Does Zendesk AI sign a BAA?
Only on some plans or setups
Zendesk signs a BAA for Suite Professional/Enterprise accounts that buy the Advanced Compliance add-on. Copilot, AI Agents - Advanced and Answer Bot resolution (AI agents) are listed as HIPAA-enabled add-ons. Early-access and Marketplace apps are excluded.
Not fully covered by the BAA: Zendesk QA AI assist; Early Access Program AI features and Built-by-Zendesk Marketplace apps.
- Business associate
- Zendesk
- Tool
- Zendesk AI
- Plans with a BAA
- Zendesk Suite Professional / Enterprise (and Enterprise Support) with Advanced Compliance add-on
- Checked
By plan
| Plan | BAA | How to get it | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zendesk Suite Professional / Enterprise (and Enterprise Support) with Advanced Compliance add-on | Signs a BAA | Accept or sign onlineRequest page | Requires buying Advanced Compliance and signing the online BAA, which is self-serve through Ironclad and needs an existing Zendesk Customer Agreement or Order Form. The customer must also follow Zendesk's security configuration requirements for HIPAA-enabled accounts. Contact Center also needs a separate AWS BAA.[1],[2],[3] |
| Other Zendesk plans (e.g., Suite Team) / plans without Advanced Compliance | Not confirmed | Not stated | These plans are not among the 'Healthcare Enabled Service Plans' Zendesk lists, and nothing explicitly addresses them.[1] |
Are the AI features covered?
Vendors often sign a BAA for the core product but leave some AI features out. Here is what Zendesk says about each one.
| AI feature | Under the BAA | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot (add-on) | Covered | Listed as a Healthcare Enabled Add-On for current plans.[1] |
| AI Agents - Advanced (add-on) | Covered | Listed as a HIPAA Enabled Add-On, outside the French HDS certificate scope. Unhanded bot conversations are still stored and must be deleted by the customer. 'Generate variations' must stay off if the bot greeting carries a required disclaimer.[1],[3] |
| AI agents via Answer Bot resolution (formerly Answer Bot) | Covered | 'Answer Bot resolution' is listed as a Healthcare Enabled Add-On. Zendesk's change log notes Answer Bot was renamed AI Agents.[1],[3] |
| Forethought AI agents by Zendesk | Covered | Listed as a HIPAA Enabled Add-On, outside the HDS scope.[1] |
| Zendesk QA AI assist | Partly covered | Zendesk QA is HIPAA-enabled. However, customers should disable QA AI assist on surveys unless every QA reviewer is cleared to see the data.[1],[3] |
| Early Access Program AI features and Built-by-Zendesk Marketplace appsAll plans | Excluded | These are not covered by the Healthcare Agreement and should not be used with PHI.[1] |
| Other Zendesk AI features (e.g., intelligent triage, generative reply/summarize tools) | Not stated | Not named in either Zendesk healthcare article. Zendesk AI generally must not be used for medical advice or diagnosis.[1],[3] |
Customer support AI that offer a BAA
- AdaBAA on: Enterprise contracts (Ada is sales-led)Some plans only
- Freshdesk / Freddy AIBAA on: Freshdesk, Freshchat (standalone), Freshcaller, Freshdesk OmnichannelSome plans only
- Intercom FinBAA on: Fin workspaces (Fin AI Agent standalone), Intercom ExpertSome plans only
- Jotform AI AgentsBAA on: Enterprise, GoldSome plans only
- Kustomer AIBAA on: Enterprise or Ultimate with HIPAA add-on packageSome plans only
- LivePerson Conversational CloudBAA on: Conversational Cloud (enterprise contracts)Some plans only
All BAA-ready alternatives to Zendesk AI
Compare Zendesk AI
- Intercom Fin vs Zendesk AIIntercom Fin: some plans
- Zendesk AI vs FreshdeskFreshdesk: some plans
Sources
- Advanced Compliance – Zendesk help
- Business Associate Agreement (BAA) | Zendesk
- Security Configuration Requirements for HIPAA or HDS Enabled Accounts on Zendesk
A signed BAA is necessary but not sufficient for HIPAA compliance, which also depends on configuration, access controls, and your own policies. Verdicts summarize the vendor's own published terms as of the date checked; confirm with the vendor and your counsel before sending protected health information. Not legal advice.