Zendesk has a variety of business rules that can be used to automate record updates and notifications across products. Automations and triggers are similar because they both define conditions and actions that modify ticket properties and optionally send email notifications to customers and agents.
Topics covered in this article:
Automations
Q: What are Automations?
A: Automations are time-based rules that run periodically (typically once every hour) on tickets that meet specific conditions.
Q: When do Automations run?
A: Automations run automatically at scheduled intervals after a ticket is created or updated, based on time conditions.
Q: What is the purpose of an automation?
A: To perform actions on tickets after certain time criteria are met. For example, escalating a ticket if it hasn’t been responded to after 24 hours.
Q: How do Automations Work?
A: Automations should be used when...
- Conditions include time-based checks (e.g., ticket has been open for 48 hours).
- When the time threshold and other conditions are met, actions are applied (e.g., send reminders, change priority).
Use cases
- Sending follow-up reminders.
- Closing tickets after inactivity.
- Escalating overdue tickets.
Triggers
Q: What are Triggers?
A: Automated rules that run immediately when a ticket is created or updated.
Q: When do Triggers run?
A: Instantly after a ticket event (like ticket creation or an update).
Q: What is the purpose of a Trigger?
A: To take immediate actions based on ticket conditions. For example, sending an acknowledgement email to a customer when a ticket is created or notifying a team when a high-priority ticket arrives.
Q: How do Triggers Work?
A: Triggers should be used when...
- Conditions are checked (e.g., if ticket status is “new” and priority is “urgent”).
- If conditions are met, actions are executed (e.g., send an email, change a ticket field, assign the ticket).
Use cases
- Auto-responding to customers.
- Assigning tickets based on criteria.
- Notifying agents or groups immediately.
| Aspect | Triggers | Automations |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Runs instantly on ticket events | Runs periodically (hourly) |
| Condition Type | Based on ticket properties and updates | Must incluse time-based conditions |
| Use Case | Immediate actions (e.g., notifications) | Time-based actions (e.g., reminders) |
| Frequency | Runs once per ticket event | Can run multiple times until ticket is resolved |
Ticket Events (Event Logs)
Q: What are Ticket Events?
A: Ticket events (also called Event Logs) show all the updates and notifications that have occurred to that ticket. Events are not shown by default. You have the option to show ticket events alongside the ticket comments.
Q: What do Ticket Events show?
A: Ticket Events show the following...
- Ticket creation and updates.
- Comments added or changed.
- Changes in ticket status, priority, or assignment.
- Which triggers or automations fired, and what actions they took.
- Side conversations, tags, or field changes.
Q: How are Ticket Events useful?
A: The Ticket Events helps admins and agents understand the full history of a ticket — what happened, when, and by whom or what system (human or automation). It’s critical for troubleshooting and auditing.
How to view Ticket Events
Reviewing ticket events can help you trace the path of a ticket and troubleshoot any issues. For example, you can see whether a trigger has fired or what type of browser the end-user was using.
To view ticket events
1. If you're using the Zendesk Agent Workspace, open a ticket and click the events icon ( 
) in the conversation header to toggle between ticket conversations and events.
2. Review the ticket events displayed. The events for each ticket update appear separately.
For additional information on how to view ticket events, please review:
- The Zendesk Help support article with a step-by-step guide: Viewing all events for ticket updates.
- What is shown in Ticket Events: Understanding what is shown in ticket events.
Q: How do Automations, Triggers, and Ticket Events work together?
A: Automations, Triggers, and Ticket Events work together...
- When a ticket is created or updated, Zendesk immediately runs triggers to check conditions and execute actions.
- Over time, automations run at scheduled intervals to perform actions on tickets that meet time-based criteria.
- All these changes—whether from manual updates, triggers, or automations—are recorded in the events log (ticket event), so you have a full history of ticket activity.
For additional information on automations, triggers, and ticket events, please review the following Zendesk Help support articles:
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