Overview #
The Open Ticket step creates a support ticket for the current contact from within your automation. Use it to hand off conversations to your helpdesk workflow with structured details like title, priority, status, category and owner.
Why Open a Ticket via Automation? #
✅ Operational handoff – Transfer cases from marketing/sales flows to support
✅ Consistency – Enforce required ticket fields and naming patterns
✅ Speed – Create tickets automatically when conditions are met
✅ Traceability – Keep an auditable record linked to the conversation
How to Add the Step #
- In the automation builder, click "Add Action" or the "+" button
- Choose "Open Ticket"
Configure the Step #
The configuration form includes these fields:
1) Title (Required) #
- Short subject line for the ticket (max 256 chars)
- Supports variables if you build titles in previous steps and pass them in
2) Priority (Required) #
- Select a priority (Lowest, Low, Medium, High, Highest, Urgent)
- Defaults to Medium
3) Status (Required) #
- Select an initial status (e.g., Open, In Progress, Pending, Waiting, Resolved, Closed, Terminated)
- List shows both your custom statuses and the platform defaults
- Defaults to Open
4) Category (Optional) #
- Choose one category for the ticket
- You can also type to create a new category inline
5) Owner (Optional) #
- Assign to an operator (role) at ticket creation
- Use the operator picker to select a user/role
- Leave empty to create an unassigned ticket
6) Description (Optional) #
- Rich‑text field (max 1024 chars)
- Recommended for summarizing symptoms, steps to reproduce, or customer notes
7) Reference (Optional, variable‑friendly) #
- Short reference (max 256 chars) that can include dynamic variables
- Insert custom field codes like
%%ORDER_ID%%,%%EMAIL%% - If you enter plain text without at least one custom field variable, the UI shows a warning to help you avoid unhelpful/static references
The step is valid when Title, Priority, and Status are filled.
Smart Warnings #
- If your automation already has a "Ticket Created" trigger configured, a warning appears to prevent duplicated ticket creation in the same flow
- The Reference field warns when it doesn’t include any variable codes (encourages meaningful, searchable references)
Practical Examples #
1) Create Ticket on Failure #
Webhook: sync to CRM
If/Else: webhook_status != 200
IF true → Open Ticket
Title: "CRM sync failed for %%EMAIL%%"
Priority: High
Status: Open
Category: Integrations
Owner: Support L2
Description: "Error during CRM sync. Details attached in conversation."
Reference: "SYNC-%%ORDER_ID%%"
Chat as Unread
2) Product Issue Escalation #
If/Else: message contains "broken" OR "not working"
IF true → Open Ticket
Title: "Product issue from %%FIRST_NAME%%"
Priority: Highest
Status: Open
Category: Product → Warranty
Owner: Hardware Team
Description: "Customer reported a malfunction. Please review."
Reference: "WARR-%%ORDER_ID%%"
3) VIP Support #
If/Else: tag contains "vip" AND LTV > 10000
IF true → Open Ticket
Title: "VIP assistance for %%FIRST_NAME%% %%LAST_NAME%%"
Priority: Urgent
Owner: VIP Team
Description: "Priority support required"
Reference: "VIP-%%EMAIL%%"
Best Practices #
- Make titles scannable: Include key identifiers (email, order id, product) via variables
- Set owner intentionally: Route directly to the most relevant team
- Use categories consistently: Create/maintain a clear taxonomy
- Capture context: Add a short description to help the assignee act fast
- Reference with variables: Always include at least one variable in Reference for searchability
- Avoid duplicates: Don’t combine this step with a "Ticket Created" starter for the same condition
Interactions With Other Steps #
- Chat as Unread – Visually flag the conversation after ticket creation
- Add Operator – Assign human owners alongside the ticket owner if needed
- Add Tag – Mark context (e.g.,
ticket_opened,integration_error) - Go to Step – Jump to your escalation/triage branch
- Customer Response – Collect extra details before opening, or follow‑up after
Troubleshooting #
Step is disabled / can’t submit #
- Ensure Title, Priority, and Status are provided
- If you see a warning about an existing "Ticket Created" trigger, consider removing one to avoid duplicates
Reference warning appears #
- Add at least one variable placeholder (e.g.,
%%ORDER_ID%%,%%EMAIL%%)
Owner not set #
- Select a role/user in the Owner field; otherwise the ticket remains unassigned
Status labels look different #
- Your account may include custom statuses; choose the one that matches your workflow
Warnings & Solutions #
- Warning: This automation has the "Ticket Created" start trigger; adding Open Ticket can create an infinite loop
- Solution: Remove either the start trigger or this step, so a single event doesn’t continuously create tickets.
