Choosing between Zendesk side conversations & SweetHawk's Tasks & Subtickets app
October 16, 2025
When managing complex workflows in Zendesk, teams often reach for one of two tools: Zendesk's native Side Conversation Child Tickets, or SweetHawk's Tasks & Subtickets app. Both can help — but they serve different purposes.
Key Functional Differences
| Capability | SweetHawk Tasks & Subtickets | Zendesk Side Conversations |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-create subtickets via triggers | ✅ | ❌ |
| Assign subtickets to specific agents | ✅ | ❌ |
| Use different forms on subtickets | ✅ | ❌ |
| Copy fields to subtickets | ✅ | ❌ |
| Allow light agents to create subtickets | ✅ | ❌ |
| Create subtickets in Slack | ❌ | ✅ |
| Native to Zendesk (no install) | ❌ | ✅ |
When to Use Zendesk Side Conversation Child Tickets
Side conversations are great for ad-hoc, communication-centric tasks. They're ideal for cross-department collaboration, vendor outreach, and parallel problem-solving. If you need quick, informal communication without extra installation, they work well.
When to Use SweetHawk Tasks & Subtickets
Tasks & Subtickets is built for task and process management. It's the right choice when you need:
- Project-style ticket management with clear ownership
- Trigger-based automation (apply task lists when conditions are met)
- Granular reporting via Zendesk Explore
- Consistent, repeatable processes with templates
They Can Work Together
These tools complement each other. Use Side Conversations for ad-hoc communication and SweetHawk for structured, trackable, automatable task management. For teams that need both, there's no reason to choose.
