Using Guide Steps in Workflows

Note: Guide steps are currently in alpha. If enabled for your instance, you'll find them in the "Reply" section when adding a new workflow step.

What are Guide Steps?

Guide steps let you write multi-step instructions in natural language instead of building individual workflow steps. You can handle complex logic, data lookups, API calls, and responses within a single step.

When to Use Guide Steps

Use Guide steps when:

• Your workflow needs more than 5-6 individual steps
• The workflow is being used for live channels (chat, voice), which require more dynamic logic
• You need the same workflow to work across multiple channels (email + chat + voice)
• Your logic has several branching paths or conditions

Don't use Guide steps when:

• You need a simple, single-purpose action (use regular workflow steps)
• You need very precise, technical integrations (use dedicated API steps)

How to Build Guide Steps

Basic Structure

Write instructions as if training a team member:

Adding Dynamic Content

Type @ or click "Insert block" to add dynamic elements:

Variables

Smart Fields - Reference or define smart fields:

These are reusable variables configured by going to Configure > Info fields. Use them to pull in values or dynamically assign new ones based on logic in the guide (e.g., if X, set field to Y).

Workflow Data - Reference any outputs from earlier steps in the workflow.:

Any variables created by earlier steps in the same workflow (e.g., API calls, analyze case outputs, lookup results) are available to use in later Guide steps.

Channel - Reference the user channel:

Adapt responses based on how the user contacted you (e.g., phone, chat, or email) without needing to build separate workflows.

Integrations

Google Sheets Lookup - Point to a Google Sheets spreadsheet and the AI will search, match, and retrieve data intelligently:

API Endpoints - Call your configured APIs directly: 

Once your APIs are configured via Configure > Workflow API Endpoints (with mapped smart fields and request bodies), you can call them directly within guides - no separate API steps needed.

Knowledge Articles - Reference your knowledge base content:

The AI will use the article content to craft an informed, contextual reply - no need to copy/paste the full text or outline step-by-step instructions.

Canned Responses - Reuse any existing Zendesk macros:

Zendesk Ticket Updates - Dynamically set the ticket status and tags:

Branching to Other Steps

Create new steps:

Branch to existing steps:

Exit the guide:

Full Example

Here's an example Guide created to handle return requests:

Building Your First Guide

Step 1: Write the Instructions

Start with plain language instructions, either modeled on or directly copied from existing SOPs:

1. Check their account
2. If account is good, process their request
3. If account has issues, explain how to fix them
4. Update the ticket

Step 2: Add Dynamic Elements

Replace variables and manual steps with @ elements:

1. Check @account_status for email @customer_email
2. If @account_status equals "active", process their request
3. If @account_status equals "suspended", use @account_suspension_article
4. Update ticket status to "resolved"

Step 3: Test Thoroughly

Test with:

• Typical customer requests
• Edge cases (missing data, API failures)
• Different phrasings of the same request
• Unexpected customer responses