PSA Data Import guide
Import tickets into Zendesk: historical data and comments
Prepare Zendesk imports using documented tools, field mapping, validation and a representative migration pilot.
On this page
Choose the official import route
Zendesk’s dedicated Ticket Import API supports moving historical tickets into Zendesk Support. Use an administrator-authorized JSON import after preparing users and mapping their destination IDs.
Preserve dates and conversation visibility
The importer accepts ticket creation/update/solved timestamps and dated comments, including private comments. Upload attachments first and associate the resulting tokens with their comments. Keep a legacy-ID crosswalk to reconcile imported tickets with source records.
Separate operational reporting
Tag imported work for reporting: Zendesk identifies imported-ticket metrics and SLAs as incomplete. The archive_immediately option supports closed historical tickets. Review notification and automation behavior for later ticket updates.
Validate a pilot
Choose a ticket with several authors, an inactive agent, a private note and an attached file. Check author mapping, order and time zones against the source. Reconcile job results and maintain a retry ledger before attempting a final-change pass. Agree on duplicate and rollback handling with the implementation owner.
Keep ticket imports separate from related entities
Use Zendesk’s Ticket Import API for historical ticket dates and comments with its timestamp boundaries: ticket created_at/updated_at values before 1970 are rounded up to 1970; comment dates must be from 1970 onward and cannot be in the future. Import-time trigger and notification behavior differs from later ticket updates, so test both phases before enabling normal operations. Users, organizations and Help Center articles need their own supported import workflows; map their destination identities before loading dependent ticket history.
Official documentation
Plan the complete move
Pair this destination workflow with the source export pillar and PSA migration checklist.
Keep source history within reach
Keep your original source history within reach while preparing destination data. Join the waitlist for invitation-only BackupPSA access.