How to get a ClickUp API token for Zendesk
By Jake Marsh · Updated
To get a ClickUp API token for Zendesk, sign in to ClickUp as the user the integration should act as, click your avatar, choose Settings, click Apps in the sidebar, then click Generate under API Token and Copy. The token starts with pk_. In Zendesk, paste it into Hitchwell's ClickUp API token setting and save. Agents never see it.
Choose the ClickUp user first
Hitchwell creates tasks and posts comments as the ClickUp user who owns the token, and it can only see the spaces and lists that user can see. That makes the choice of user the most important step.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| A shared user such as "Zendesk" | Tasks and comments show as "Zendesk" in ClickUp. Each comment still starts with the agent's name and the ticket number. Add this user to every space support files tasks in. |
| A person's own account | Works, but every task and comment shows as created by that person in ClickUp. |
Steps
- Sign in to ClickUp as the user you chose.
- Open your settings. Click your avatar in the upper-right corner and select Settings.
- Open Apps. In the sidebar, click Apps.
- Generate the token. Under API Token, click Generate. If a token already exists, copy it rather than regenerating, because Regenerate replaces the old token and anything using it stops working.
- Copy it. Click Copy. ClickUp's authentication docs say personal tokens never expire.
- Paste it into Zendesk. In Admin Center > Apps and integrations > Apps > Zendesk Support apps > Hitchwell, paste the token into ClickUp API token and save. Zendesk keeps it as a secure setting and only sends it to api.clickup.com.
- Test it. Open a saved ticket and click Create task. The list picker should show your spaces.
Do you need the Workspace id?
Only if the token's user belongs to more than one ClickUp Workspace. Hitchwell uses the Workspace to look up custom task ids like DEV-123. The id is the number after app.clickup.com/ in any ClickUp link: in https://app.clickup.com/9012345678/... it's 9012345678. Paste it into Workspace id.
Other settings worth setting now
| Setting | Why |
|---|---|
| Default list | A list link or list id. The create form starts there, and agents can pick another. |
| Who may take actions | agent (everyone, the default), admin, custom role ids, group:<id>, comma separated. Everyone else sees linked tasks read-only. |
| Allow creating tasks / linking tasks / comments | Switch each action on or off. |
| Comments shown | How many of a task's newest comments the sidebar shows, 0 to 10, default 3. |
Errors and fixes
| Message | Fix |
|---|---|
| "ClickUp did not accept the API token ..." | The token was mistyped or regenerated. Copy it again from Settings > Apps and paste it. |
| "ClickUp says the token's user can't open this ..." | Add the token's user to that space or list in ClickUp. |
| "ClickUp has no task ... that the connected token can see." | The task is in another Workspace, archived, or in a private list the user isn't in. |
| "The ClickUp token sees no Workspace, so a custom task id can not be looked up." | Check that the token's user belongs to a Workspace, and set Workspace id. |
Rate limits
ClickUp counts API requests per token. Its rate limit table lists 100 requests a minute on the Free Forever, Unlimited and Business plans, 1,000 on Business Plus and 10,000 on Enterprise. Opening the sidebar uses one request per linked task; the create form uses a few more.
What it costs
Hitchwell is $110 a month per Zendesk account for up to 12 agents and admins, or $9 per agent per month from 13 agents. It has a 14-day free trial and is billed monthly by Zendesk. Nothing is installed on the ClickUp side. The Hitchwell documentation covers every setting.
Hitchwell
ClickUp tasks from tickets: create or link tasks, and see live status and comments on the ticket. From $110 a month per Zendesk account.
Questions
Where is the API token in ClickUp?
Avatar > Settings > Apps, under API Token. You have to be signed in as the user the token belongs to.
Does the ClickUp token expire?
ClickUp says personal tokens never expire. A token stops working only when someone regenerates it.
Can I use one token for several Zendesk brands?
Yes. Hitchwell has one token per Zendesk account, and agents can pick any list the token's user can see, whatever the ticket's brand.
What should I do when we stop using Hitchwell?
Uninstall it in Zendesk. If the token was used only for Hitchwell, regenerate it in ClickUp so the old one stops working.