Rules

Rules can be used to define criteria based on which certain actions on tickets are carried out automatically. Rules help reduce manual workload, which increases work efficiency.

For example, you can assign new tickets that enter the system via a certain channel to a certain group.  
Notifications such as confirmation of ticket creation to customers, ticket response, etc. are also sent using rules.

Essential components of rules are:
Triggers - events that trigger the rules
Conditions - those that specify rules
Actions - those that perform tasks.

From the payment plan Advanced onwards, additional custom rules can be added und predefined rules can be edited.

Topics of this article:
The different types of rules and when they run
Predefined Rules
Activate/Deactivate Rules
Add, Edit, Delete Rule

The different types of rules and when they run

Rules are organized in three different types with regard to the triggering events and how often they run. For two of the rule types, the triggering elements are inherent to the system and can only be customized for ticket update rules.

• Rules for New Tickets - These rules are executed once on each new ticket entering the system.
• Rules for Ticket Updates - These rules run as soon as updates, such as status changes or marking as spam, etc., are made in tickets. You determine which triggers (i.e. which ticket updates) trigger these rules.
• Time-controlled Rules - These rules run every five minutes and are executed on tickets that match the conditions.

Within the individual types, the rules are processed sequentially, i.e. the rules defined under the respective rule types run in the specified order, and if the specified triggers and conditions are met, the actions are executed. Rules are always executed in isolation, which means that neither a new ticket rule nor a scheduled rule can trigger a ticket update rule.

Predefined Rules

Some rules are already predefined in SimpKo and are listed under Automation >> Rules >> Rule Types Tabs. Rules that are not needed can be deactivated or irretrievably deleted.

Overview of the Predefined Rules

• Rules for sending the predefined default notifications. Read more about the meaning of these notifications and the triggering rules under Predefined Default notifications:
  • Agent replies to Ticket

  Please note: If you disable or delete the predefined 'Agent replies to Ticket' rule for the default 'Ticket Reply' notification without creating/enabling an alternative rule with a ticket reply notification, no agent replies to tickets will be sent to your customers.

  • Notify Customer/Cc about ticket creation
  • Ticket has been assigned
  • Ticket has been resolved
  • Ticket has been closed
  • Reply to Ticket
  • Agent was assigned to a ticket
  • Private Note added
• Reopen ticket when requesting customer replies - A solved or closed ticket will be reopened when the customer replies to the ticket.
• Close solved ticket after 7 days - If a ticket has been solved, this ticket will be automatically 'closed' after 7 days or is marked with the status to which the usage 'Close Ticket' is assigned.
• Delete ticket marked as spam 30 days after ticket creation date - If a ticket has been marked as spam, that ticket will be automatically deleted 30 days after the ticket creation date.

Activate/Deactivate Rules

Rules can be activated/deactivated from either the rule overviews or the rule details page.

Activate/deactivate rule from the overview page:

• Go to Automation >> Rules >> corresponding Rule Type tab.
• The on/off switch shows the status of the rule. Blue indicates the rule is enabled and gray indicates the rule is disabled.
• Click on the rule you want to enable/disable and toggle the switch.

Activate/deactivate rule from the detail page:

• Go to Automation >> Rules >> corresponding Rule Type tab.
• Click on the edit icon () of the desired rule.
• Activate/deactivate the 'Active' checkbox.

Add, Edit, Delete Rule

Go to Automation >> Rules >> Rules.

Add, Edit Rule

• Add rule: Click on "New Rule".

  Edit existing rule: Under the rule type tab, click the edit icon () of the rule you want to edit.

• Available Form fields:

  Name: Enter the desired name for the rule.
  Description: A description for the rule can be added.
  Type: Select the desired rule type.
  Order: The numerical value entered determines when the rule is executed. Rules are processed sequentially. Lower-numbered rules are executed before higher-numbered rules.
  Active: A rule is valid as soon as it is activated.

  Rule Elements

  Click the plus icon (), to add triggers, conditions and actions and the minus icon () to remove them.

  Triggers: With rules for 'Ticket Updates', you specify the events that trigger the rules yourself. With rules for 'New Tickets' and 'Time-controlled' rules, the triggers are system-controlled as described under The different rule types and when they are executed.

  • Mode: Select whether ALL or just ONE of the specified triggers must be fulfilled.
    match ALL - means all specified triggers must match for the rule to be executed.
    match ANY - means that at least one of the specified triggers must match for the rule to run.

  • Triggers: Select a trigger from the drop-down list and select the changes based on the trigger. Possible triggers can be: Agent, Agent replies, Customer has replied, Group, Priority, Private Note, Spam, Status, Status Usage, Ticket Tags, and Type.

    For example, if a status change is the trigger, select 'Status' from the trigger drop-down and indicate the change with e.g. from 'New' to 'In progress'. 
    

  Conditions: Conditions are used to define criteria that must be met for the rule to be executed. The rule is only executed if the defined conditions are met.

  • Mode: Select whether ALL or just ONE of the specified conditions must be fulfilled.
    match ALL - means all specified conditions must match for the rule to be executed.
    match ANY - means that at least one of the specified conditions must match for the rule to run.

  • Condition, Operator, Value: Set up the required conditions by selecting a condition from the drop-down list, selecting the 'Operator' and selecting or entering a 'Value' according to the condition field.
    As condition the following ticket properties can be defined: Agent, Channel, Customer, Group, Message, Number, Priority, Spam, Status, Status Usage, Subject, Ticket Tags and Type.
    For 'time-controlled rules' the following time values can also be set as condition: Close Ticket, Created, Last Agent Reply, Last Customer Reply, Last Reply, New Ticket, Resolve Ticket, Ticket Assignment.

    For example, to filter out tickets that have 'Product XY' in the subject, select 'Subject' from the Condition drop-down, 'contains' from the Operator drop-down and enter 'Product XY' in the Value field. 
    

  Actions: The actions are those steps that are executed by the rule.

  • Action: Select an action from the drop-down list and select a value depending on the action. Actions can be defined on: Add Ticket Tag, Agent set to, Assign Ticket, Close Ticket, Delete Ticket (available on time-controlled rules), Group set to, Notification, Priority set to, Resolve Ticket, Spam set to, Status set to and Type set to.

    For example, if you want to set the priority to 'High', select 'Priority set to' from the Action drop-down list and 'High' from the Value drop-down list. 
    

• After creating/editing click on Save.

Delete Rule

• Under the rule type tab click the delete icon () of the desired rule and then on Yes, Delete to confirm the deletion process.