Rules questions

In what order do rules run when several things happen at once?#

Each event is its own pass through the rules list, top to bottom. A brand-new ticket starts one pass, for A ticket is created; its first message does not also count as a new message. A customer's reply on an existing ticket starts a pass for A message is added to a ticket, and if the reply changed the ticket, for example by reopening it or ending a snooze, a separate pass for A ticket is updated. Changes made by rules never start a pass of their own.

Why didn't my rule run?#

Open the ticket and click Show events above the conversation. If the rule ran, you see Rule "…" ran. If it did not, check in this order:

1. The rule is switched on in the On column of Workflows > Rules.

2. The right event is ticked under When. A rule on A message is added to a ticket does not see a ticket's first message.

3. The conditions really match. is compares the whole text exactly, including capitals; use contains for part of a subject or message.

4. The change came from a person or from outside, not from another rule. A tag added by rule A does not start rule B on A ticket is updated.

5. For a reply: the customer's message was not an out-of-office notice, bounce or bulk mail. Rules never answer those, though their other actions still happen.

Tickets copied in by an import never run rules.

How do I make a rule act only once per ticket?#

Use A ticket is created as the only event. If the rule has to watch later messages too, have it mark its work: add the condition Tags includes none of auto-replied and the action Add tags auto-replied. The second time round, the tag stops it.

How do I close spam and automatic email?#

Mail written by a machine is tagged as it arrives: auto-reply for out-of-office and automatic responses, bounce for delivery failures, and bulk for mailing lists and bulk senders. A rule can close those for you:

• When: tick A ticket is created

• If: Tags includes any of auto-reply, bounce, bulk

• Then: Set status Closed and Skip the satisfaction survey

Leave bounce out if you want to read delivery failures. For real spam, agents mark a ticket with ! or the ticket menu, and a rule can then act on Spam is Yes. To ignore one sender for good, use Sender address is one of with their address. There is no built-in spam filter beyond these.

Can a rule route contact form tickets by the subject the customer picked?#

Yes. A ticket from a contact form has the channel Contact form, and its subject is the topic the customer chose from your form's list, or typed under Other. For each topic:

• When: tick A ticket is created

• If: Channel is Contact form, and Subject is the topic exactly as it appears in your form, for example "Returns and exchanges"

• Then: Add tags returns, Assign to team your returns team, and if you like, Apply a macro with the answer

Because is compares capitals too, copy the topic from the form settings rather than retyping it. See Contact forms.

Are rules case-sensitive?#

Only is and is not on text fields are, and only for capitals: "Returns" is not "returns". contains, starts with, ends with and the list operators ignore capitals. Email addresses, sender addresses and tags are never case-sensitive.

Can a rule run after a set time, for example three days after the last reply?#

Not on its own: rules run only when an event happens. Date conditions such as Last message from the customer is more than 3 days ago are checked at that moment. A snooze ending is an update, though, so snoozing a ticket gives a rule a moment to act. Writing rules that behave shows a follow-up built this way.

Can a rule check the customer's Shopify orders?#

No. Rules have no conditions on order data, such as the number of orders or an order's status. Order details can go into a rule's reply through variables, and agents see the orders beside each ticket.

Can I put the ticket number in the subject with a rule?#

No. Change the subject writes the text exactly as typed; variables such as {{ticket.id}} are not filled in there. They do work in Send a reply and Add an internal note.

Can a rule email an agent about a ticket they were given?#

Rules cannot send email to anyone but the customer on the ticket. Agents choose their own alerts for assigned tickets and mentions in Settings > Notifications; see Notifications.

Is there a limit on how many rules I can have?#

No fixed limit. Every rule is checked on every event it listens to, though, so a few clear rules are easier to keep right than many overlapping ones. Duplicates start switched off, so copying a rule to try a change does not double its effect.

Who shows as the sender of a rule's reply?#

Automation, your helpdesk's built-in account for rules. The message carries a Rule label in the conversation, and the events list names the rule.