FAQs: User Labels | Zoho Desk

FAQs: User Labels

Understanding User Labels

What are user labels in the Help Center Community?
User labels are keywords or tags assigned to end users to categorize them and make their role, knowledge, or contribution level easier to recognize in the Community.

For example, a customer who consistently provides accurate answers can receive an Expert label. Other community members can then recognize that the person has demonstrated useful product knowledge before deciding whether to follow their guidance.
Why should an organization use user labels?
User labels help administrators organize end users into meaningful groups and help community members assess another user’s area of knowledge or authority.

Common uses include:
  1. Identifying knowledgeable contributors as Experts
  2. Recognizing early-access participants as Beta Tester
  3. Grouping newly registered members as New Member
  4. Identifying approved advocates or specialists as Product Champion
Labels improve visibility in community conversations, but they do not replace formal moderation, permissions, or support-agent roles.
Do user labels appear everywhere in the Help Center?
No, User labels are displayed only in the Community section of the Help Center.
They do not appear as general Help Center identifiers across Knowledge Base articles, ticket forms, or other Help Center areas.
Can labels be used to change what a customer is allowed to do?
The available information describes labels as a categorization and identification feature. It does not establish that labels grant permissions, change Community access, or control ticket visibility.

Use labels to communicate recognition or classification. Configure access, moderation, and other customer permissions separately.

Availability and Limits

Do User Labels work with every Help Center theme?
No, User Labels are available only when the Help Center uses a new theme.
Before planning a recognition program around labels, confirm that the Help Center has been applied with a new theme. A Help Center using an unsupported theme will not provide the User Labels feature.
How many unique labels can be created?
Each Help Center can have up to 500 unique labels.

This limit applies per Help Center. Use a controlled naming model to avoid creating near-duplicate labels such as “Expert,” “Experts,” “Product Expert,” and “Product-Expert” unless each represents a deliberately different designation.
How many users can be assigned to one label?
A label can be associated with up to 2,000 end users.

For example, a broad label such as Verified Customer can be assigned to a large customer group, as long as the total assigned users for that label does not exceed 2,000.
Can one end user belong to more than one label?
Yes. An end user can be associated with multiple labels.

However, only the most recently assigned label is displayed in the Community when other users view that person’s label. This is important when using multiple labels: the visible label may not be the only label associated with the user.
Which label is shown when a user has multiple labels?
Only the most recent label assigned to the user is displayed in the Community.

For example, if a user is first assigned Beta Tester and later assigned Expert, the Community displays Expert as the user’s label. The user can still be associated with both labels, but visitors see only the latest one.

Creating a Label

Who should create and manage user labels?
User-label management is accessed from the Help Center setup area. Organizations should limit label administration to users responsible for Community organization and user recognition.

Because labels shape how customers perceive contributors, establish internal standards for who may assign labels such as Expert, Moderator, or Product Champion.
How is a new user label created?
  1. Go to Setup > Channels > Help Center.
  2. Select the Help Center where the label is required.
  3. Click User Labels in the Help Center submenu.
  4. On the User Labels page, click Add Label.
  5. On the Preference tab:
    1. Enter a label name.
    2. Select a label shape.
      1. Rectangle
      2. Round
    3. Select a predefined color or enter a custom hexadecimal color code.
    4. Review the label preview.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Open the Users tab.
  8. Click Add Users.
  9. Select or search for the required end users.
  10. Click Add.
  11. The label is created first, then associated with selected end users.

Can a label’s appearance be customized?
Yes. When creating or editing a label, administrators can choose:
  1. A rectangle or round label shape
  2. A predefined color scheme
  3. A custom color using a hexadecimal code
Use colors and shapes consistently. For example, an organization could assign blue labels to product specialists, green labels to verified community contributors, and orange labels to beta participants.
Should a label’s name and design be previewed before saving?
Yes. The label preview shows how the label will appear to end users.

Reviewing the preview is particularly useful for custom hex colors. A color that looks appropriate in an internal style guide may have poor readability against the Help Center theme or may be difficult to distinguish from another label.
Can users be assigned while creating the label?
Yes. After saving label preferences, use the Users tab to associate end users with the label.

The Add Users panel supports selecting users directly or searching for a particular end user before adding them.

Assigning and Maintaining Labels

Can a label be assigned from a user’s profile instead of the label list?
Yes. Labels can also be associated from the user’s profile page under settings.

This is useful when an administrator is reviewing one customer’s Community activity and wants to update that person’s label without first opening the User Labels list.
Can an existing label be changed?
Yes. Use the Edit icon in the label list view to update the label’s properties.

Before changing a label name or appearance, consider the impact on every associated user. For example, changing Product Expert to Community Expert changes the visible designation for all users who have that label.
Can a label be deleted?
Yes. Use the Delete icon in the label list view to delete the label.

Before deletion, identify whether the label is part of an active contributor-recognition program or is used to distinguish a particular customer group. Deleting it removes that designation rather than merely hiding it from a single page.
Can a label be removed from one user without deleting the label?
The available information confirms that labels can be associated from the user profile and managed from the label list, but it does not specify the steps for removing one label association while keeping the label itself.

Where Customers See Labels

Where can a customer view all labels assigned to their own profile?
Customers can view all labels assigned to them on their Community user profile page.

This gives contributors visibility into the designations associated with their account, even though only the most recent label is displayed in Community conversation contexts.
Where are labels shown on the Community topic list?
On the Topic List page, users can hover over another user to see that user’s most recent label.

This allows customers to quickly identify a contributor’s displayed designation before opening a topic or replying to a discussion.
Where are labels shown within an individual Community topic?
On the Topic Details page, users can see the label of:
  1. The topic owner
  2. Users who commented on the topic
For example, if an Expert replies to a troubleshooting question, the displayed label helps other customers recognize that the response came from a designated knowledgeable contributor.
Why might a user’s expected label not appear in a Community discussion?
A user may have multiple associated labels, but only the most recently assigned label is displayed in Community contexts.

Review the label-assignment order when the visible label is not the one expected. If an Expert label was assigned first and a Beta Tester label was assigned later, the Community displays Beta Tester.

Governance and Practical Use

How should labels be designed to avoid confusing customers?
Use short, clear labels that represent a meaningful designation. Avoid using several labels with overlapping meanings unless there is a defined distinction.

A practical model might include:
  1. New Member for recently onboarded participants
  2. Beta Tester for approved pre-release participants
  3. Expert for recognized high-quality contributors
  4. Product Champion for established advocates
Document who qualifies for each label and who can apply it. This keeps recognition consistent across Community moderators.
Should “Expert” be assigned automatically based only on activity volume?
The available information does not define automatic label assignment. It describes labels as being added to selected end users.
Consider both accuracy and quality before assigning an authority-oriented designation. High posting volume alone may not indicate that a contributor’s answers are correct, current, or appropriate for customers to follow.
Can labels replace Community moderation?
No. Labels help identify and categorize end users; they do not replace Community moderation or other controls.
A user labeled Expert may be recognized for helpful participation, but Community administrators should continue to apply the organization’s normal moderation practices to all posts and replies.