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Zendesk Sell MCP Server

Create a powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Zendesk Sell in minutes with our AI Gateway. This guide walks you through setting up seamless CRM integration with enterprise-grade security and instant OAuth authentication.

About Zendesk Sell API​

Zendesk Sell is a modern sales CRM that enhances productivity, processes, and pipeline visibility. The API provides comprehensive access to leads, contacts, deals, activities, and sales analytics, enabling complete sales automation and integration.

Key Capabilities​

  • Lead Management: Capture and nurture leads
  • Contact & Account: Customer relationship tracking
  • Deal Pipeline: Opportunity management
  • Activity Tracking: Calls, emails, meetings
  • Sales Analytics: Performance metrics
  • Task Management: Follow-ups and reminders
  • Email Integration: Sync and tracking
  • Mobile Access: Field sales support

API Features​

  • REST API v2: Comprehensive endpoints
  • OAuth 2.0: Secure authentication
  • Webhooks: Real-time notifications
  • Bulk Operations: Mass data handling
  • Search API: Advanced queries
  • Custom Fields: Extended data model
  • Rate Limiting: 600 requests/minute
  • Pagination: Efficient data retrieval

What You Can Do with Zendesk Sell MCP Server​

The MCP server transforms Zendesk Sell API into a natural language interface, enabling AI agents to:

Lead Management​

  • Lead Operations

    • "Create new lead from website"
    • "Import leads from spreadsheet"
    • "Score leads by engagement"
    • "Convert lead to contact"

  • Lead Qualification

    • "Update lead status to qualified"
    • "Assign hot leads to reps"
    • "Set lead source tracking"
    • "Mark leads as unqualified"

  • Lead Search

    • "Find leads from tech industry"
    • "Show uncontacted leads"
    • "List leads by score"
    • "Search leads in California"

Deal Pipeline​

  • Deal Creation

    • "Create opportunity for $50k"
    • "Add deal to pipeline"
    • "Set close date next month"
    • "Link deal to account"

  • Pipeline Management

    • "Move deal to negotiation"
    • "Update deal probability"
    • "Change deal owner"
    • "Mark deal as won"

  • Deal Analytics

    • "Show deals closing this month"
    • "Calculate pipeline value"
    • "Track win rate"
    • "Forecast revenue"

Activity Tracking​

  • Call Logging

    • "Log customer call"
    • "Record call outcome"
    • "Schedule follow-up call"
    • "Track call duration"

  • Email Management

    • "Log email conversation"
    • "Track email opens"
    • "Send follow-up email"
    • "Create email template"

  • Meeting Scheduling

    • "Schedule demo meeting"
    • "Add meeting participants"
    • "Set meeting location"
    • "Send calendar invite"

Contact Management​

  • Contact Operations

    • "Create new contact"
    • "Update contact details"
    • "Link to organization"
    • "Add contact tags"

  • Relationship Tracking

    • "Map decision makers"
    • "Track contact roles"
    • "Monitor engagement"
    • "Score relationships"

  • Communication History

    • "Show all interactions"
    • "Track touchpoints"
    • "View email history"
    • "Display call logs"

Account Management​

  • Organization Data

    • "Create company account"
    • "Update company info"
    • "Set account owner"
    • "Track account health"

  • Account Hierarchy

    • "Link subsidiaries"
    • "Map org structure"
    • "Track parent company"
    • "Manage divisions"

  • Account Analytics

    • "Calculate account value"
    • "Show revenue history"
    • "Track growth rate"
    • "Monitor churn risk"

Task Management​

  • Task Creation

    • "Create follow-up task"
    • "Set task priority"
    • "Assign to team member"
    • "Add due date"

  • Task Tracking

    • "Show overdue tasks"
    • "List today's tasks"
    • "Track task completion"
    • "Monitor team tasks"

  • Reminders

    • "Set call reminder"
    • "Schedule email follow-up"
    • "Create recurring tasks"
    • "Alert on due dates"

Sales Analytics​

  • Performance Metrics

    • "Show monthly sales"
    • "Track conversion rates"
    • "Calculate average deal size"
    • "Measure sales velocity"

  • Team Analytics

    • "Compare rep performance"
    • "Track activity levels"
    • "Monitor quota attainment"
    • "Analyze win rates"

  • Forecasting

    • "Predict quarterly revenue"
    • "Calculate pipeline coverage"
    • "Track forecast accuracy"
    • "Identify at-risk deals"

Customization​

  • Custom Fields

    • "Add industry field"
    • "Create deal stages"
    • "Build scoring model"
    • "Design intake forms"

