How to Run an Automation at Scheduled Intervals
Time Trigger rules automatically check tickets every hour, identify tickets that meet defined conditions, and perform the configured actions. They are mainly used for time‑based automation and scheduled notifications.
These rules run one after another in the order shown in the Time Triggers list. You can reorder them using drag and drop to control how they execute.
Refer to the video below to know more about time trigger automation,
Common Use Cases
- Notify a group when a ticket remains unassigned for N hours.
- Automate follow-up actions to reduce agent workload.
- Set a ticket to Solved when the ticket remains in Waiting for Customer for N hours.
- Set a ticket to Closed when the ticket remains in Solved for N hours.
How Time Trigger Rules Run
Schedule and Order
- Time Trigger rules run once every hour.
- Rules are executed from top to bottom as shown in the Time Triggers list.
- You can change the execution order by dragging and dropping the rules.
Which Tickets Are Evaluated
Time Trigger rules run only on tickets that meet these conditions:
- Closed tickets are excluded.
- Only tickets updated within the last 30 days are evaluated.
- A ticket can be evaluated by Time Trigger rules up to 100 times in total.
- Tickets must be active and not marked as spam.
- Each rule processes up to 1,000 matching tickets.
- Tickets linked to a deactivated brand are skipped.
- For performance reasons, text (string) fields cannot be used in Time Trigger conditions.
Preventing Repeat Execution Loops (Rule Design Requirements)
Time Trigger rules can re-evaluate the same ticket every hour. To prevent a rule from repeatedly running on the same ticket:
- Create conditions that match only once per ticket lifecycle (use hour-based conditions that become false after the intended moment).
- Add actions that change ticket fields referenced by the condition, so the condition becomes false after the rule executes again on the same ticket.
Time Trigger Conditions
A Time Trigger rule condition is built using fields combined with AND and/or OR logic.
Condition Field Types
- System fields
- Hour-based fields
- Custom fields (Ticket, Contact, and Contact Group modules)
System Fields (Available in Conditions)
| Field name | Description |
|---|---|
| TicketID | Ticket ID associated with the organization. |
| Email Received At | Email inbox through which the ticket was created using email. |
| Brand | Brands associated with the organization. |
| Category | Category assigned to the ticket. |
| Status | Current ticket status. |
| Priority | Current ticket priority. |
| Type | Current ticket type. |
| Source | Ticket creation source (agent portal, customer portal, email, etc.). |
| Assigned Agent | Agent currently assigned to the ticket. |
| Assigned Group | Group currently assigned to the ticket. |
| Tag | Tags associated with the ticket. |
| Visibility | Ticket visibility: public or private. Private tickets are not visible in the customer portal. |
| Creator | User who created the ticket. |
| Requester | Ticket requester. |
| Requester Email | Requester email address. |
| Contact Group | Contact group (Company) of the ticket requester. |
Hour-based Fields (Available in Conditions)
Hour-based fields measure elapsed time since a ticket event or time remaining until an SLA deadline.
| Field name | Description |
|---|---|
| Hours Since Created | Hours since ticket creation. |
| Hours Since Solved | Hours since the ticket status became Solved. |
| Hours Since Reopened | Hours since the ticket was reopened (moved from Solved/Closed to an active status). |
| Hours Since First Assigned | Hours since the ticket was assigned to an agent/group for the first time. |
| Hours Since Assigned | Hours since the most recent assignment (last change to assignee/group). |
| Hours Since Requester Responded | Hours since the requester last replied. |
| Hours Since Agent Responded | Hours since an agent last replied. |
| Hours Since Status Updated | Hours since the ticket status last changed. |
| Hours Since Resolution Due | Hours since the Resolution Due SLA deadline. Positive values mean the ticket is past due. |
| Hours Since Modified | Hours since any ticket update/modification occurred. |
| Hours Since Response Due | Hours since the Response Due SLA deadline. Positive values mean the ticket is past due. |
| Hours Until Response Due | Hours remaining until the Response Due SLA deadline (counts down toward 0). |
| Hours Until Resolution Due | Hours remaining until the Resolution Due SLA deadline (counts down toward 0). |
| Hours Since Waiting on Statuses | Hours since the ticket entered a configured “waiting” status (for example Waiting for Customer / On Hold). |
Custom Fields (Available in Conditions)
Time Trigger conditions can include custom fields from:
- Ticket module custom fields
- Contact module custom fields
- Contact Group module custom fields
Time Trigger Actions
Time Trigger actions are applied to tickets that match the rule conditions. Action types:
- Field Update
- Assignment Action
- Email Notification
- Comment Addition
- Time triggers in BoldDesk execute actions only when the defined conditions are met.
