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Blank Widget Experience

  • February 18, 2026
  • 2 replies
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K
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We are currently attempting to test deployment of Fin for Zendesk Messaging and are encountering some issues where the Zendesk messaging widget is blank. We have tried multiple audience configurations with no luck.

  • Why is the widget blank despite seemingly meeting the audience conditions and the deployment of Fin being live?
  • Example of a conversation log in Fin of this:

     

  • When someone does not match the audience for Fin, shouldn’t they still experience the Zendesk Messenger/AI Bot or are they completely locked out of any messaging experience?

Best answer by Dara K

Hey ​@Kevin Stevens 

Thanks for the detailed context on your Zendesk Messaging setup and the audience tests you’ve already tried, that’s really useful.

A few important points about how Fin for Zendesk Messaging works and why you might be seeing a blank widget:

  1. Expected behaviour with Fin + Zendesk Messaging
    Fin connects to Zendesk via the Sunshine Conversations API and runs inside the Zendesk Messenger widget (not the old “classic chat” widget). When enabled, Fin replaces Zendesk Answerbot for new conversations, but it still uses your existing Zendesk messenger UI and channels. The Messenger itself should always load; Fin just controls what happens inside the conversation (greeting, answers, handoff, etc.).

So if the widget is completely blank (no greeting, no composer, or nothing loads at all), that usually points to a configuration or widget mismatch rather than an audience rule alone.

  1. What happens if someone doesn’t match a Fin audience
    Audience rules in Fin decide when Fin engages and which content/guidance it can use. They do not turn off the Zendesk Messenger entirely.

If a user doesn’t match the audience you’ve set for Fin:

  • They should still see the Zendesk Messenger load on the page.
  • Fin will not run its workflow for that user, so they won’t see Fin’s greeting or answers.
  • Any standard Zendesk behaviour you’ve configured (agents, triggers, ticket creation, etc.) can still handle that conversation, but there will be no Zendesk Answerbot fallback because Fin has replaced it for new conversations.

They are not meant to be “locked out” of messaging; they just won’t get a Fin experience.

  1. Why your widget may be blank in practice
    Given that Fin is live but the widget is blank for some users, I’d focus on these checks:
  • Confirm you’re using Zendesk Messaging (Sunshine Conversations) and not the classic Chat widget, as Fin only supports Messaging.
  • In the Fin workspace, under Channels > Zendesk messaging, make sure:
    • You’re connected to both Zendesk and the Conversations API.
    • At least one messaging channel is enabled and saved for Fin to respond on.
  • In the Fin conversation log you mentioned, confirm whether Fin is actually receiving the user’s messages at all for the blank-widget cases. If there are no events for those sessions, that suggests the widget or Sunshine connection isn’t initializing for those users rather than an audience mismatch.

      2 replies

      Nico Magbiray
      Innovator ✨
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      • Nico Magbiray
      • Innovator ✨
      • February 20, 2026

      Hi ​@Kevin Stevens ,

      If your Zendesk widget is coming up blank, it often points to a "clog" or a simple settings mismatch between Intercom and Zendesk. One thing worth looking into is whether you're using OAuth to connect Fin to Zendesk, as older API token methods are being phased out and can cause these kinds of silent failures. You might also want to double-check your Zendesk Admin Center under Channels > Messaging to ensure the "Multiple conversations" toggle is turned ON; if that’s disabled, the session sometimes struggles to load correctly. Lastly, consider if your audience rules are accidentally locking users out, if someone doesn’t match a specific rule and there isn’t a fallback for "Everyone," they might not see the messaging experience at all. Reconnecting via OAuth and performing a hard refresh (Cmd+Shift+R or Ctrl+F5) are usually great first steps to try and clear the air.

      D
      Intercom Team
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      • Dara KIntercom Team
      • Intercom Team
      • Answer
      • March 13, 2026

      Hey ​@Kevin Stevens 

      Thanks for the detailed context on your Zendesk Messaging setup and the audience tests you’ve already tried, that’s really useful.

      A few important points about how Fin for Zendesk Messaging works and why you might be seeing a blank widget:

      1. Expected behaviour with Fin + Zendesk Messaging
        Fin connects to Zendesk via the Sunshine Conversations API and runs inside the Zendesk Messenger widget (not the old “classic chat” widget). When enabled, Fin replaces Zendesk Answerbot for new conversations, but it still uses your existing Zendesk messenger UI and channels. The Messenger itself should always load; Fin just controls what happens inside the conversation (greeting, answers, handoff, etc.).

      So if the widget is completely blank (no greeting, no composer, or nothing loads at all), that usually points to a configuration or widget mismatch rather than an audience rule alone.

      1. What happens if someone doesn’t match a Fin audience
        Audience rules in Fin decide when Fin engages and which content/guidance it can use. They do not turn off the Zendesk Messenger entirely.

      If a user doesn’t match the audience you’ve set for Fin:

      • They should still see the Zendesk Messenger load on the page.
      • Fin will not run its workflow for that user, so they won’t see Fin’s greeting or answers.
      • Any standard Zendesk behaviour you’ve configured (agents, triggers, ticket creation, etc.) can still handle that conversation, but there will be no Zendesk Answerbot fallback because Fin has replaced it for new conversations.

      They are not meant to be “locked out” of messaging; they just won’t get a Fin experience.

      1. Why your widget may be blank in practice
        Given that Fin is live but the widget is blank for some users, I’d focus on these checks:
      • Confirm you’re using Zendesk Messaging (Sunshine Conversations) and not the classic Chat widget, as Fin only supports Messaging.
      • In the Fin workspace, under Channels > Zendesk messaging, make sure:
        • You’re connected to both Zendesk and the Conversations API.
        • At least one messaging channel is enabled and saved for Fin to respond on.
      • In the Fin conversation log you mentioned, confirm whether Fin is actually receiving the user’s messages at all for the blank-widget cases. If there are no events for those sessions, that suggests the widget or Sunshine connection isn’t initializing for those users rather than an audience mismatch.
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