PSA Data Export guide
How to back up Zendesk data
A practical Zendesk backup workflow covering tickets and custom fields, credentials, native exports, recurring snapshots, and important limits.
On this page
Choose a Zendesk backup method
| Method | Use it for | Check before relying on it |
|---|---|---|
| Native report/export | A current spreadsheet or report | Whether it includes notes, files, custom fields, and related records |
| Official API workflow | Structured capture you control | Authentication, pagination, licensing, rate limits, and file downloads |
| BackupPSA | Dated search, comparison, and snapshot download | Supported collections and successful capture results |
Account exports are plan/admin dependent; incremental APIs include archived tickets that ordinary list endpoints omit, while attachments remain separate downloads.
What to preserve from Zendesk
The business record groups to assess are tickets and custom fields, comments and events, users and organizations, and attachment metadata and downloadable files. Keep source identifiers and relationships so a ticket or financial record still resolves to a readable customer, person, agreement, and date. Ticket history can span comments, audits, side conversations, and attachments; no single CSV represents every layer.
Set up recurring backups
- Follow the Zendesk credential guide.
- Use a dedicated identity with the smallest workable read permissions.
- Select supported record groups and run a manual capture.
- Review counts and collection failures; sample old and complex records.
- Use eligible daily scheduling on Full Access or repeat manual captures within plan limits.
Use cursor-based incremental ticket export for account-wide history; ordinary ticket list endpoints omit archived tickets. Fetch comments and attachment content deliberately.
Plan access to retained history
Keep dated captures, source identifiers and related records together so your team can retrieve useful history after a platform change. Review the native export guide before finalizing the archive.
Preserve history before switching platforms
Run and validate a final capture before source access ends, then follow the PSA migration checklist. Use the destination vendor’s documented importer for the transfer.
Review records after deletion
A previously captured record remains useful if it was backed up before it disappeared. Only compare successful results for the same record group, and do not treat absence as proof of deletion when permissions or an API failure could explain it.
Official source and limits
Review Zendesk official API documentation alongside the live tenant. API documentation does not prove every module is licensed or visible to the chosen credential. Validate the selected records against the official interface and your account permissions.
Plan your independent PSA archive
Keep source history available after your move. Request an invitation to BackupPSA. We’ll contact you if you’re selected for an invitation. You can also contact us about your platform.