- A time trigger will function correctly even if the agent permission to manage time triggers is disabled, provided the trigger conditions are met.
Field Update Actions
| Action name | Description |
|---|---|
| Set Status | Sets the ticket to the specified status. |
| Set Priority | Sets the ticket to the specified priority. |
| Set Type | Sets the ticket to the specified type. |
| Set Category | Sets the ticket to the specified category. |
| Set Subject | Sets the ticket subject to the specified content. |
| Add Tag | Adds specified tags to the ticket. |
| Remove Tag | Removes specified tags from the ticket. |
| Add CC | Adds specified CCs to the ticket if not already present. |
| Remove CC | Removes specified CCs from the ticket. |
| Add Watcher | Adds specified watchers to the ticket. |
Assignment Action
| Action name | Description |
|---|---|
| Set assignee | Assigns matched tickets to: (1) a Group, (2) an Agent, or (3) a Group and an Agent belonging to that group. |
Email Notification Actions
Email notifications can be sent to selected users or groups. A maximum of 50 users can be chosen.
| Action name | Description |
|---|---|
| Send Email to User | Sends email to selected users with the specified subject and message. Supports placeholders for ticket-specific content. |
| Send Email to Group | Sends email to a selected group with the specified subject and message. Supports placeholders for ticket-specific content. |
Comment Addition
| Action name | Description |
|---|---|
| Add Private Note | Adds a private note with the specified message to matched tickets. |
Create a Time Trigger Rule (Configuration Procedure)
Navigation Path
Admin → Ticket Automation → Time Triggers
Steps
- Open Admin from the left menu.
- Select Time Triggers under Ticket Automation.
- Select Add Rule (top palette).
- Enter Rule Name and Description.
- Select the time calculation basis:
- Business hours, or
- Calendar hours
- Build the rule conditions using the available fields and AND/OR logic.
- Select Add new condition to include additional conditions.
Here, the condition selected is Hours Since Waiting For Customer is equal to 40 hours.
- Select Next, then configure the actions to apply.
The status of the ticket is set as Closed, and a private note is added.
- Select Add to save the rule.
- Reorder rules on the listing page using drag and drop. Rule order controls execution sequence.
Edit a Time Trigger Rule
- On the Time Triggers listing page, select the Edit icon for the rule.
- Update the rule conditions and/or actions.
- Select Update to save changes.
Deactivate or Delete a Time Trigger Rule
Deactivate a Rule
- Select the rule Options then click on Deactivate.
- After deactivation, the rule appears under the Inactive tab and can be activated later.
Delete a Rule (Irreversible)
- Select the rule Options menu.
- Select Delete.
- Confirm deletion.
Delete is a hard delete and cannot be restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
How often do Time Trigger rules run?
Time Trigger rules run on an hourly interval. -
In what order do multiple Time Trigger rules execute?
Time Trigger rules execute sequentially based on the list order in the Time Triggers page. -
Why doesn’t a Time Trigger rule run on closed tickets?
Time Trigger automation does not fetch closed tickets, so closed tickets are excluded from evaluation. -
Why does a Time Trigger rule stop applying to a ticket after some time?
A ticket can participate in Time Trigger evaluation up to 100 times during its lifecycle. After that limit is exceeded, rules will not run on that ticket. -
Why does a Time Trigger rule only update some matching tickets?
Each rule affects only the first 1000 tickets that match the rule conditions. -
Why aren’t tickets for a specific brand getting triggered?
If the brand is deactivated, tickets associated with that brand will not be triggered by Time Trigger rules. -
Why can’t I use some fields (for example, string fields) in Time Trigger conditions?
For performance reasons, string-type fields are not provided in Time Trigger conditions. -
How do I prevent a Time Trigger rule from running repeatedly on the same ticket?
Use hour-based conditions that match only once, and/or configure actions that change the same ticket properties used in the condition so the condition becomes false after execution.
