.
