Setting Time Based ticket rules (automations)
About time based rules
Time based rules perform a set of actions when tickets are created or undergo a change. For an introduction, see Rules & Notifications: Using Instant and Time Based rules to manage workflows.
A time based rule scans tickets every hour. Time based rules scan every hour and can be set to execute actions after a certain number of hours since a ticket property was changed. In this article, we will discuss how to create rules and the various conditions and actions you can use for your rules.
Default rules are available in all plans. Custom rules are supported in the Helpdesk and Complete plans.
Managing time based rules
Adding
Only Admins and Owners can manage (create, modify, delete) instant rules
- Go to Settings > Rules & Notifications
- Select the Time Based tab. Click the + button.
- Input the title of your rule. A rule is made up of these following:
- A condition, which specifies what must happen for the rule to work
- An action, which happens after the condition / conditions are met
- Hit Save.
Previewing matches
To visualize the implications of your rule, Preview match for the conditions above when setting it up. It will show tickets matching your conditions.
Reordering
Point to the left of your rule to drag and drop your rule in the desired place. You cannot drag an Active rule into the Inactive rules category and vice versa. If your rule sends an email, you'll see the envelope icon in front of it:
Editing, cloning, deleting, deactivating
To edit a rule, click ⋮ to the right of your rule and select Edit.
Cloning a rule copies it so that you can modify it from its existing set of conditions and actions. If you save without making any changes, you will make an identical duplicate your rule.
Deactivating a rule removes it from operation. Deactivated rules can be reactivated when needed.
Deleting removes your rule permanently and this cannot be undone.
Time based rule conditions
Rule conditions are essentially "if" statements that check tickets against specified criteria. All conditions must be met in order for the rule to be fired.
Your "Meet ALL of the Following Conditions" & "Meet ANY of the Following Conditions" condition groups work on an AND basis, not an OR basis.
| Condition | Options |
|
Ticket: Status |
Available operators: Is, Is not, Less than, Greater than, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
A "less than" or "greater than" operator returns tickets before or after those in the order above. To return tickets with all statuses except Solved and Closed: Ticket: Status > Less than > Solved |
| Ticket: Type |
What the ticket most closely resembles. Available operators: Is, Is not, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
|
| Ticket: Priority |
Available operators: Is, Is not, Less than, Greater than, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
A "less than" or "greater than" operator returns tickets before or after those in the order above. To return tickets with all priorities except Low: Ticket: Priority > Greater than > Low |
| Ticket: Assignee |
Checks what agent is assigned to the ticket. Available operators: Is, Is not, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
To check if the agent who's assigned to a ticket also created it: Ticket: Assignee > Is > Requester |
| Ticket: Team |
Checks what Team is assigned to the ticket. Available operators: Is, Is not, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
|
| Ticket: Assignee Role |
Available operators: Is one of, Is none of Agent, Admin, Owner |
| Ticket: Requester |
Checks who created or sent the ticket. Available operators: Is, Is not, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
To check if the agent who created the ticket is also assigned to it: Ticket: Requester > Is > Assignee |
| Ticket: Requester Organization |
Checks what Organization the ticket creator belongs to. Available operators: Is, Is not, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
|
| Ticket: Requester Group |
Checks what User Group the ticket creator belongs to. Available operators: Is, Is not, Changed, Changed to, Changed from, Not changed, Not changed to, Not changed from
|
| Ticket: Tags |
Can be used to find tickets with or without specific tags. One or more tags can be entered. Available operators: Contains at least one of the following, Contains none of the following |
| Ticket: Channel |
What platform was used to add or create the ticket. Available operators: Is, Is Not
|
| Ticket: Received at |
If you've set up multiple email addresses, you can filter tickets coming into a specific mailbox. For example, you may accept requests at support@yourcompany.com and billing@yourcompany.com Available operators: Is one of, Is none of |
| Ticket: Subject |
Checks ticket subjects with or without a specific words or string. Available operators: Contains at least one of the following words, Contains none of the following words, Contains the following string, Does not contain the following string
|
| Ticket: Satisfaction |
Available operators: Is, Is not
This condition will be available if Satisfaction Rating is enabled on the Settings > TICKETS > Settings page. Learn more |
In addition to conditions listed above, you may want to add timed conditions. You can specify the number of hours since a ticket property is established.
