How to Run Automation at Scheduled Intervals Using Time Triggers

Time Trigger rules automatically check eligible tickets every hour, identify tickets that meet the configured conditions, and perform the selected actions. They are primarily used for time-based automation, reminders, ticket updates, and scheduled notifications.

Rules run sequentially in the order shown on the Time Triggers page. Use drag and drop to change their execution order.

Refer to the video below to learn more about Time Trigger automation.

Check out this video tutorial for more details.

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 it remains in Waiting for Customer for N hours.
Set a ticket to Closed when it remains in Solved for N hours.
Reassign a ticket shortly before its Response Due or Resolution Due deadline.
Add an internal reminder when a ticket remains in a waiting status.

How Time Trigger Rules Run

Schedule and Order

Time Trigger rules run once every hour.
Rules execute from top to bottom in the order shown on the Time Triggers page.
Use drag and drop to change the execution order.

Tickets Evaluated by Time Triggers

Time Trigger rules evaluate only tickets that meet all applicable eligibility requirements.

Requirement	Behavior
Ticket state	Closed tickets are excluded.
Last Modified date	Only tickets updated within the last 30 days are evaluated.
Evaluation limit	A ticket can be evaluated by Time Trigger rules up to 100 times.
Ticket activity	The ticket must be active and not marked as spam.
Processing limit	Each rule processes up to 1,000 matching tickets.
Brand status	Tickets associated with a deactivated brand are skipped.
Condition field type	Text or string fields are unavailable as Time Trigger conditions for performance reasons.

A ticket is not evaluated when its Last Modified date is more than 30 days old, even when all configured rule conditions are satisfied.
A future Response Due or Resolution Due does not override the 30-day update requirement.

Prevent Repeat Execution Loops

Time Trigger rules can reevaluate the same ticket every hour.
To prevent a rule from repeatedly performing the same action:

Use hour-based conditions that match only during the intended period.
Configure an action that changes a field referenced by the rule conditions.
Ensure the ticket no longer satisfies the conditions after the intended action.
Review overlapping Time Trigger rules.
Arrange rules in the required execution sequence.

For example, if a rule applies when the status is Waiting for Customer, configure the action to change the status after the intended waiting period. This prevents the ticket from matching the same rule again.

Time Trigger Conditions

A Time Trigger condition uses ticket fields combined with AND or OR logic.

Condition Logic

Condition Section	Logic	Requirement
All of these conditions	AND	Every configured condition must match.
Any of these conditions	OR	At least one configured condition must match.

When both sections are configured, the ticket must satisfy every condition under All of these conditions and at least one condition under Any of these conditions.

Place mandatory conditions under All of these conditions. A mandatory condition added under Any of these conditions may cause the rule to process tickets when only that condition matches.

Condition Field Types

Time Trigger conditions support:

System fields
Hour-based fields
Custom fields from the Ticket, Contact, and Contact Group modules

System Fields

Field Name	Description
TicketID	Ticket ID associated with the organization.
Email Received At	Email inbox through which the ticket was created.
Brand	Brand associated with the ticket.
Category	Category assigned to the ticket.
Status	Current ticket status.
Priority	Current ticket priority.
Type	Current ticket type.
Source	Ticket creation source, such as Agent Portal, Customer Portal, or email.
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.
Creator	User who created the ticket.
Requester	Ticket requester.
Requester Email	Requester email address.
Contact Group	Contact Group associated with the requester.

Hour-Based Fields

Hour-based fields measure elapsed time since a ticket event or the 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 moved from Solved or Closed to an active status.
Hours Since First Assigned	Hours since the ticket was assigned to an agent or group for the first time.
Hours Since Assigned	Hours since the most recent assignment change.
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 deadline. Positive values indicate that the ticket is past due.
Hours Since Modified	Hours since the ticket was last updated.
Hours Since Response Due	Hours since the Response Due deadline. Positive values indicate that the ticket is past due.
Hours Until Response Due	Hours remaining until the Response Due deadline.
Hours Until Resolution Due	Hours remaining until the Resolution Due deadline.
Hours Since Waiting on Statuses	Hours since the ticket entered a configured waiting status.

