When building Create Ticket Triggers, Update Ticket Triggers, or other automation rules in BoldDesk, you may need to evaluate whether a ticket’s Subject or Description contains specific words or phrases. BoldDesk provides multiple Contains operators that behave differently depending on whether you want flexible matching (broad match) or strict word‑level matching (exact match).

This article explains:

• What broad match and exact match mean
• Where to find Contains operators in BoldDesk automation
• When to use each operator
• Real examples showing how each operator evaluates text
• How to enter and save multiple values correctly in trigger conditions

Broad match vs. exact match (quick definitions)

What is a broad match?

A broad match is a search rule that returns results related to variations of the entered keyword, rather than only the exact word. Broad match is useful when you want flexible matching and don’t want to miss close variations.

What is an exact match?

An exact match ensures that your target keyword matches the text exactly as a standalone word/phrase. This option provides the most control over what qualifies as a match but may miss partial matches or close variants.

How is an exact match different from a broad match?

• Broad match offers more flexibility by allowing variations and related forms of the keyword.
• Exact match restricts results to only those that match the provided words/phrases as standalone values (not embedded inside other words).

What are “Contains” operators in BoldDesk?

The Contains operator checks whether specific words or phrases exist in a selected field (for example, Subject, Description, or Description (Plain Text)). You can enter multiple values (up to 25) as comma-separated entries, and BoldDesk will evaluate them according to the operator you choose.

These operators are commonly used for:

• Keyword-based routing or tagging
• Auto-assignment
• Triggering replies or notifications
• Triggering actions when specific words appear in ticket content

Where to find “Contains” operators in BoldDesk

To locate the Contains operators:

1. Go to Admin → Ticket Automation.
2. Open any of the following options:
   • Auto Assignment
   • Create Trigger
   • Update Trigger
3. Add a condition using a supported text field:
   • Subject
   • Description
   • Description text / Description (Plain Text)

Once you select one of these fields, the operator dropdown will include the Contains options.

Types of “Contains” operators (and what they do)

1) Contains (Broad Match)

Purpose: Checks if any of the given words/phrases appear anywhere in the field value.
Use when: You want a flexible keyword check.

2) Does not contain (Broad Match)

Purpose: Checks that the given word/phrase is absent from the field value.
Use when: You want to exclude tickets that mention a certain term.

3) Contains all (exact match)

Purpose: Confirms the field contains every specified word/phrase as standalone values (each surrounded by spaces).
Use when: You need all keywords to exist and want to avoid partial matches inside other words.

4) Contains one of (exact match)

Purpose: Confirms that at least one of the specified words/phrases appears as a standalone value.
Use when: Any one of several precise keywords should qualify.

5) Does not contain all (exact match)

Purpose: Confirms that none of the specified words/phrases are present as standalone values.
Use when: You want to exclude tickets that contain any of your restricted keywords as standalone words.

Detailed examples (how each operator evaluates text)

A) Contains (Broad Match)

How it works: The field matches if any provided word/phrase appears in the text.

Example 1

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Contains “fox”
• Result: True (because “fox” appears)

Example 2

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Contains [“jump”, “fox”]
• Result: True (because both “fox” and “jump” appear)

B) Does Not Contain (Broad Match)

How it works: The field matches if the word/phrase does not appear in the text.

Example 1

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Does Not Contain “cat”
• Result: True (because “cat” does not appear)

Example 2

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Does Not Contain “jump”
• Result: True (because “jump” is not present in the text)

C) Contains All (Exact Match)

How it works: Every provided word/phrase must appear as a standalone word/phrase (not inside another word).

Example 1

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Contains All (Exact Match) [“quick”, “fox”, “dog”]
• Result: True (all appear as standalone words)

Example 2

• Field: “foxhole is quick and empty.”
• Condition: Contains All (Exact Match) [“fox”, “quick”]
• Result: False (“fox” is not standalone; it appears inside “foxhole”)

D) Contains One Of (Exact Match)

How it works: At least one provided word/phrase must appear as a standalone value.

Example 1

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Contains One Of (Exact Match) [“cat”, “fox”, “elephant”]
• Result: True (because “fox” is present)

Example 2

• Field: “The foxhole is empty.”
• Condition: Contains One Of (Exact Match) [“fox”, “quick”]
• Result: False (“fox” is not standalone)

E) Does Not Contain All (Exact Match)

How it works: None of the provided words/phrases may appear as standalone values.

Example 1

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Does Not Contain All (Exact Match) [“cat”, “elephant”]
• Result: True (neither appears)

Example 2

• Field: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• Condition: Does Not Contain All (Exact Match) [“jump”, “cat”]
• Result: True (neither “jump” nor “cat” appears as standalone words; “jumps” does not count as “jump")

Entering multiple values in trigger condition fields (important)

When configuring Create Ticket Trigger or Update Ticket Trigger rules, some Contains operators display a multi-value input box (chip/tag-style input). This commonly appears when using operators such as:

• Contains all (exact match)
• Contains one of (exact match)
• Does not contain / Does not contain all (depending on the selected field)

How the multi-value input works

Each value must be committed before it becomes part of the condition.

A value is committed only when you:

• Press Enter, or
• Type a comma (,) at the end of the value

Once committed, the value appears as a chip/token in the input box.

What happens if you don’t press Enter or add a comma

If you type a value and leave it without pressing Enter or adding a trailing comma, that value remains uncommitted and will not be saved when you move to the next step or save the rule.

Rule of thumb:
If the value is not displayed as a chip/token, it has not been saved as part of the condition.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the difference between Broad Match and Exact Match in BoldDesk’s “Contains” operators?
Contains and Does not contain behave like broad match because they look for the entered text anywhere in the field value. Contains all (exact match), Contains one of (exact match), and Does not contain all (exact match) behave like exact match because they require each word or phrase to appear as a standalone token (surrounded by spaces), not as part of another word.

2) How many values can I enter in a Contains condition?
You can enter up to 25 values in the condition input (comma-separated). There is no limit on the length of each individual word or phrase.

3) Why didn’t my typed value get saved in the multi-value condition field?
In the chip/tag-style multi-value input, a value is saved only after you commit it by:

• pressing Enter, or
• typing a comma (,) at the end of the value.
  If you click away or save without committing, the uncommitted value is not included in the rule.