  • Sales Process

    • "Configure pipelines"
    • "Set stage requirements"
    • "Define exit criteria"
    • "Create workflows"

  • Automation

    • "Auto-assign leads"
    • "Trigger notifications"
    • "Update stages"
    • "Send alerts"

Prerequisites​

  • Access to Cequence AI Gateway
  • Zendesk Sell subscription
  • Admin or Agent permissions
  • OAuth application credentials

Step 1: Create Zendesk Sell OAuth Application​

1.1 Access Settings​

  1. Log in to Zendesk Sell
  2. Go to Settings > OAuth > Registered OAuth Applications
  3. Click Add OAuth App

1.2 Create OAuth App​

  1. Fill in details:
    • Application Name: "AI Gateway Sell MCP"
    • Company Name: Your company
    • Redirect URL: 
      https://auth.aigateway.cequence.ai/v1/outbound/oauth/callback

1.3 Configure Permissions​

  1. Select required scopes:
    • read - Read all data
    • write - Create and update data
    • profile - Access user profile

1.4 Save Credentials​

  1. Click Save
  2. Copy Client ID
  3. Copy Client Secret
  4. Note your Base URL

Step 2-4: Standard Setup​

Follow standard steps to access AI Gateway, find Zendesk Sell API, and create MCP server.

Step 5: Configure API Endpoints​

  1. Base URL: https://api.getbase.com/v2
  2. Select endpoints:
    • Leads endpoints
    • Contacts endpoints
    • Deals endpoints
    • Tasks endpoints
  3. Click Next

Step 6: MCP Server Configuration​

  1. Name: "Zendesk Sell"
  2. Description: "Sales CRM and pipeline management"
  3. Configure production mode
  4. Click Next

Step 7: Configure Authentication​

  1. Authentication Type: OAuth 2.0
  2. Authorization URL: 
    https://api.getbase.com/oauth2/authorize
  3. Token URL: 
    https://api.getbase.com/oauth2/token
  4. Enter Client ID and Secret
  5. Select required scopes

Available Zendesk Sell OAuth Scopes​

Core Scopes​

  • read

    • View all records
    • Access reports
    • Read configurations
    • See activities

  • write

    • Create records
    • Update data
    • Delete items
    • Manage pipeline

  • profile

    • Access user info
    • Read preferences
    • View permissions
    • See teams

For Sales Reps:

read
write
profile

For Sales Managers:

read
write
profile

Step 8-10: Complete Setup​

Configure security, choose deployment, and deploy.

Using Your Zendesk Sell MCP Server​

With Claude Desktop​

{
  "servers": {
    "zendesk-sell": {
      "url": "your-mcp-server-url",
      "auth": {
        "type": "oauth2",
        "client_id": "your-client-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

Natural Language Commands​

  • "Create new lead from trade show"
  • "Move deal to contract sent stage"
  • "Show all deals closing this quarter"
  • "Log call with decision maker"
  • "Update opportunity value to $75k"

API Integration Example​

// Initialize MCP client
const mcpClient = new MCPClient({
  serverUrl: 'your-mcp-server-url',
  auth: {
    type: 'oauth2',
    token: 'access-token'
  }
});

// Create a new lead
const lead = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.leads.create({
  data: {
    first_name: 'John',
    last_name: 'Smith',
    organization_name: 'Tech Innovations Inc',
    title: 'VP of Engineering',
    email: 'john.smith@techinnovations.com',
    phone: '+1-555-0123',
    website: 'https://techinnovations.com',
    status: 'new',
    source_id: sourceId,
    owner_id: repId,
    custom_fields: {
      industry: 'Technology',
      company_size: '100-500',
      budget_range: '$50k-$100k'
    },
    tags: ['hot-lead', 'enterprise', 'q1-2025']
  }
});

// Create a deal
const deal = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.deals.create({
  data: {
    name: 'Tech Innovations - Enterprise License',
    value: 75000,
    currency: 'USD',
    hot: true,
    stage_id: qualificationStageId,
    contact_id: lead.data.id,
    estimated_close_date: '2025-03-31',
    customized_win_likelihood: 60,
    custom_fields: {
      deal_type: 'new_business',
      competition: 'Competitor X',
      decision_criteria: 'Price, Features, Support'
    },
    tags: ['enterprise', 'q1-close', 'expansion-potential']
  }
});

