Zendesk to Freshdesk migration
DataGrine migrates Zendesk to Freshdesk: companies, contacts, tickets with their replies, notes and attachments, tags and knowledge base articles. Every field is mapped in writing and a sample of your own records is signed off before the full run. Run it yourself on the DataGrine platform or have the DataGrine team run it end to end, with 24/7 premium support either way.
What moves
From Zendesk into Freshdesk.
- UsersContacts
- OrganizationsCompanies
- TicketsTickets
- Public commentsReplies
- Private commentsPrivate notes
- AttachmentsAttachments
- Inline imagesAttachments
- Custom ticket fieldsTicket fields
- TagsTags
- Ticket statusesStatuses
- Agents and groupsAgents and groups
- Guide articlesSolutions
Why teams make this move
Teams consolidate from Zendesk onto Freshdesk to bring support onto the wider Freshworks stack, usually at a renewal.
Worth planning for
Every Zendesk ticket has its original creation date; Freshdesk’s API does not accept one on a new ticket. Migrated tickets are dated the day they move, so the original date travels in a ticket field and every "created" report has to be built on that field.
Decided with you in the written mapping, before anything moves.
How it runs
Self-serve or fully managed. Same steps, same checks.
- 01
Connect and map
Read-only access to your old helpdesk. Every field and value mapped before anything moves.
- 02
Sample run
A sample of your own records lands in the new helpdesk for you to check and sign off.
- 03
Full migration
The full move at the fastest pace both platforms allow, while your team keeps working.
- 04
Delta at cut-over
Anything created or changed since the full run, moved on go-live day.
- 05
Reconcile
Counts checked object by object against the source, and every run can be rolled back.
- Read-only access to the source
- Rollback per run
- 24/7 premium support
Questions
Zendesk to Freshdesk, answered.
What does not carry across from Zendesk?
Configuration such as automations, macros and views is not data, so it is set up again in Freshdesk. Anything with no equivalent in Freshdesk is listed in the written mapping, and you choose what happens to it before anything moves.
Can we run it ourselves?
Yes. Run it self-serve on the DataGrine platform, or let our migration team handle it end to end. Either way you get 24/7 premium support until the migration is signed off.
Does our team have to stop working?
No. We only read from Zendesk, so your team keeps working during the full run, and a delta sync at cut-over moves anything created or changed since.
Can we use the built-in importer instead?
Yes. Freshdesk's built-in Zendesk import brings contacts, companies, agents, groups, tickets with public and private notes, custom fields (created for you) and primary-language knowledge base articles; it does not bring macros, triggers, email notifications, canned responses, integrations, channel configuration or inline images, skips large attachments and long tags, gives tickets new IDs, and is available only on stand-alone Freshdesk, not the Freshworks Customer Service Suite. A migration adds a written mapping, a sample run on your own data, a delta sync at cut-over and rollback.
How fast can data come out of Zendesk?
Zendesk Support API: 200 requests a minute on Team, 400 on Professional, 700 on Enterprise and 2,500 on Enterprise Plus or with the High Volume add-on; incremental export endpoints are limited to 10 requests a minute (30 with High Volume). Runs are paced to stay inside that limit, which is why large accounts move in a full run first and a delta at cut-over.
What needs deciding before the move?
Original ticket creation dates cannot be set in Freshdesk, so every created-date report must be rebuilt on a custom field. Contacts with no email, phone or social identity are skipped by the native import along with their tickets. Inline images and large attachments are not carried by the native import and need a separate approach.
What does it cost?
It depends on how many records move and whether you run the migration yourself or have the DataGrine team run it. You get a quote once the records in scope are counted, before anything moves.
Further reading: What is a helpdesk migration? What moves, what does not, and how it runs · How to export tickets from Zendesk, with comments and attachments · Zendesk legacy AI agents: the 2026 dates, and what to do next
Other routes
Moving a different pair?
Teams move for Fin and the Messenger, then discover four years of ticket history has to come with them.
Support consolidates onto Freshdesk when the business grows past a single storefront and needs SLAs and reporting across brands.
Cost consolidation or an IT-led standardisation onto the Freshworks stack.
Plan your Zendesk to Freshdesk move.
Tell us where you are moving from and to. Run it yourself on the DataGrine platform or let our migration team handle it end to end, with 24/7 support either way.
- A written mapping document before anything moves
- A sample migration you review before the live run
- Delta sync at cut-over and rollback per run
- 24/7 premium support until you sign off