An internal note in Zendesk is a private comment on a ticket that only agents can see. It has a yellow background and does not email the requester or anyone copied in. You add one by choosing Internal note instead of Public reply in the composer, then submitting. A comment cannot be deleted once it is added.
This guide is for a support lead or agent on Zendesk. On a store ticket the note is where the decision lives: why a refund went outside policy, what the warehouse said, which carrier claim is open. Treat it as the ticket’s audit trail, and set Zendesk up so a note never goes out by mistake. For the wider picture, see our guide to Zendesk e-commerce.
What is a Zendesk internal note?
An internal note is a private comment on a ticket. Zendesk says it is “only visible to agents, not to the ticket requester or any other end-users who might be copied on the ticket”, and shows it with a yellow background (Zendesk docs). Zendesk also calls it a private comment. A ticket with only private comments is a private ticket.
Notes come from the composer, email commands, macros, triggers (attributed to the system user) and the API, and light agents’ comments are always private. Each ticket holds at most 5,000 comments of up to 65,535 characters each, and neither a public comment nor a note can be deleted once it is added.
How does an internal note differ from a public reply?
The only difference is the audience, but that one flag decides who is emailed, how triggers read the comment and what you can undo. Zendesk’s trigger reference defines public as a comment everyone can see and private as one only support staff can see.
| Internal note | Public reply | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can read it | Agents only | Everyone on the ticket, including the requester |
| Requester and CC email | Suppressed | Sent when an email action fires |
| Colour in the workspace | Yellow background | No yellow background |
| Trigger condition value | Comment is Private | Comment is Public |
| API value | public: false | public: true |
| Can be deleted | No | No |
| Can be converted later | Not back to public | To a note, one-way |
Two edge cases matter. On messaging tickets a comment only counts as public in trigger conditions if transcripts are public. And the condition “Present, and requester can see the comment” includes private comments when the requester has permission to view them, which is the case for a requester who is an agent.
What about a side conversation?
A side conversation is a separate thread inside the ticket with a specific group of people, by email, Slack, Microsoft Teams or a child ticket. An admin turns it on, and it needs Suite Professional or above, or Support with the Collaboration add-on. Use it to talk to someone outside the ticket, such as a 3PL or a supplier. Use a note to record the decision.
How do you add an internal note in Zendesk?
Select Internal note in the composer and submit. The other routes are email commands, a macro, a trigger and the API, and each has one trap. The table after the steps puts them side by side.
In the agent workspace
Zendesk’s steps are four: select the ticket, choose Internal note (or Public reply for a public comment), write the comment and click Submit.
By email
Zendesk says the reliable way is a Mail API command: #note or #public false. A plain email reply from an agent, even to an internal note notification, can become public (Zendesk docs). Replies from followers become internal comments. A reply from a third party becomes a private comment, and they are not added as a CC.
With a macro
A macro’s Comment mode action can be set to Private. The comment type is set per macro.
With a trigger
The Ticket > Internal note action adds a note when conditions match. A trigger adds at most one comment and one internal note per ticket event, the note is attributed to the system user, and it is not supported when an agent forwards a ticket with a comment (Zendesk recipe). A store example: a “chargeback” or “damaged” tag adds a checklist note for the agent. Where a trigger sends a customer email instead, that is an automatic reply, not a note.
Through the API
Zendesk’s ticket comments API has no endpoint to create a comment. You include a comment object when you create or update a ticket, with public: false for a note. Set it explicitly: the value set at creation persists for later comments unless you change it.
| Method | Who can use it | How it becomes private | The trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composer | Agents and admins | Choose Internal note | Public by default |
| Agents (plus replies from followers and third parties) | #note or #public false | A plain reply can go public | |
| Macro | Agents | Comment mode set to Private | One comment type per macro |
| Trigger | Whoever builds the trigger | Ticket > Internal note action | One note per event, system user |
| API | Developers | public: false | The value persists |
Can customers see internal notes in Zendesk?