- Hours since created (created or submitted)
- Hours since opened (status change)
- Hours since pending (status change)
- Hours since on-hold (status change)
- Hours since solved (status change)
- Hours since closed (status change)
- Hours since assigned (agent assigned to ticket)
- Hours since update (any type of modification)
- Hours since requester update (modified by ticket creator or sender)
- Hours since assignee update (modified by agent assigned to ticket)
Timed conditions must be specified in whole numbers. For example 1.5 will be interpreted as 1. 0 will void the condition.
If timed conditions shown below are not set, the rule will fire every hour.
Time based rule actions
Rule actions are the events that take place due to matching conditions as specified in the rule.
| Action | Options |
|
Ticket: Status |
|
|
Ticket: Priority |
|
|
Ticket: Type |
|
| Ticket: Team | Assigns ticket to a specified Team |
|
Ticket: Assignee |
Ticket is assigned to:
|
|
Requester: Organization |
Set a specified Organization to the ticket's creator |
|
Requester: Remove Organization |
Clear Organization from the ticket's creator |
|
Requester: Set Groups |
Set one or more User Groups to the ticket's creator by typing and selecting from list. These Groups will overwrite existing Groups |
|
Requester: Add Groups |
Add one or more User Groups to the ticket's creator by typing and selecting from list |
| Requester: Remove Groups | Remove one or more User Groups from the ticket's creator by typing and selecting from list |
| Requester: Remove all Groups | Clear all User Groups from the ticket's creator |
| Ticket: Set tags | Set one or more ticket tags by typing (must be separated by commas) or selecting from list. These tags will overwrite existing tags |
| Ticket: Add tags | Add one or more ticket tags by typing (must be separated by commas) or selecting from list |
| Ticket: Remove tags | Remove one or more ticket tags by typing (must be separated by commas) or selecting from list |
| Ticket: Remove all tags | Clear all ticket tags |
| Ticket: Satisfaction | (Offered) indicates that a survey request has been sent to the ticket requester (must be used within the rule that sends email survey) Learn more |
| Ticket: Reminder |
Cancel cancels the ticket reminder In... date on which ticket will be set to Open (ticket status must be other than Open) |
Email user action
This action sends email to individuals.
| Notification: Email user |
|
One-time-only rules
All time based rules are designed to run every hour to see if their conditions are met. To run only once, a rule must contain a condition that may be true only once or contain an action that voids one of its own conditions.
Here are three ways to ensure your rule only run once:
Create a timed condition
By setting timed conditions, you ensure they run only once. An example of this condition is "Hours since" condition. This condition does not require an action to cancel or void itself. Simply set the Condition
Ticket: Hours since Solved > Is > 48
and Action
Ticket: Status > Closed
In the example above, by setting a rule that turns every Solved ticket into a Closed ticket 48 hours after being resolved, the action will only be executed once. Meaning, on the 47th and 49th hour the condition will be false and the rule will not act on the ticket.
Change one ticket property into another
By setting a ticket property into a different one as part of the action, the rule will not be executed on this ticket again. Simply set the Conditions
Ticket: Priority > Is > High
Ticket: Hours since created > Is > 24
and Action
Ticket: Priority > Is > Urgent
In the example above, the next time the rule runs, the priority will be Urgent and not High. The condition will be false and the ticket will be ignored.
Check for a tag, add it if absent
If your rule is in a perpetual loop, adding a tag to your rule ensures it only runs once. Simply set the Conditions
Ticket: Status > Is > New
Ticket: Hours since created > Greater than > 48
Ticket: Tags > Contains none of the following > important
and Action
Ticket: Priority > Is > Urgent
Ticket: Add Tags > important
In the example above, you instruct a rule to check for a tag, and if that tag is not present, it is added. That way, if the rule runs across this ticket again with the tag present, it will ignore the ticket and not execute an action. Otherwise, the condition "Ticket: Hours since created Greater than 48" will execute the rule every hour after the 48th hour passes.
Placeholder details for emails
Placeholders are commands than can be inserted into messages to personalize your automated emails (notifications).
When setting an Action for your rule, select Notification: Email user. Click Show placeholder details under the message box to see available placeholders. Alternatively, you can refer to the Helprace placeholder guide.
