# Helpdesk migration referral playbook for partners | SourceX

Canonical: https://refer.sourcex.si/guides/helpdesk-migration-data-referral-opportunity
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Often it will not, unless someone asks. A helpdesk migration usually scopes open tickets, macros and users; full comment threads and years of closed, archived tickets depend on which export route the project uses. For a Zendesk partner, that gap is the opportunity: the trigger is a dated cutover, the records at risk are resolution and escalation histories, and the play ends with one opt-in, metadata-only introduction of the company's decision-maker. This playbook covers each stage.

It is part of the [helpdesk migration guide](/guides/a-helpdesk-migration), which sets out what Zendesk exports include. The two tools this playbook calls for are the [30-minute meeting agenda](/resources/helpdesk-migration-meeting-agenda) and the [annotated introduction email](/resources/helpdesk-migration-introduction-email).

## The trigger: a cutover date with an end date behind it

A migration becomes a referral moment when two dates exist: the go-live of the new helpdesk and the day the old instance is canceled or its contract ends. Between them, the company still controls what happens to its history. After the second date, choices narrow quickly.

Three project types produce the trigger:

- **Platform switch.** Moving from one helpdesk to another, including onto or off Zendesk.
- **Instance consolidation.** Merging several Zendesk instances after an acquisition or a regional reorganization.
- **Plan or vendor change with a reset.** A move that rebuilds the account and imports only what is chosen.

In each case, the project team's job is to make the new system work. Nobody on the team is usually asked whether the old conversations, internal notes and resolutions should survive. That question belongs to the owner.

## Signals that a client is in the window

You will often know before anyone says "migration". Watch for these:

| Signal | Where you hear it | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| A new helpdesk has been selected | Steering meeting, procurement | The trigger exists; ask about the old contract's end |
| Scope talks about "open tickets and macros" | Statement of work, kickoff | Closed history may be out of scope by default |
| Someone asks you to "export everything to CSV" | Admin request | Comment threads may be lost; see below |
| The old instance has years of closed tickets | Admin console, reporting | There is history worth asking about |
| Support leaders mention escalations to tier 2 or engineering | Discovery interviews | Resolution chains likely live in comments and notes |
| A cancellation date is on the plan | Project plan | The window has an end; record the date |

The [partner field guide to helpdesk ticket threads](/guides/a-partner-field-guide-to-finding-companies-with-helpdesk-ticket-threads) has more signals for screening a book of clients, and the [network opportunity finder](/tools/network-opportunity-finder) helps partners with several migrations in flight.

## The records a migration puts at risk

The valuable part of a support archive is rarely the ticket fields. It is the sequence: what the customer reported, what was tried, who the case went to, and what fixed it. Zendesk's documentation shows where that sequence can drop out:

| Record type | Why it matters | How it gets lost |
|---|---|---|
| Comment threads | The customer's words and the replies, in order | CSV exports leave out ticket comments and descriptions |
| Internal notes | What agents tried and why | They are comments too, so they share the CSV gap |
| Very large tickets | Often the hardest, longest cases | In a JSON export, comments on tickets over 1 MB are removed and listed in an error file |
| Closed, archived tickets | Years of history | Zendesk usually archives tickets 120 days after closure; they leave views but stay reachable through search and the API |
| Update history | Who changed what, and when | Ticket audits hold a read-only history of every update, but only if the route pulls them |

Full data exports are off by default and must be enabled by the account owner through Zendesk support, which is one more reason the question has to reach the owner rather than stay with the admin. The [Zendesk export page](/systems/export-zendesk-tickets-before-canceling) covers the routes in more detail.

The partner's job is to point out the question, not to answer it by exporting anything. Preserving records is the company's decision under its own retention policy and customer agreements.

## The conversation that turns it into an introduction

Four moves, in order, usually with the COO or VP of support who owns the archive. A licensing discussion about it needs the CEO's authorization.

1. **Name the trigger.** "The old instance is due to be canceled after cutover. Before that, one question about the history."
2. **Ask the export question.** "Will the export retain full ticket threads and documented outcomes, or only ticket fields?" Then ask how many years of closed tickets exist and whether archived tickets are included.
3. **Disclose your interest.** Say that you are a SourceX referral partner, that SourceX licenses approved business data directly from companies for AI training and evaluation, and that any reward to you is funded by SourceX separately and never reduces what the company would receive.
4. **Offer, and accept the answer.** Offer to introduce the CEO. A "no" closes the item; a "later" gets a date tied to the cancellation.

The [meeting agenda](/resources/helpdesk-migration-meeting-agenda) turns these moves into a timed 30-minute session with the right people in the room. If the owner opts in, the [introduction email](/resources/helpdesk-migration-introduction-email) gives a draft with line-by-line notes. The [helpdesk migration handoff checklist](/resources/a-data-opportunity-handoff-checklist-for-a-helpdesk-migration) records the answers.

## Qualification and when to step back

At this stage you know which records exist, which system holds them, who administers it and who can authorize a discussion. You do not know whether the records are licensable. That depends on customer agreements, personal data in the threads, any third-party outsourcer that handled tickets, and SourceX's current data needs. SourceX reviews all of that with the company.

The company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), a documented operating history, rights to license and an authorized contact. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 70% of the data is in English.

Step back after the introduction. Sign the Channel Partner Agreement before submitting. Attribution goes to the first valid introduction within the 90-day window, credited when the company submits a verified application, with one partner per company. Never handle tickets, exports or screenshots yourself.

## Next step

> **Refer a company. No cap on rewards.** Default reward on a company's first qualifying transaction: the greater of $50,000 plus 5% and 15% of Actual Supplier Payout, with no cap; further qualifying transactions first agreed within 12 months of the first Closing pay 15%. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, including the USD 100,000 Minimum Transaction, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.

If a client's migration has a cancellation date and years of closed tickets with full threads, [register as a partner](/register), check the company against [who qualifies](/who-qualifies) and read the [program terms](/terms) before you raise the export question with the owner.

## Sources

- https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408886165402-Exporting-ticket-user-or-organization-data-from-your-account
- https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408887617050-About-ticket-archiving
- https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/ticketing/tickets/ticket_audits/
- https://refer.sourcex.si/terms