Helpdesk Automation Rules - Jitbit Helpdesk Docs

Automation rules is an if this - then do that engine built-in right into the helpdesk app. You can read more about it here.

Basically, a rule says when X happens - and Y conditions are met - do Z

Some great examples are:

"When a ticket becomes overdue - send an alert to administrator" (comes handy for SLA policies)
"When a new ticket is created and the subject-line contains 'XYZ' - move the ticket to category ABC"
"When a new ticket is created and the category is XYZ - assign the ticket to technician John Doe"

Every rule consists of three parts:

a trigger - which can be "new ticket created" or "ticket becomes overdue" etc.
one or more Conditions - like "ticket is assigned to John" or "ticket comes from company XYZ" etc. Find the list of available "actions" here
one or more Actions - "close the ticket" or "add a reply" or "send an email" etc. Find the list of available "conditions" here

Available Trigger types

Here are brief descriptions for each trigger type in Jitbit Helpdesk automation rules:

Ticket is created: Activates when a new ticket is submitted.
Ticket becomes overdue: Triggers when a ticket's due time has passed without resolution.
Ticket has not been updated for 30 minutes or more: Fires when a ticket remains inactive for 30 minutes.
Ticket is closed: Runs when a ticket is marked as closed.
A new reply is added to a ticket: Activates when any new response is added to a ticket.
Ticket is moved to a new category: Triggers when a ticket is transferred to a different category.
Ticket is assigned to a tech: Fires when a ticket is assigned to a technician.
Ticket status has changed: Runs when there is any change in a ticket's status.
Ticket priority has changed: Activates when the priority level of a ticket is updated.
A new reply from ticket-submitter: Triggers specifically when the ticket submitter adds a new reply.
Ticket is re-opened: Fires when a previously closed ticket is re-opened.
A custom field has been edited in a ticket: Activates when any custom field in a ticket is modified.
Ticket due date has changed: Triggers when the due date of a ticket is updated.
Tag is added to a ticket: Runs when a tag is added to a ticket.
Ticket is deleted: Fires when a ticket is removed from the system.
Ticket satisfaction is rated by submitter: Activates when the ticket submitter provides a satisfaction rating.
Ticket is closed as duplicate: Triggers when a ticket is closed because it is a duplicate of another ticket.
Trigger manually: This rule is not triggered automatically but can be activated by another rule manually.

Note about time-based triggers

Time based automation rules ("ticket becomes overdue" and "ticket hasn't been updated for X hours") run ONLY ONCE for a given ticket. Otherwise things break. Say, you have set up an overdue alert for your tickets - you would be getting this alert every hour, forever, because the ticket would STILL be overdue (until someone moves the due date).

Important Note on Building Automation Rules

When building automation rules, you are essentially entering the realm of programming. By configuring triggers, conditions, and actions that execute when these conditions are met, you are essentially writing a computer program. This can involve setting up rules that trigger other rules, and then more rules, creating a complex chain of automated processes.

This capability provides incredible power, allowing you to streamline and automate various tasks within the helpdesk system. However, with this power comes significant responsibility and potential risks. You may encounter bugs, issues, sometimes even infinite loops (for example, a rule updates a ticket, which triggers another "ticket updated" rule, causing it to update again, which triggers the same rule again, and so forth).

Therefore, it is crucial to exercise caution when creating and managing automation rules. Test your rules thoroughly, monitor their behavior, and be prepared to troubleshoot and adjust as necessary to prevent unintended consequences.