No, not in the ticket, the help centre or by email, as long as the comment is actually private. Every way a note reaches a customer is a way of posting it publicly by mistake.
Do internal notes trigger customer emails?
No. When a private comment is added, the “Email user (requester and CCs)” action in triggers and automations is suppressed (Zendesk docs). The trigger still fires and runs its other actions, but no email goes out. A public comment is needed to send it.
A note goes public in four ways:
- The composer is public by default and an agent forgets to switch. Zendesk says that if they forget, the customer will see what they write.
- An agent’s plain email reply, even to a note notification, can post publicly.
- A requester who is an agent can see private comments.
- A light agent who is the requester, outside the ticket’s group or brand, has their comment converted to public.
If the requester role is unclear, check who is set as the requester before you write anything.
Can you change a public reply to an internal note?
Yes. Agents and admins can convert any public comment to private, but only one way, and not on AI agent tickets (Zendesk docs). Open the ticket Events, click Convert to internal note under the comment and confirm.
Zendesk says you cannot make the comment public again, and that it is no longer visible to end users in tickets or the help centre. That is all the article promises: it says nothing about an email already sent, so do not assume the inbox copy is recalled. The API equivalent is the Make Comment Private endpoint for agents. Redaction is a separate, permanent step.
How do you make internal notes the default?
In Admin Center, turn off public-by-default for the composer and for agent email replies. It covers email-style tickets, not live channels. The path is Admin Center > Objects and rules > Tickets > Settings, then Comment options for agents (Zendesk docs).
Deselect “Set composer to public by default” and “Allow agent comments via email to be public by default”. Zendesk says these settings do not apply to chat, messaging or social channels, and a ticket with only internal notes already defaults to internal notes.
Our view: on a refund or fraud ticket, do not rely on agents spotting a yellow background. Make private the default, and a public reply a deliberate choice. Teams ask for the same default when they merge tickets.
September 2026In our organisation our default is having them as internal notes, so we’d really appreciate at least a setting that could make these internal notes by default - both for less clicking, and to mitigate human errors. · Zendesk CommunityCan a macro add an internal note and a public reply at once?
No. Comment mode makes a macro’s comment public or private, one type per macro. Apply two macros in sequence, or use a macro for the public reply and a trigger that adds the note. Zendesk’s own approval recipe uses a macro to post a new hire’s draft as an internal note, so a lead reviews it before it reaches the customer.
Are light agent comments private?
Yes, always, including the first comment on a ticket they create. The exception is a light agent who is the requester and not in the ticket’s group or brand: their comment is converted to public (Zendesk docs).
Light agents cannot be assigned tickets or use @mentions. Included seats are up to 50 on Suite Growth, 100 on Professional, 1,000 on Enterprise and 5,000 on Enterprise Plus, with Suite Team as an add-on. For a store, give warehouse, finance or buying colleagues light agent seats so their input lands as notes on the ticket.
When should an online store use an internal note?
Use a note whenever the content explains a decision or involves someone the customer should not hear from. Reply publicly only with what the customer needs to act on.
| Situation | Internal note | Public reply | Side conversation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refund approved outside policy | Reason and approver | The outcome | Not needed |
| Waiting on the warehouse or 3PL | Summary of what they said | Short status update | Ask them here |
| Carrier claim for a lost parcel | Claim reference | What happens next | Optional, if the carrier is looped in |
| Suspected fraud or chargeback | Yes, note only | No | No |
| VIP or high-value customer context | Yes | No | No |
| Outcome of a phone call | Yes | Only if the customer needs a follow-up | No |
| Order status update | No | Yes | No |
| New hire’s draft for review | Yes, per Zendesk’s recipe | After approval | No |
What happens to the “why” in notes when AI works the ticket?
When an AI answers or acts, nobody types the reasoning into a note afterwards, so the decision trail has to come from the AI itself: which systems it checked, which policy it applied, and why it answered or acted.
