How to send an Onfido verification link from a Zendesk ticket

To send an Onfido verification link from Zendesk, generate an API token in the Onfido Dashboard under Developers > API authentication > Tokens, then install Whowell and paste it into Onfido API token. Set Onfido region to your account's region, and add a Studio workflow to Verification flows as onfido <workflow id> Payout change. On a ticket, pick that flow, click Send verification link, then Create link and add to reply.

Steps in Onfido

1. Open the Onfido (Entrust) Dashboard > Developers > API authentication > Tokens and click Generate API token.
2. Use a token made only for Zendesk. Onfido tokens can't be limited, so a dedicated token can be revoked without breaking anything else.
3. Note the region from the token's prefix:

4. Pick a Studio workflow that collects what it needs from the customer (document, selfie and so on) and doesn't need custom input data. Copy its id.

Steps in Zendesk

1. Install Whowell from the Zendesk Marketplace and start the 14-day trial.
2. Paste the token into Onfido API token. It's a Zendesk secure setting: agents never see it, and Zendesk only adds it to requests to the Persona and Onfido API domains the app lists.
3. Set Onfido region to eu, us or ca.
4. Add the flow to Verification flows: onfido 6c1e2f0a-1b2c-4d3e-8f90-1234567890ab Payout change. One line per flow; Persona and Onfido flows can sit side by side.
5. Decide on email. Turn on Send the requester's email to Onfido only if your workflow needs it. It's off by default.

Send the link

1. Check the requester's name. Onfido needs a first and last name to create an applicant, so Whowell sends the requester's Zendesk name. Add it to the profile if it's missing.
2. Pick the flow in the Whowell sidebar and click Send verification link. The confirmation lists what Onfido gets.
3. Click Create link and add to reply, then submit the reply.
4. Click Refresh later, or reopen the ticket, to see the status. The result arrives as an internal note with the checks that ran, Onfido's reasons and a link to the run in Onfido.

Resending

Send a new link starts a new run for the same applicant. An Onfido link can't be cancelled from Zendesk: the new link replaces it in the sidebar, and the old one stops at its expiry.

How Onfido statuses show up

Error messages and fixes

What it costs

Whowell is $129 per Zendesk account per month, any number of agents, billed monthly by Zendesk with a 14-day trial. Onfido bills its verification fees under your own contract. Every setting is in the Whowell setup guide; Entrust documents its links in Smart Capture Link.