You can set up automatic replies using the Ticket Created and Ticket Updated triggers. This helps you respond instantly to common requests like password resets, account activations, or maintenance questions by automatically adding a reply when a ticket is created or updated.

These automated replies are treated as formal responses and therefore affect SLA.

Why Use Add Reply in Automation Rules?

• Save time by eliminating manual replies for common scenarios.
• Ensure consistency in responses across all tickets.
• Improve accuracy with predefined, approved messages.
• Personalize replies using dynamic placeholders.

Configuring Auto Reply Action

1. Go to Admin > Ticket Automation section.

2. Select the trigger: Create Ticket Trigger or Update Ticket Trigger.

3. Select Add Rule and provide the Rule name and Description.

4. Define Conditions that must be met for the rule to apply.

   • For example: Subject → contains → Password Reset, Forgot Password
   • For more details on Condition Fields in BoldDesk Filter and Automation, learn more on Condition Fields in BoldDesk Filter and Automation.

5. Click Next and select Add Reply in the action section from the dropdown menu, and provide a predefined message/canned response in the description.

6. Click Add to activate the rule.
   

   
   
   

When configuring the Add Reply action, you can further customize how the reply behaves:

• Post Reply on Behalf of Agent

  • Enabled → The reply is posted as an agent update. If no agent is assigned, it appears as a System Automation Update.
  • Disabled → The reply follows the default automation behavior.

• Exclude ‘on behalf of agent’ text
  Removes the phrase from the ticket message and email notifications.

• Do Not Send Notification

  • Logs the reply in the ticket without sending a notification to the requester.
  • Enables the option to suppress survey emails.

• Don’t Send Survey Notifications
  Prevents survey emails from being triggered after the automated reply.

Send Notifications or Replies Outside Business Hours

BoldDesk can respond to tickets received or updated outside the selected business hours. Choose the trigger and action according to the required result.

Send an Email When a New Ticket Is Created Outside Business Hours

Use a Create Ticket Trigger when an incoming email creates a ticket outside the selected business hours.

1. Go to Admin > Ticket Automation > Create Ticket Triggers.

2. Click Add Rule.

3. Enter a descriptive rule name.

4. Select the applicable business-hours schedule.

5. Configure conditions.

6. Click Next.

   

7. Configure the following action:

8. Enter the required subject and message.

9. Save and activate the rule.

   
   
   

This configuration sends an email acknowledgment to the requester. It does not add a reply to the ticket conversation.

Add a Reply When a New Ticket Is Created Outside Business Hours

Use the same Create Ticket Trigger conditions when the acknowledgment must also appear as a formal reply in the ticket.

Configure the action as:

Add Reply

Enter the required response in the action editor, and then save and activate the rule.

Send an Email After a Requester Replies Outside Business Hours

Use an Update Ticket Trigger when a requester adds a reply to an existing ticket outside business hours.

1. Go to Admin > Ticket Automation > Update Ticket Triggers.

2. Click Add Rule.

3. Enter a descriptive rule name.

4. Select the applicable business-hours schedule.

5. Configure the following conditions:

   

6. Click Next.

7. Configure the following action:

8. Enter the required subject and message.

9. Save and activate the rule.

   

This configuration sends a separate email notification to the requester after the requester replies. It does not add another reply to the ticket conversation.

Add a Reply After a Requester Responds Outside Business Hours

If the automated acknowledgment must appear in the ticket conversation, use the same Update Ticket Trigger conditions and configure:

Add Reply

Event Type | Is | Reply Added
Event Performer Type | Is | Requester

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an automatically added ticket reply in BoldDesk?
   An automatically added ticket reply is a ticket response created by an automation rule when a ticket is created or updated. It is used to respond instantly to common requests.

2. Do replies added through triggers affect SLA calculations?
   Yes. Replies created using Add Reply are treated as formal responses and count toward SLA.

3. Which triggers support auto replies?
   Auto replies can be configured with Create Ticket Trigger and Update Ticket Trigger.

4. Can I control when the auto reply is sent?
   Yes. The automation rule runs only when the configured Conditions match (for example, subject keyword matching).

5. How do I configure keyword matching for an auto reply?
   Add a condition such as Subject → contains → {keyword} in the rule conditions.

6. Can BoldDesk detect keywords in incoming emails?
   Yes. Keyword detection is performed through automation conditions, commonly using Subject contains checks.

7. Can I send an automatic email reply outside business hours?
   Yes. Use an Update Ticket Trigger with conditions for outside business hours, event type = reply added, and event performer = requester, then configure an email-to-requester action.

8. Why do trigger replies fail during setup?
   Trigger replies may fail validation if they include unsupported placeholders (for example, placeholders copied from email templates).

9. How do I identify supported placeholders?
   Use the Insert Placeholders option in the trigger editor and only select placeholders available there.

Related Articles

1. How to Reply to Tickets and Format Responses in BoldDesk
2. What are Automations Available for Ticket?
3. Condition Fields in BoldDesk Filter and Automation