@sniebauer/zendesk-admin-mcp

Local MCP server for Zendesk admin/config work — the companion to @sniebauer/zendesk-mcp (day-to-day support).

54 tools: full CRUD on triggers, automations, macros, views, SLA policies, groups, ticket fields, ticket forms, and webhooks; a read-only audit log; and a read-only inventory of account settings, installed apps, brands, agent roles, tags, and locales.

Destructive and live-routing writes (deletes, and updates to triggers/automations/SLAs/trigger-order) are guarded with a preview-then-confirm step.

Install

Claude Desktop

1. Open your Claude Desktop config:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add a zendesk-admin entry under mcpServers:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "zendesk-admin": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": ["-y", "@sniebauer/zendesk-admin-mcp"]
       }
     }
   }

3. Capture credentials (skip if you already ran setup for @sniebauer/zendesk-mcp — they share the same config file):

   npx -y @sniebauer/zendesk-admin-mcp setup

   You'll be prompted for your Zendesk subdomain, email, and an API token (generate at https://<your-subdomain>.zendesk.com/admin/apps-integrations/apis/api-tokens). Stored at ~/.config/zendesk-mcp/config.json (mode 0600).

4. Restart Claude Desktop.

Claude Code

Same, but the config file is ~/.claude.json.

Shared credentials

This package reads the same ~/.config/zendesk-mcp/config.json as @sniebauer/zendesk-mcp. Run setup once (from either package) and both servers are authenticated. Env vars (ZENDESK_SUBDOMAIN / ZENDESK_EMAIL / ZENDESK_API_TOKEN) override the file.

Heads up: a Zendesk API token carries your full account permissions. This server can modify live business rules. The require_confirm guard (below) is the safety net — there is no read-only token scope in Zendesk.

The require_confirm guard

Guarded operations — every delete, every update to triggers / automations / SLA policies, and zda_reorder_triggers — do not execute on the first call. Instead they return the object's current state (and, for updates, the proposed change) and ask you to re-invoke with require_confirm: true. This forces a deliberate two-step on anything that can break live ticket flow.

Creates and updates to lower-risk objects (macros, views, groups, fields, forms, webhooks) execute directly.

Tools (54)

Business rules — full CRUD (list / get / create / update / delete each)

• zda_*_trigger(s) · zda_*_automation(s) · zda_*_macro(s) · zda_*_view(s) · zda_*_sla_policy/policies
• zda_reorder_triggers — reorder trigger evaluation precedence (guarded)

Ticketing config — full CRUD

• zda_*_group(s) · zda_*_ticket_field(s) · zda_*_ticket_form(s) · zda_*_webhook(s)

Audit (read-only, Enterprise)

• zda_audit_logs — who changed what, filterable by type/actor/time
• zda_audit_logs_for_object — all events for one object

Inventory (read-only)

• zda_account_settings · zda_list_apps · zda_list_brands · zda_list_agent_roles · zda_list_tags · zda_list_locales

Verify

npm test          # unit tests (schemas, error wrapper, guard, audit URL builder)
npm run smoke     # reads-only end-to-end (requires credentials)

Caveats

• Guarded writes need two calls. First call previews; second call with require_confirm: true applies.
• Audit logs need Zendesk Enterprise. Non-Enterprise accounts get a 403 with a clear message.
• Conditions DSL is passthrough. Create/update accept the object's full structure (e.g. conditions: {all,any}); Zendesk validates semantics.
• Credentials precedence. Env vars override the shared config file.
• Smoke test is reads-only. It never creates or deletes config.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.