Start from a rule template
Five ready-made rules to start from, auto-assign new tickets, close after no reply, tag by keywords, prioritise urgent words and auto-merge follow-ups.
Last updated 2 min read
Templates are the quickest way to a useful rule. Each one fills in the rule builder with a common job, ready for you to adjust and save.
Before you start
- Who can do this: owners and admins.
- Plan: all plans.
- What you need: for Auto-assign new tickets, at least one team. See Create teams.
Step by step
- Open Workflows > Rules.
- Press Create rule. Under Start from, pick a template.
- Adjust the words, team, timing or tag.
- Check the Test against recent tickets panel beside the builder.
- Press Save rule.
What happens next
The templates
| Template | When | If | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start from scratch ("An empty rule") | A ticket is created | Nothing | Add tag (you choose) |
| Auto-assign new tickets ("Round robin across Available agents") | A ticket is created | Assignee is empty | Assign round robin in your first team |
| Close after no reply ("When the customer goes quiet") | Time passes: 96 hours after the agent's last reply | Status is waiting on customer | Set status closed |
| Tag by keywords ("Words in the customer’s message") | A ticket is created, the customer replies | Customer message contains "refund" | Add tag |
| Prioritise urgent words ("Raise priority on “urgent”, “asap”…") | A ticket is created, the customer replies | Customer message contains urgent, asap, complaint | Set priority High |
| Auto-merge follow-ups ("Same customer, open ticket, last 24 h") | A ticket is created | Nothing | Merge into recent open ticket (24 h) |
The Ticket assignment page also has New assignment rule, which opens the auto-assign template.
After you save a template
The saved rule is an ordinary rule. It appears in the list in run order with a readable summary, and you can edit, duplicate, reorder or switch it off like any other. Templates are only a quicker way to fill in the builder.
Tips
- Change "refund" in Tag by keywords to your own words, and add more words to the same condition.
- For Prioritise urgent words, consider Critical instead of High if you want Slack alerts for those tickets.
- Shorten Close after no reply for chat-heavy teams, or lengthen it for slow-moving warranty claims.
- Put Auto-merge follow-ups near the top, so later rules see the merged ticket.
Troubleshooting
The auto-assign template opens empty
There are no teams yet. Create a team and try again.
"Set how long to wait for the time trigger"
A time rule lost its timing. Set after how many hours or days and from which moment.
Frequently asked questions
Which rule templates does Hushdesk include?
Five, plus a blank rule. Auto-assign new tickets, Close after no reply, Tag by keywords, Prioritise urgent words and Auto-merge follow-ups. Each opens the rule builder already filled in, so you only adjust the words, team or timing and save.
How does the Close after no reply template work?
It is a time rule. When a ticket has been waiting on the customer for 96 hours since the agent's last reply, it closes the ticket. Change 96 hours to suit your business. Required fields do not block this close; tickets closed this way are recorded as no reply.
What does the Auto-merge follow-ups template do?
When a new ticket arrives, it merges it into the same customer's newest open ticket from the last 24 hours. That catches customers who email twice about the same thing. Add conditions, such as the same channel, if you only want to merge certain tickets.
Why is the Auto-assign template empty?
Auto-assign uses round robin within a team, so it needs at least one team. If your workspace has no teams yet, the template opens as a blank rule. Create a team under Settings, Teams first, then start from the template again.
Can I change a rule after creating it from a template?
Yes. A template only fills in the rule builder; once saved it is an ordinary rule. Open it from the Rules list to change the name, triggers, conditions or actions, test it again and save. Duplicate it to keep the original as a backup.
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Related articles
- Create a rule to automate ticketsBuild a When, If, Then rule that tags, assigns, prioritises, snoozes or answers tickets automatically, test it on recent tickets and switch it on.
- Run rules after time passesUse the Time passes trigger to act hours or days after a ticket was created, the customer's last message, the agent's last reply or the last message.
- Assign tickets automatically with round robinShare new tickets evenly between available agents with round robin, cap how many open tickets each agent gets and see who receives the next ticket.
- Merge and unmerge ticketsCombine two tickets from the same customer into one conversation, and undo it with Unmerge if you merged the wrong one. Messages and history move across.
Still stuck?
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