Close, reopen and set a ticket's outcome
Close a ticket when it is done, fill in required fields such as the outcome in the Before you close dialog, and reopen it if the customer needs more.
Last updated 2 min read
Closing a ticket says "this is done". It moves the ticket out of your open views and into Closed, and it feeds your reports. Some workspaces ask for an outcome before a ticket can close.
Before you start
- Who can do this: agents, admins and owners.
- Plan: all plans.
Step by step
- Open the ticket.
- Press Close in the ticket header (labelled Close ticket for screen readers), or press e.
- If required fields are missing, Before you close opens: "How was this ticket resolved? It feeds the outcome reports." Choose the values.
- Confirm. The ticket closes.
To reply and close together, use Send & close in the reply box.
To reopen, press Reopen in the header of a closed ticket.
What happens next
The ticket moves to Closed and the activity log records "closed the ticket". Connected webhooks receive ticket.closed. On a chat ticket, the visitor sees that the conversation is closed and can rate it.
If the customer writes again, the ticket reopens on its own and returns to your open views.
Statuses at a glance
| Status | Meaning | How it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Needs your team | New tickets, customer replies, Reopen |
| Waiting on customer | You are waiting for them | Macros, rules, new tickets you start |
| Snoozed | Hidden until later | Snooze |
| Closed | Done | Close, Send & close, rules |
| Spam | Junk | Mark as spam |
When to close
Close a ticket when the customer has everything they need and you are not waiting for anything. If you asked them a question, leave it waiting on the customer; if you are waiting on a courier or supplier, snooze it. Closing too early hides work, and closing too late makes your open views noisy and your response-time reports look worse than they are.
Tips
- Ask your admin to mark the outcome field as required to close. Your reports get much better. See Create and manage ticket fields.
- Close only when the customer has what they need. If you are waiting for them, use a "waiting on customer" macro or snooze instead.
- Close in bulk after a clean-up. Tickets missing required fields are skipped and counted. See Update many tickets at once.
Troubleshooting
"Fill in the required fields before closing."
A required field is empty. Fill it in the dialog or in Ticket details in the sidebar.
"Invalid status"
The status change did not reach the server correctly. Refresh and try again.
"Invalid fields"
A field value was not accepted. Pick one of the listed choices.
"Not one of the choices"
A dropdown field got a value that is not one of its choices. Choose from the list.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Hushdesk ask me questions before closing a ticket?
Your admins marked some ticket fields as required to close, often an outcome such as Refund issued or Answered. The Before you close dialog asks for them, because the answers feed the outcome reports. Fill them in once and the ticket closes; the values stay on the ticket.
How do I close a ticket with the keyboard?
Press e while a ticket is open, or use Send and close in the reply box to answer and close in one step. If a required field is missing, the Before you close dialog opens first. The keyboard shortcuts panel, opened with the question mark key, lists both.
What happens when a customer replies to a closed ticket?
The ticket reopens by itself. Their message joins the same ticket and its status goes back to open, so it reappears in your open views. Rules for customer replies run too, so it can be assigned or tagged again automatically.
How do I reopen a closed ticket myself?
Open the ticket from the Closed view or search, and press Reopen in the ticket header, where Close usually is. The activity log records that you reopened it. You can also reopen many tickets at once with bulk actions from the ticket list.
Does closing a ticket notify the customer?
Not by itself. Closing changes the status in Hushdesk; the customer only hears from you when you send a reply. On chat tickets, the chat window shows that the conversation is closed and asks for a quick rating. A satisfaction survey by email is planned.
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Related articles
- Create and manage ticket fieldsAdd dropdown ticket fields such as Outcome or Contact reason, make them required before closing and archive them later without losing report data.
- Reply to a customer or add an internal noteUse the reply box to answer by email or chat, switch to an internal note your team only sees, format text, and send with Send or Send and close.
- Update many tickets at onceSelect tickets in the list and assign, tag, close, snooze, mark read or unread, set priority, move to a team, mark as spam or move them to Trash in one go.
- Snooze a ticket until laterHide a ticket for an hour, a day or a week while you wait on a supplier or courier. It comes back on its own, or as soon as the customer writes.
- Set up satisfaction surveys (CSAT)PreviewAsk customers to rate your support after a ticket closes. Set the delay, channels, question and thank-you text, preview it and try the customer page.
Still stuck?
Chat with the Hushdesk team. A person answers on every plan.