Migration guide · Updated
Migrate from Zendesk Guide to usedocs
Teams leave Zendesk Guide for its price or because they want a help center that keeps itself current. Either way, the worry is the same: broken links and lost search rankings. Here's what comes across, the steps, and what to check before you switch the domain.
Short answer
You can move a Zendesk Guide help center to usedocs two ways: connect your Zendesk API token to import every published article in one locale, or import from your public help center URL, which also keeps images and simple tables. Either way, articles arrive as drafts and each old article path becomes a redirect to its new page once your help center domain points at usedocs.
What moves over from Zendesk Guide
Published articles
Every published article in the locale you choose, with titles and bodies converted to Markdown. Articles still in draft in Zendesk are skipped.
Sections become collections
With the API import, articles land in one collection per Zendesk section, named by section number; give each a proper name after the import. The website import builds collections from your URL folders instead.
Old URLs become redirects
Each article's Zendesk address is saved and its path, like /hc/en-us/articles/360001234-Add-late-fees, becomes a redirect to the new article.
Tickets, if you want them
Separately, you can import Zendesk tickets so the questions customers actually asked seed your list of missing articles from day one.
How to move from Zendesk Guide to usedocs
- Create a Zendesk API token. In Zendesk Admin Center, find the API settings under Apps and integrations, turn on token access, and add an API token. Note the email of an admin or agent account. Skip this step if you'll import from the public site instead.
- Start the import. In the usedocs dashboard, open Help center, then Import. Choose Zendesk Guide and enter your subdomain (the yourcompany part of yourcompany.zendesk.com), the email, the token, and the locale, such as en-us. Or choose Any docs site and paste your public help center URL.
- Review the drafts. Articles arrive as drafts. Rename the collections, check anything that converted oddly, re-add images if you used the API import, and publish.
- Connect GitHub and import tickets. Install the GitHub app so merged pull requests propose edits, and import recent Zendesk tickets so customer questions seed your gap list.
- Point your help center domain at usedocs. If customers reach your help center on your own domain, such as help.yourapp.com, point it at usedocs. Custom domains are on Growth. Old article paths now redirect to the new pages.
What happens to your links and search rankings
Redirects carry links and rankings across only when the old URLs live on a domain you control. If your help center is at help.yourapp.com, point that domain at usedocs and every imported article's old path returns a permanent redirect to its new page, so bookmarks, links in emails, and search results keep working. Links to yourcompany.zendesk.com can't be redirected, because Zendesk controls that domain; update the links you control, like in app help links and onboarding emails, to the new URLs.
The new help center also publishes a sitemap, a Markdown copy of every page, and llms.txt, so search engines and AI assistants can find the new pages quickly.
What usedocs does once your docs are in
Zendesk Guide stores articles; it doesn't tell you which ones your last release broke. In usedocs, connect GitHub and each merged pull request that changes something an imported article describes produces a proposed edit, with the change attached, and a weekly check reads every article against the code. Import your Zendesk tickets as well and the questions in them become ranked gaps, each with a drafted article, so the help center starts filling the holes your agents have been answering by hand. Every change waits for your approval.
Limits worth knowing
- Up to 100 articles per import run.
- One locale per Zendesk API import.
- Images: the website import keeps images as links to where they're hosted today, so re-upload any you need before you close the old account. The Zendesk API import brings text, headings, lists, links, and code, but not images or tables.
- Comments, votes, and article permissions stay in Zendesk; use private collections in usedocs for content only signed in customers should see.
When to stay on Zendesk Guide
Stay on Zendesk Guide if your support team lives in Zendesk tickets and relies on Guide's tight connection to them, such as agents linking articles inside tickets, or if you use Zendesk's content blocks and approval workflows heavily. usedocs can still help alongside it: import your Zendesk tickets so the questions customers ask become drafted articles.
FAQ
Can I migrate from Zendesk Guide without losing my links?
Yes, if your help center is on a domain you control. Each imported article's old path redirects to its new page once that domain points at usedocs.
Should I use the Zendesk API import or the website import?
Use the API import to bring every published article in a locale. Use the website import if you want images and simple tables kept, or don't have API access.
Do Zendesk section names come across?
With the API import, articles are grouped by section but the collections are named by section number, so rename them. The website import names collections after your URL folders.
Can I keep using Zendesk for tickets?
Yes. Many teams keep Zendesk Support for tickets and move only the help center. You can also import tickets so customer questions become drafted articles.
How long does a Zendesk migration take?
The import itself takes minutes. Reviewing drafts depends on how many articles you have; plan an afternoon for a few dozen.
What does usedocs cost after the move?
One plan, Growth at $99/mo with a custom domain, 2,000 AI conversations a month, and 5 seats, after a 7 day free trial, no credit card.