Most export problems are not caused by Zendesk. They are caused by a Notion database that is missing the fields the exporter expects.
If you want clean exports and reliable duplicate handling, set up the database correctly first.
Required Notion properties
Use these fields in your Notion database:
Subject: TitleTicket ID: NumberStatus: SelectPriority: SelectTicket Type: SelectRequester: EmailZendesk Link: URLTags: Multi-selectCreated At: DateLast Updated: Date
These are the minimum fields the exporter relies on for ticket metadata.
Optional but supported fields
You can also add:
Assignee: Rich textAssignee Email: Email
If these fields exist with the correct types and the ticket has assignee data, the extension fills them too.
Important rules for field types
The extension validates the Notion database before writing pages.
That means the export can fail if:
Statusis not a select propertyTagsis not a multi-select propertyLast Updatedis not a date propertyTicket Typeexists but is not a select property
The field names matter too. If the database uses different names, the exporter will not treat them as the expected fields.
Ticket Type options must already exist
Ticket Type needs more than the right property type. The database must also include the matching options for the incoming Zendesk values.
Typical values are:
- Question
- Incident
- Problem
- Task
If the ticket type exists in Zendesk but not in Notion, export fails until you add the missing option in Notion.
Metadata belongs in properties, content belongs in the page body
Do not try to store the entire ticket body in a single text field.
The better model is:
- metadata in database properties for filtering and sorting
- conversation content in the page body for reading and collaboration
That keeps the Notion database usable at both levels:
- the table stays structured
- the page stays readable
What the page body can contain
The page content area is where the exporter puts the actual ticket thread and context, including:
- public replies
- internal notes
- ticket description
- attachment links
This is why the exported record is more useful than a row-only sync.
Recommended starting template
If you are setting up a fresh database, create a dedicated ticket database rather than trying to squeeze exports into a general-purpose workspace table.
That makes it easier to:
- filter by status and priority
- deduplicate by
Ticket ID - review tickets by product area, customer segment, or tag
Final check before exporting
Before you run the first export, confirm:
- all required fields exist
- the property types match exactly
Ticket Typeincludes the options your Zendesk instance uses- the database is selected inside the extension
That removes most of the avoidable setup errors up front.