Custom Fields

Time Trigger conditions can include supported custom fields from:

Ticket
Contact
Contact Group

Time Trigger Actions

Time Trigger actions are applied to eligible tickets that satisfy the rule conditions.
The available action types include:

Field Update
Assignment Action
Email Notification
Comment Addition

Time Triggers execute actions only when the ticket is eligible and the configured conditions are met.
An active Time Trigger continues to function even if an agent no longer has permission to manage Time Triggers.

Field Update Actions

Action Name	Description
Set Status	Sets the ticket to the selected status.
Set Priority	Sets the ticket to the selected priority.
Set Type	Sets the ticket to the selected type.
Set Category	Sets the ticket to the selected category.
Set Subject	Updates the ticket subject with the configured content.
Add Tag	Adds selected tags to the ticket.
Remove Tag	Removes selected tags from the ticket.
Add CC	Adds selected CC recipients when they are not already present.
Remove CC	Removes selected CC recipients.
Add Watcher	Adds selected watchers to the ticket.

Assignment Action

Action Name	Description
Set Assignee	Assigns the ticket to a Group, an Agent, or an Agent belonging to the selected Group.

Email Notification Actions

Email notifications can be sent to selected users or groups. A maximum of 50 users can be selected.

Action Name	Description
Send Email to User	Sends an email to selected users using the configured subject and message. Ticket placeholders are supported.
Send Email to Group	Sends an email to the selected group using the configured subject and message. Ticket placeholders are supported.

Comment Addition

Action Name	Description
Add Private Note	Adds the configured private note to matching tickets.

Create a Time Trigger Rule

Navigation

Admin > Ticket Automation > Time Triggers

Procedure

Open Admin from the left navigation menu.
Under Ticket Automation, select Time Triggers.
Click Add Rule.

Enter the Rule Name and Description.
Select the time calculation basis:
- Business hours
- Calendar hours
Configure the conditions using the available fields and AND or OR logic.
Click Add new condition to add more conditions.

In this example, the selected condition is Hours Since Waiting for Customer is equal to 40 hours.

Click Next, and configure the required actions.

In this example, the ticket status is changed to Closed, and a private note is added.

Click Add to save the rule.
Reorder the rules on the list page using drag and drop when required.

Refresh Tickets Not Updated Within 30 Days

Time Triggers evaluate only tickets updated within the last 30 days.
This restriction can affect tickets that remain in a waiting status for an extended period, including tickets paused until:

A future appointment.
A planned migration.
A renewal date.
A scheduled follow-up.
A distant Response Due or Resolution Due date.

If the ticket has not been updated within 30 days, perform a meaningful manual or bulk update to make the ticket eligible for Time Trigger evaluation again.

Supported Workaround

Refresh the ticket by performing an update such as:

Adding a private note.
Updating a supported ticket field.
Applying a macro that adds a note or changes a field.
Updating multiple tickets using Bulk Update.

After the update, the ticket becomes eligible for Time Trigger evaluation again, provided that:

The ticket continues to meet the other eligibility requirements.
The configured rule conditions are satisfied.
The ticket has not exceeded the 100-evaluation limit.

Updating a ticket does not execute the Time Trigger immediately.
Time Trigger rules run once every hour, and the ticket must still satisfy the rule conditions during the next evaluation.

Refresh One Ticket

To refresh an individual ticket:

Open the ticket.
Add a meaningful private note or update a supported ticket field.
Save the change.
Confirm that the Time Trigger conditions remain satisfied.
Allow the next hourly evaluation to occur.

For example, add the following private note:
Ticket refreshed for Time Trigger evaluation before the scheduled follow-up.

Private notes are visible only to agents with access to the ticket. They are not displayed to customers in the Customer Portal.

Refresh Multiple Tickets

Use Bulk Update when several tickets must be refreshed for Time Trigger evaluation.

Open the ticket list or view containing the affected tickets.
Select the required tickets. You can select up to 100 tickets in one bulk operation.
Click Update.
In the Bulk Update dialog, select one of the following:
- Note, and then add a meaningful private note.
- A supported ticket field, and then select the required value.
Review the selected tickets and proposed changes.
Click Update to start the bulk action.
After processing is complete, confirm that the tickets’ Last Modified dates have been updated.
Confirm that the tickets still satisfy the configured Time Trigger conditions.
Allow the next hourly Time Trigger evaluation to occur.

