Authorize trusted domains to embed Zoho Desk
A domain is a unique address that identifies a website on the internet. Domains are structured hierarchically and include a top-level domain (TLD), such as .com, .org, or .net, and a second-level domain (SLD), which appears before the TLD. For example, in example.com, example is the SLD and .com is the TLD.
Organizations use these domains to establish an online identity, provide customers and partners with consistent access to digital resources, and support secure connections through SSL certificates.
Support reps often work from internal business websites, partner workspaces, or service applications that contain operational information required to handle customer requests. However, they may use Zoho Desk separately to manage customer support activities.
When Zoho Desk is accessed separately, support reps must switch between the business application and Zoho Desk to view ticket details, customer information, and service records. For example, a field-service company may maintain service schedules and customer equipment details on an internal website while managing service requests in Zoho Desk.
Moving between these systems can interrupt ticket handling and make it difficult to retain the context of a customer request.
To reduce this context switching, administrators can add their organization's website domains as trusted domains, allowing Zoho Desk to load within those websites.
Availability
Permission Required
Support Administrators and users with Manage Security permission in their profile can add, edit, or delete trusted domains.
Understanding trusted domains
Trusted Domains allow administrators to authorize specific website domains to load Zoho Desk through an iframe. Once the domain is added, support reps can access Zoho Desk directly within the organization’s existing workspace while continuing to use their Zoho Desk credentials and assigned permissions.
Administrators can add trusted domains to Zoho Desk using either of the following:
- Exact domain
- Pattern-based domain
Exact domains
An exact domain authorizes one specific website domain. Zoho Desk can load only within the domain added to the trusted-domain list.
For example, adding support.example.com authorizes Zoho Desk to load only within that domain. If the website has company.example.com as a sub-domain, it will not embed Zoho Desk since it is not matching the authorized domain.
Note: http:// or https:// must not be entered while adding an exact domain.
Pattern-based domains
A pattern-based domain authorizes multiple domains that match a regular expression (regex) pattern. Pattern-based domains can be used when there are several approved sub-domains that must host Zoho Desk.
For example, adding ^(help|desk)\.company\.com as a regex pattern or directly adding .company.com will authorize both help.company.com and desk.company.com, since they match the pattern provided.
Note:
- http:// or https:// must not be entered while adding a pattern-based domain.
- Since pattern-based domains use regex patterns, broad patterns may authorize unintended domains. Use specific patterns to ensure that only the intended domains are authorized.
Important:
src="https://<desk_domain>/agent/portal_name?frameorigin=https://<your_domain_name>" must be added in the website's iframe code for Zoho Desk to be loaded within the website.
Benefits
- Reduce workflow interruptions: Support reps can continue handling tickets within their existing work environment without repeatedly switching between applications.
- Speed up access to relevant information: Having Zoho Desk alongside operational systems reduces the effort required to locate customer and service-related details.
- Maintain controlled access across applications: Organizations can extend Zoho Desk access to approved business environments without making it available on every external website.
- Simplify domain management: Regex-based patterns make it easier to authorize multiple domains that follow a common naming structure.
Business scenarios
Managing service requests and service records in one place
An equipment maintenance provider uses an internal portal to track service visits, installed equipment, and technician schedules, while managing support tickets in Zoho Desk. Support reps need to refer to ticket details every time they review a customer's service history.
The administrator can add the field-service portal as a trusted domain to allow Zoho Desk to load within it. When a support rep opens a customer's service history, the embedded Desk interface provides access to related tickets without requiring a separate Desk workspace.
Handling merchant queries alongside seller and order details
A marketplace operations team works from a console containing seller accounts, catalog issues, and order data. Since support tickets are managed in Zoho Desk, support reps have to switch between the two systems to review merchant requests and find relevant account or order details.
By adding the console as a trusted domain, the administrator allows Zoho Desk to load within its support section. Support reps can access the Desk interface within the console based on their profile permissions and review merchant requests alongside seller and order information. This helps them provide responses with better business context.
Extending Zoho Desk access across regional partner portals
A software company maintains separate partner portals for regional operations through multiple subdomains. Support teams need to access Zoho Desk from each portal to handle partner queries. Although the portals serve different functions, they share a parent domain. For example, support.company.com, marketing.company.com, sales.company.com, and product.company.com.
The administrator can authorize a pattern-based domain (.company.com) to allow the matching portals to embed Zoho Desk, instead of adding each trusted subdomain separately. This reduces repetitive configuration while allowing support reps to access Zoho Desk from the respective regional portals and assist partners within their existing workspace.
Adding a trusted domain
Administrators can add an exact domain or pattern-based domain of trusted websites to embed Zoho Desk.
Note: Professional edition users can add one trusted domain and Enterprise edition users can add three trusted domains.
To add a trusted domain
- Navigate to Setup > Privacy and Security > Trusted Domains.
- Click New Domain.
- Select Exact Domain or Pattern-Based domain and enter the domain or pattern without http:// or https://.
- Click Save.
Editing a trusted domain
When an organization changes its website address or domain pattern, Zoho Desk will not load in the new location unless it is authorized. Administrators can edit the existing trusted domain to update the website address or regex pattern and allow Zoho Desk to load in the new location.
To edit a trusted domain
- Navigate to Setup > Privacy and Security > Trusted Domains.
- Hover on the required domain and click the edit icon.
- Edit the domain or pattern.
- Click Save.
Deleting a trusted domain
Administrators can delete a trusted domain when a website no longer requires access to embedded Zoho Desk or is no longer authorized to load it. Deleting a trusted domain immediately prevents Zoho Desk from loading on that website and Zoho Desk no longer loads within the deleted trusted domain.
To delete a trusted domain
- Navigate to Setup > Privacy and Security > Trusted Domains.
- Hover on the required domain and click the delete icon.
- Click Delete.