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This guide walks you through creating a deployment to connect your agent to a customer channel.

Before You Start

Before creating a deployment:

Creating a Deployment

1

Navigate to Deploy

Go to Deploy in your dashboard.
2

Click Create Deployment

Click Create Deployment to open the configuration.
3

Select Agent

Choose which agent will handle conversations.
4

Choose Trigger

Select the channel and events.Channel: Zendesk, Slack, Intercom, etc. Events: New ticket, message received, etc.
5

Configure Filters (Optional)

Narrow when the agent responds:
  • Channels/Groups: Specific Slack channels or Zendesk groups
  • Tags: Only tickets with certain tags
  • @mention only: Only when the bot is mentioned
6

Select Mode

Choose how the agent responds:
  • Live: Responds directly to customers
  • Shadow: Drafts for human review
  • Testing: Runs in isolation
7

Save and Activate

Click Create to save. Set status to Active to start.

Configuration Details

Agent Selection

Choose the agent that will handle incoming messages:
  • Agent’s runbook/workflow defines behavior
  • Agent’s knowledge determines what it can answer
  • Agent’s guardrails define safety constraints
You can change the agent later without recreating the deployment.

Trigger Configuration

Channel

Select the connected integration:
  • Only integrations you’ve connected appear
  • Must have agent channel capability (not just knowledge)

Events

Select which events trigger the agent:
ChannelCommon Events
ZendeskTicket created, Comment added, Internal note
SlackChannel message, Direct message, App mention
IntercomConversation created, Customer replied

Filters

Narrow the scope of the deployment:

Channel Filters

Respond only in specific channels:
Slack: #support, #customer-questions
Zendesk: Support group, VIP group

Tag Filters (Zendesk)

Respond only to tickets with specific tags:
Tags: duckie-enabled, ai-support

@Mention Only

Only respond when explicitly mentioned:
  • Useful for shared channels
  • Prevents unwanted responses
  • Customer must @mention the bot

Mode Selection

We strongly recommend starting new deployments in Shadow mode.
ModeUse Case
ShadowNew deployments, building confidence
LiveValidated, ready for customers
TestingDebugging, experimentation

After Creating

Activate the Deployment

Deployments are created in “Paused” status. To activate:
  1. Click on the deployment
  2. Toggle status to Active
  3. Agent begins processing messages

Monitor Performance

After activation:
  1. Go to Analyze → Runs to see activity
  2. Check response quality
  3. Review any escalations
  4. Watch key metrics

Iterate

Based on results:
  • Adjust agent configuration
  • Refine filters
  • Update guardrails
  • Graduate from shadow to live

Common Configurations

Zendesk Support

Agent: Support Agent
Channel: Zendesk
Events: Ticket created, Comment added (public)
Filters: Support group only
Mode: Shadow → Live

Slack Customer Channel

Agent: Support Agent
Channel: Slack
Events: App mention
Filters: #customer-support channel
Mode: Live (after testing)

Intercom Chat

Agent: Support Agent
Channel: Intercom
Events: Conversation created, Customer replied
Filters: None (all conversations)
Mode: Shadow → Live

Next Steps