The Problem
Currently, the Side Conversation composer lacks native table support. When our agents attempt to paste tables from Excel, Google Sheets, or even other Zendesk tickets into a Side Conversation, the editor often converts the table into a static image or strips the formatting entirely, leaving a mess of unorganized text.
Why this hinders our workflow
-
Data Integrity: When a table becomes an image, the recipient cannot copy/paste specific data points (like SKU numbers, pricing, or addresses) into their own systems. This leads to manual entry errors.
-
Version Control: You cannot edit a cell in an image. If a single value needs to change in a thread, we have to recreate and re-upload an entirely new screenshot.
-
Accessibility: Screen readers cannot parse the data within a pasted image, making these conversations non-compliant with accessibility standards.
-
Professionalism: Our external partners expect structured data. Sending "pictures of text" feels like a workaround rather than a professional enterprise solution.
Requested Solution
We need the Side Conversation editor to have parity with the standard Ticket Comment editor, specifically:
-
A "Insert/Edit Table" button in the formatting toolbar.
-
The ability to paste HTML tables while maintaining the grid structure as editable text, not an image.
-
Support for tables within Macros used for Side Conversations.
Business Impact
Adding this feature would significantly reduce the "back-and-forth" currently required to clarify data and would allow our team to use Side Conversations for complex logistics, billing, and technical troubleshooting that requires structured data.