Zendesk’s AI works in different ways here. Copilot auto assist uses an LLM to suggest how to solve tickets and takes actions after the agent has reviewed and approved them. Zendesk documents the ticket summary as covering public comments; it says nothing here about notes (Zendesk docs). Zendesk’s AI agents can also act autonomously in authorised systems, and converting a public comment to private does not work on AI agent tickets. Our Zendesk chatbot guide covers the December 2026 cut-off for the Essential tier.
Zendesk is a proven ticketing foundation, and its AI is built in on top of it. Our view is that an AI whose reasoning you cannot see pushes agents back into writing the why after the fact. The reasoning should travel with every answer and action, with its source. A knowledge base holds your policy, and a self-service portal deflects the simple questions, but neither records why one ticket was decided.
Where does Engaige fit?
Engaige (that’s us) is the AI support agent that works inside the Zendesk agent workspace on your existing tickets, and every answer and action shows why, with the source. Keep your helpdesk. Replace the AI. Behind it is Engaige AI, which learns from your conversations and inputs, configures your support agent and shows which policies it used.
The decision trail agents used to type into notes comes from the agent itself: which systems it checked (on Shopify, live Admin API data on orders, inventory and customers), which policy it applied, and why it answered or acted. Policy-governed control decides how it reasons, which process it follows and when it may act.
Hi, where is my order? It's been eight days and the tracking hasn't moved.
Shopify
Order 48219 · fulfilled
Picqer
Still processing Contradicts Shopify
DHL
Returned to depot · 3 delivery attempts
Settles it: the parcel is not with the customer
Reasoning…
Not deliverable. Reship to a confirmed address, booked in Picqer.
Suggested reply
Your parcel went back to the depot after three delivery attempts, so it will not arrive. I have booked a reshipment to the address you confirmed, arriving Thursday.
MR MARVIS is handling over 120,000 questions a year and resolving over 60% of the conversations it’s involved in. Its team reads the reasoning to improve their workflow.
Within the AI we can see the reasoning, and how it comes to a response. That shows us where information is missing or unclear, and helps us improve our workflow.
You go live in Agent Assist in hours. Engaige AI compares what your team said with what the agent suggested, learns from the difference and improves itself under your supervision: you approve the changes. Ticket types switch to autonomous one at a time, most brands in about a week, up to 90% of supported tickets.
Zendesk doesn’t think in orders, returns or subscriptions. It wasn’t built to. With Engaige the action happens in the connected system first (a refund, a return, an address change), then Engaige replies and closes the ticket in Zendesk. See the Zendesk integration or the Zendesk comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Will a customer ever see what I write in a note?
Only if it is posted publicly by mistake. The usual routes are a composer left on public, a plain email reply, and a requester who is an agent, who can see private comments.
Does a note stop my trigger from emailing the customer?
It stops one action. A private comment suppresses “Email user (requester and CCs)” in triggers and automations, while the trigger still fires and runs its other actions, so one that relies on that email stays silent on a note-only update.
How do I write a note from my inbox?
Use a Mail API command: #note or #public false. Zendesk says that is the reliable way, because a plain email reply from an agent can become public even when replying to a note notification.
I posted a reply by mistake. Can I take it back?
You can convert it to an internal note from the ticket Events, which is one-way and does not work on AI agent tickets. Zendesk says nothing about an email that was already sent.
Where do I switch off public-by-default?
In Admin Center under Objects and rules > Tickets > Settings > Comment options for agents. The two options do not apply to live channels such as chat, messaging and social media.
Can my warehouse team comment without going public?
Yes, with light agent seats: their comments are always private, including the first comment on a ticket they create. The exception is a light agent who is the requester and outside the ticket’s group or brand.
Where does Engaige fit with Zendesk internal notes?
Engaige is the AI agent inside your Zendesk workspace, and every answer and action shows why, with the source. The agent’s reasoning travels with each answer instead of being typed up afterwards.
Do I have to leave Zendesk to get an AI agent that shows its reasoning?
No. Keep your helpdesk, replace the AI. Engaige works inside Zendesk on your existing tickets, with no migration, and Engaige AI shows which policies it used.