For example, add the following private note:
Ticket refreshed for Time Trigger evaluation before the scheduled follow-up.

Bulk Update runs in the background and may take up to 10 minutes to complete. BoldDesk sends an email to the agent after the bulk update finishes.

For complete instructions, explore How to Bulk Update Multiple Tickets in BoldDesk.

Bulk updates can trigger applicable email notifications, webhooks, SLA processing, and other ticket automation.
Do not update the affected tickets again while the bulk operation is processing, as concurrent changes can cause conflicts.
Refreshing the tickets makes them eligible for Time Trigger evaluation again, but it does not run the Time Trigger immediately. Time Trigger rules run once every hour.
The tickets must still satisfy all rule conditions during the next hourly evaluation.

Example: Refresh a Long-Running Ticket

Assume a Time Trigger has these settings:

Configuration	Value
Status	Waiting for Appointment
Hours Until Resolution Due	24
Action	Assign another group

The ticket has a Resolution Due date several months in the future but has not been updated within the last 30 days.
When the ticket reaches 24 hours before Resolution Due, the Time Trigger does not evaluate it because its Last Modified date is outside the 30-day window.
To make the ticket eligible:

Add a meaningful private note or perform another valid update.
Confirm that the status remains Waiting for Appointment.
Confirm that the Resolution Due date remains correct.
Allow the next hourly evaluation to occur.

This workaround does not automatically identify tickets that are approaching the 30-day inactivity limit.
Maintain a ticket view, report, or operational review process to identify and refresh long-running tickets before the Time Trigger is expected to perform its action.

Recommended Process for Long-Running Tickets

Stage	Recommended Action
Identify	Maintain a view or report for active tickets that have not been modified recently.
Review	Confirm that the ticket still requires the scheduled follow-up and that its due dates remain correct.
Refresh	Add a meaningful private note or update a supported field before the ticket leaves the 30-day window.
Verify	Confirm that the ticket still meets the Time Trigger conditions.
Monitor	Review the ticket after the next hourly evaluation.

The manual or bulk-update approach is a workaround. It does not remove the 30-day eligibility restriction.
If the ticket remains untouched for another 30 days, it becomes ineligible again.

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.

Business Hours and Calendar Hours

Time Trigger rules run once every hour, but hour-based conditions calculate elapsed time according to the selected schedule.

Option	Behavior
Business Hours	Counts only time within the configured Business Hours schedule. Time outside the schedule is excluded.
Calendar Hours	Counts elapsed time continuously.

Example (Business hours)

If business hours are 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM and the ticket status was last updated at 7:39 AM:

The system begins counting at 10:00 AM.
The time between 7:39 AM and 10:00 AM is not counted.

Threshold Example

If the configured threshold is 16 hours:

Only accumulated Business Hours count toward the 16-hour threshold.
When the calculation reaches 16 Business Hours, the rule conditions are evaluated.
The configured actions run if the ticket remains eligible and all conditions match.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Resolution
Conditions are met, but the rule does not run	Check the ticket’s Last Modified date. Time Triggers evaluate only tickets updated within the last 30 days. If required, add a meaningful private note or update a supported field, then wait for the next hourly evaluation.
A ticket with a future Resolution Due is skipped	A future Resolution Due does not override the 30-day update requirement. Refresh the ticket before the configured Hours Until Resolution Due condition is expected to match.
The rule does not run immediately after an update	Time Triggers run once every hour. Confirm that the ticket remains eligible and still meets the conditions during the next evaluation.
The rule runs repeatedly	Add an action that changes a field referenced by the conditions, or use an hour-based condition that becomes false after the intended execution.
Only some matching tickets are processed	Confirm that the tickets are active, not spam, associated with an active brand, updated within 30 days, and within the evaluation and processing limits.
A bulk update does not appear immediately	Bulk Update runs in the background and can take up to 10 minutes. Avoid modifying the tickets while processing continues.
Unexpected notifications or webhooks are triggered	Manual and bulk updates can trigger applicable notifications, webhooks, SLA processing, and other automation. Review the relevant event configuration.
A text field is unavailable as a condition	Text or string fields are unavailable in Time Trigger conditions for performance reasons. Use a supported system, hour-based, or custom field type.
Rules execute in an unexpected sequence	Review the order on the Time Triggers page. Rules run sequentially from top to bottom.

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.

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