FAQs: Buttons | Zoho Desk

FAQs: Buttons

Creating a Button

How is a custom button created for tickets?
  1. Navigate to Setup > Customization > Buttons.
  2. Select New Button.
  3. Enter a clear Button Name and an optional description.
  4. Confirm the ticket module.
  5. Configure the location, layout, action, and profile permissions.
  6. Save the button.
A descriptive name matters because the label appears in the ticket’s More actions menu. For example, use Open Customer Contract rather than a vague label such as External Link.
Can the same button be shown on every ticket?
Yes. A button can be assigned to all ticket layouts. It can also be limited to specific layouts when the action is only relevant to certain ticket types.

For example, a Create Implementation Project button may be placed only on an Enterprise Onboarding layout, while a View Warranty Details button may be assigned only to a Product Support layout.
What information should be decided before creating a button?
Determine the following before configuration:
  1. The user outcome the button should support
  2. Whether the button opens a URL or runs a custom function
  3. The ticket layouts where it should appear
  4. The profiles that should be allowed to use it
  5. Whether ticket field values are needed in the URL or function arguments
  6. Whether the action should open in the same tab, a new tab, or a new window
This planning prevents agents from seeing irrelevant actions or accessing information outside their responsibilities.

URL Buttons and Placeholders

What can an “Open a URL” button do?
An Open a URL button redirects the agent to a specified web address. This is useful for opening external applications, internal knowledge systems, customer portals, policy pages, mapping services, or related records.

For example, a button can open a company’s subscription-plan page so an agent can confirm the current plan while handling a billing request.
Can a URL button use values from the current ticket?
Yes. Placeholders can be inserted into the URL so that ticket-related values are passed dynamically when an agent clicks the button.

For example, a location button can use the customer’s stored latitude and longitude to open an external map at the correct coordinates. This removes the need for agents to copy and paste coordinates manually.
How can a placeholder-based URL improve accuracy?
A placeholder allows the button to use the field value already stored in the ticket or related information. This reduces repeated data entry and lowers the risk that an agent searches using an incorrect account, product, location, or destination.

For instance, if a ticket includes a destination of “Europe,” a booking button can pass that destination into the external booking URL and present only relevant packages.
What happens if the field used by a URL placeholder does not contain a useful value?
The resulting destination depends on how the external URL handles the value passed to it. The button can still be visible, but the external page may open without the intended result or may not return relevant data. Before deployment, test the button using tickets where the relevant fields are populated and tickets where they are not.
Can a URL button open in a separate browser tab?
Yes. URL buttons can be configured to open in one of these locations:
  1. New Tab
  2. New Window
  3. Same Tab
A new tab is generally useful when agents need to keep the ticket open while consulting external information. The same-tab option may be suitable when the external page becomes the agent’s next working screen.
Can a URL button open a related account or product record?
Yes. A URL can use an Account ID or Product ID placeholder to direct an agent to the precise related record. This is useful when an agent needs to verify information in another module or application without manually locating the record.

Custom Function Buttons

What can a custom-function button do?
A custom-function button can perform an automated action when an agent clicks it. It is appropriate when the desired outcome requires more than opening a webpage, such as creating a related record, sending a notification, escalating a request, or connecting the ticket to another system.

For example, a Create Project button can collect selected ticket details, create a project through Zoho Projects, and store the resulting project reference on the ticket for future tracking.
Can an existing custom function be assigned to a button?
Yes. When configuring the action, select Existing Custom Function and choose the appropriate function. This is useful when the required business logic has already been built and tested.
Can a new custom function be created while setting up the button?
Yes. Select New Custom Function, then configure the argument mapping, enter the function script, and save it. The button will execute the function when an authorized agent clicks it.
What is argument mapping, and why does it matter?
Argument mapping determines which ticket information is passed to the custom function. It allows the function to act on the specific ticket being viewed rather than using static information.

For example, a project-creation function may need the customer name, request details, priority, and category. Mapping these details lets the function create the project with the correct context.
What does an agent see after a custom function runs successfully?
After successful execution, the agent receives an acknowledgment confirming that the function completed and identifying the button that was used.
How can a function-driven button support an approval process?
A button can trigger a function that notifies a manager when an agent needs approval. For example, an Approval Required button can be used for a cancellation request that requires managerial review before the agent proceeds.

Access should be restricted to the profiles responsible for initiating that process, so unrelated agents do not see or use the action.

Layouts, Profiles, and Visibility

Can a button be available only for a specific ticket layout?
Yes. Buttons can be assigned to all layouts or only selected layouts. Layout targeting is useful when ticket categories, teams, or workflows differ.

For example, an Alert Vendor button may appear only on a Service Availability layout, because it is not applicable to billing or general inquiry tickets.
Can a button be visible only to support managers?
Yes. Profile permissions can limit button visibility to selected profiles. This helps ensure that actions involving approvals, sensitive policies, or specialized operational processes are available only to the appropriate users.
What is the best way to restrict a sensitive action?
Use both layout selection and profile permission:
  1. Assign the button only to the layouts where the action is valid.
  2. Grant visibility only to the profiles authorized to take that action.
For example, a button that exposes subscription-plan information for cancellation handling can be shown only on the relevant layout and only to support managers.


Managing Existing Buttons

Where can configured buttons be reviewed?
Users with button-management permission can view buttons created within a department. They can also view buttons from other departments if they have access to those departments.
What information is available in the button list?
The button list shows operational details, including:
  1. Button name
  2. Location
  3. Profiles permitted to access it
  4. Action type, such as URL or custom function
  5. Last modified time
  6. User who last modified it
  7. Current status
This helps administrators audit whether a button is still appropriate and who last changed it.
Can buttons be filtered by whether they are currently usable?
Yes. Buttons can be filtered by their status:
  1. Active
  2. Inactive
This is useful when reviewing obsolete, seasonal, test, or temporarily suspended actions.
How can a button be temporarily removed without deleting its configuration?
Disable the button by switching its status off. Once disabled, it no longer appears on the ticket detail page, but its configuration remains available for future reactivation.

This is preferable to deletion when an integration, policy page, or workflow is temporarily unavailable.
Can a button be edited after it has been created?
Yes. Users with permission can edit a button’s configuration, such as its name, description, selected layouts, action settings, or profile visibility.
Can a button be deleted permanently?
Yes. Authorized users can delete a button. Deletion should be used carefully, especially for function buttons that support established operational processes. Disabling first can provide a safer interim option when future reuse is uncertain.

Practical Design Considerations

When should a URL button be used instead of a custom function?
Use a URL button when the agent only needs to open a destination page or record. Use a custom-function button when the click must execute a process, create or update data, send notifications, or integrate with another application.

For example:
  1. URL button: Open a policy page for the plan associated with the ticket.
  2. Custom-function button: Create a project from the ticket and save the project reference back to the ticket.

How should button names be written to reduce agent confusion?
Use a concise action-oriented label that describes the outcome. Good labels include:
  1. View Location
  2. Check Packages
  3. Request Approval
  4. Create Project
  5. Alert Vendor
Avoid labels that describe implementation rather than user intent, such as Run Function 2 or Open URL.


How can buttons reduce errors in location-based service workflows?
A button can use stored latitude and longitude values to open a mapping service at the customer’s location. This removes manual coordinate entry and helps dispatch teams identify the correct location faster.

For example, an agent handling an on-site service request can click View Location rather than copying coordinate values into a separate mapping application.
Can buttons help with cross-department ticket handling?
Yes. Buttons can expose the relevant action or reference only to the team responsible for it. For example, a support manager can access a plan-review button for cancellation cases, while other agents can still work on the ticket without being given access to that specialized action.