// Log a call activity
const call = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.activities.create({
  data: {
    type: 'call',
    resource_type: 'deal',
    resource_id: deal.data.id,
    outcome_id: callOutcomeId,
    duration: 1800, // 30 minutes
    made_at: new Date().toISOString(),
    summary: 'Discovery call - discussed technical requirements',
    note: `Key points discussed:
- Current pain points with existing solution
- Technical requirements and integration needs
- Budget approval process
- Decision timeline: End of Q1

Next steps:
- Send technical documentation
- Schedule demo for technical team
- Prepare custom pricing proposal`,
    custom_fields: {
      call_recording_url: 'https://recordings.example.com/call-12345'
    }
  }
});

// Update deal stage
await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.deals.update({
  id: deal.data.id,
  data: {
    stage_id: demoStageId,
    customized_win_likelihood: 75,
    custom_fields: {
      demo_scheduled: '2025-02-15',
      technical_fit: 'strong'
    }
  }
});

// Create a task
const task = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.tasks.create({
  data: {
    content: 'Send technical documentation and pricing',
    due_date: '2025-02-10',
    remind_at: '2025-02-10T09:00:00Z',
    resource_type: 'deal',
    resource_id: deal.data.id,
    owner_id: repId,
    completed: false,
    overdue: false
  }
});

// Search for deals in pipeline
const pipelineDeals = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.deals.search({
  q: 'stage:negotiation',
  sort_by: 'value:desc',
  per_page: 25,
  includes: ['contact', 'organization', 'lead_source']
});

// Get sales metrics
const metrics = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.reports.getSalesMetrics({
  period: 'current_quarter',
  group_by: 'owner',
  metrics: [
    'deals_created',
    'deals_won',
    'revenue_won',
    'average_deal_size',
    'win_rate',
    'sales_velocity'
  ]
});

// Create contact from lead
const contact = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.leads.convert({
  id: lead.data.id,
  data: {
    create_opportunity: true,
    opportunity_name: 'Tech Innovations - Pilot Program',
    opportunity_value: 25000,
    opportunity_stage_id: qualificationStageId
  }
});

// Update contact with additional info
await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.contacts.update({
  id: contact.data.id,
  data: {
    description: 'Key decision maker for technology purchases',
    linkedin: 'https://linkedin.com/in/johnsmith',
    twitter: '@johnsmith_tech',
    custom_fields: {
      preferred_contact_method: 'email',
      best_time_to_reach: 'mornings',
      assistant_name: 'Jane Doe',
      assistant_email: 'jane.doe@techinnovations.com'
    }
  }
});

// Create email activity
const email = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.activities.create({
  data: {
    type: 'email',
    resource_type: 'contact',
    resource_id: contact.data.id,
    subject: 'Follow-up: Technical Documentation',
    body_text: 'Hi John, As discussed, please find attached...',
    made_at: new Date().toISOString(),
    direction: 'outgoing',
    status: 'sent'
  }
});

// Get deal forecast
const forecast = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.forecasts.get({
  period: 'current_quarter',
  probability_threshold: 50,
  include_pipeline: true,
  group_by: 'stage'
});

// Bulk update leads
const bulkUpdate = await mcpClient.zendesk.sell.leads.bulkUpdate({
  filters: {
    status: 'new',
    created_at: { gt: '2025-01-01' },
    tags: ['webinar-attendee']
  },
  data: {
    status: 'working',
    owner_id: repId,
    tags: ['webinar-attendee', 'follow-up-required']
  }
});

Common Use Cases​

Lead Generation​

  • Lead capture and scoring
  • Lead nurturing workflows
  • Lead assignment rules
  • Conversion tracking

Pipeline Management​

  • Deal stage progression
  • Forecast accuracy
  • Pipeline velocity
  • Win/loss analysis

Activity Tracking​

  • Call logging
  • Email tracking
  • Meeting management
  • Task automation

Sales Analytics​

  • Performance dashboards
  • Revenue forecasting
  • Team productivity
  • Quota tracking

Security Best Practices​

  1. OAuth Security:

    • Use minimal scopes
    • Rotate credentials
    • Monitor token usage
    • Implement refresh flow

  2. Data Protection:

    • Encrypt sensitive data
    • Mask personal information
    • Audit data access
    • Implement retention

  3. Access Control:

    • Role-based permissions
    • Team-based visibility
    • Field-level security
    • Activity monitoring

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

  1. Authentication Errors

    • Verify OAuth credentials
    • Check token expiration
    • Validate redirect URI
    • Review scope permissions

  2. Data Sync Issues

    • Check field mappings
    • Verify data types
    • Handle custom fields
    • Review validation

  3. Rate Limiting

    • Monitor API usage
    • Implement backoff
    • Use bulk endpoints
    • Cache responses

Getting Help​