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Grafana Cloud Enterprise
Last reviewed: July 31, 2026

Install the Zendesk data source

This document explains how to install the Zendesk data source plugin. After you install it, refer to Configure the Zendesk data source to connect it to your Zendesk account.

The Zendesk data source is an Enterprise plugin. You can use it in Grafana Cloud with a Pro or Advanced plan, or in self-managed Grafana with an activated Grafana Enterprise license.

Before you begin

Before you install the plugin, ensure you have:

Install in Grafana Cloud

In Grafana Cloud, Enterprise plugins are managed for you:

  1. In your Grafana Cloud stack, click Connections in the left-side menu.
  2. Click Add new connection.
  3. Type Zendesk in the search bar.
  4. Select Zendesk, then click Install.

Note

Plugins are automatically updated in Grafana Cloud, so you don’t need to upgrade the plugin manually.

Install on self-managed Grafana

On self-managed Grafana Enterprise, install the plugin from the plugin catalog or with the Grafana command line. For more information about the available methods, refer to Plugin management.

Use the plugin catalog

To install the plugin from the catalog:

  1. Click Administration > Plugins and data > Plugins in the left-side menu.
  2. Type Zendesk in the search bar.
  3. Select Zendesk.
  4. Click Install.

For more information about Enterprise plugins, refer to Install Grafana Enterprise plugins.

Use the Grafana command line

To install the plugin with the Grafana CLI, run the following command on the Grafana server, then restart Grafana:

Bash 
grafana cli plugins install grafana-zendesk-datasource

After Grafana restarts, the Zendesk data source is available to add.

Use an environment variable or Docker

For containerized or provisioned deployments, install the plugin with the GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS environment variable. Grafana installs the listed plugins on startup.

Bash 
GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS=grafana-zendesk-datasource

For example, with Docker:

Bash 
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name=grafana \
  -e "GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS=grafana-zendesk-datasource" \
  grafana/grafana-enterprise

For more information about running Grafana in Docker, refer to Run Grafana Docker image.

Install in an air-gapped environment

If your Grafana server can’t reach the internet, install the plugin manually:

  1. On a machine with internet access, download the Zendesk plugin from the plugin catalog.
  2. Copy the plugin archive to the Grafana server and extract it into the Grafana plugins directory.
  3. Restart Grafana so it loads the plugin on startup.

For detailed steps, refer to Plugin management.

Update the plugin

Keep the plugin up-to-date so you have access to the latest features and fixes.

  • Grafana Cloud: Plugins are updated automatically. No action is required.
  • Self-managed Grafana: Update from the catalog by clicking Administration > Plugins and data > Plugins, selecting Zendesk, and clicking Update. Alternatively, run grafana cli plugins update grafana-zendesk-datasource and restart Grafana.

Grafana recommends running the latest Grafana version, which also applies to plugins.

Verify the installation

To confirm the plugin is installed:

  1. Click Administration > Plugins and data > Plugins in the left-side menu.
  2. Search for Zendesk.
  3. Confirm the plugin appears and is marked as installed.

If the plugin doesn’t appear or fails to load, refer to Troubleshoot the Zendesk data source.

Uninstall the plugin

Before you uninstall the plugin, delete any Zendesk data sources that use it. Dashboards and alert rules that query those data sources stop returning data after the plugin is removed.

  • Self-managed Grafana: Uninstall from the catalog by clicking Administration > Plugins and data > Plugins, selecting Zendesk, and clicking Uninstall. Alternatively, run grafana cli plugins uninstall grafana-zendesk-datasource and restart Grafana.
  • Grafana Cloud: Click Connections > Zendesk, then uninstall the plugin from the plugin page.

Next steps