Why our AI partner ecosystem matters more than ever — and what we're doing to protect it

In an era of hyper-connectivity, software supply chains have become a primary focus for sophisticated security threats. By targeting the third-party apps and integrations that businesses rely on, attackers look to bypass internal defenses and create a ripple effect across an entire ecosystem. This shift toward ‘upstream’ risk reflects a new reality: in a connected environment, a vulnerability in one area can quickly translate into risk for many. This makes the integrity of every integration a critical priority for our collective security.

For those of us building platforms that businesses depend on, the lesson is clear: trust in your partner and developer ecosystem isn’t something you can take for granted. It has to be earned, verified, and continuously maintained.

That’s exactly why, as we shared last year, we’ve made a significant investment in raising the bar on trust and security across our entire Zendesk partner ecosystem, and why we believe the timing has never been more important.

The stakes have changed

Supply chain compromises are no longer isolated incidents; they are part of a growing strategic trend. As AI-powered tools become more deeply embedded in business-critical workflows, the surface area for risk expands. Every integration, every third-party app, every API connection is a potential vector.

For Zendesk customers, our Marketplace is home to thousands of apps and integrations that extend the platform in powerful ways, from AI-powered ticket routing and sentiment analysis to intelligent bots that resolve customer issues autonomously. Because these tools handle sensitive customer data, conversation history, and core service operations, the bar for trust must remain exceptionally high.

Elevated standards for a new era

Earlier this year, we introduced enhanced security requirements for all developers of third-party apps and integrations on our platform. These changes include stronger authentication standards such as Global OAuth, improved data disclosure requirements, and clearer expectations around how partner apps handle customer data.

These aren’t arbitrary hurdles. They reflect the reality that AI-powered integrations often have deep access to customer data, conversation history, and business-critical workflows. Our updated standards are designed to give customers confidence that every app in our ecosystem meets a rigorous baseline for security, governance, and responsible data handling.

Over the course of the last eight months, we’ve communicated these changes directly to our developer community with clear timelines and dedicated support to help them meet the new requirements. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

The results speak for themselves

So far, approximately 700 apps have attained full compliance with our updated standards, and that number is growing fast, with more than 50 apps completing the review process each week. This momentum tells us something important: the best partners in our ecosystem share our commitment to earning and keeping customer trust.

We welcome every partner who acts in good faith and takes our terms of service and security seriously. We especially welcome those who want to build great agentic experiences on the trusted products we deliver to customers, and we want to build it together. This is about strengthening our ecosystem. Partners who meet our standards will continue to thrive, and customers will benefit from a marketplace they can trust.

What this means for customers

If you’re a Zendesk customer, here’s the bottom line: the apps and integrations you rely on are meeting a higher standard than ever before. You can browse our Marketplace with confidence, knowing that the apps meet enhanced security and data governance requirements.

Your existing integrations will not be disrupted by these changes. We’ve designed this process to protect your current workflows while progressively raising the quality and security of our ecosystem.

What this means for partners

For our developer and technology partners, these elevated standards are an opportunity. Successfully meeting these security requirements signals to customers that your app is trustworthy, secure, and built to last. It differentiates you in a crowded market and positions you as a partner that Zendesk customers can rely on.

Looking ahead

The AI revolution in customer experience is just getting started. As AI agents, copilots, and intelligent automations become central to how businesses serve their customers, the integrity of the ecosystem powering those tools has never been more important.

We’re committed to building a marketplace that customers trust and partners are proud to be part of. Together, we’re setting the standard for what a secure, thriving AI ecosystem looks like in CX.

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