Zendesk Light Agents
Zendesk light agents are a free seat type for people who help with tickets without owning them. It's underused, and it saves real money.
What Zendesk light agents can do
They can't reply publicly to the customer, own a ticket, or change most ticket properties. So anyone who needs to talk to customers needs a full agent seat.
Who should be a light agent
Anybody who occasionally knows the answer but doesn't work the queue.
The alternative is a screenshot pasted into Slack. That loses the context, and the answer doesn't end up attached to the ticket.
The licence maths
Light agents are included in the plans that offer them, though the number varies. Picture a company where fifteen people occasionally contribute and five actually work the queue. That's a large difference in annual cost.
Audit your agent list once a quarter. Full seats held by people who haven't replied to a customer in six months are the easiest saving you'll find.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Zendesk agent types?
Full agents own and answer tickets. A Zendesk contributor, sold as a light agent, can read tickets and leave internal notes but never reply to the customer. Those two Zendesk agent types cover almost every seat decision you'll make.
Are Zendesk light agents free?
They're included on the plans that support them, and the count varies by tier.
Can a light agent reply to the customer?
No. Private notes only. If you want to send a public reply, that's a full agent seat.
The other way to cut seat cost
Removing duplicate tickets frees capacity on the full seats you already pay for.
Start free trial14-day free trial. No credit card required.