INSIDE 3.3
CHN-026

Email ticket handling and statuses

Create email tickets, assign responsibility and move work through Open, Pending, On Hold, Resolved and Closed.

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Where to find it
Settings › Email › General SettingsSettings › Email › Automation

What it is

Tickets organise email enquiries around a customer, subject, assignee and status. You can work on a ticket, wait for a reply, put it on hold or resolve it. Automatic transitions can remind the customer or return unfinished work to the queue.

Who uses it and why

  • Operators create tickets, reply, add internal comments and keep the status current.
  • Supervisors monitor unassigned and unresolved work, priorities and ownership.
  • Administrators agree assignment and timer rules with Powerfront.

Where to find it

Open email tickets from the conversation lists, including Unassigned and Unresolved Tickets, or use Create New Ticket for a customer.

Powerfront manages Settings › Email › General Settings and Settings › Email › Automation. Ask Powerfront to change ticket timers, reply requeueing or default tab behaviour.

How it works

  1. Select Create New Ticket and choose the customer in To. The customer needs an email address.
  2. Enter Subject: and an initial message. Choose Send From, Assignee, Priority and a Ticket Source when offered. You can also add attachments, dispositions, tags and configured fields.
  3. Choose the creation or save action for the required status. An internal comment is visible to operators and does not send a customer reply.
  4. Keep the status current as work progresses.
Status Use and subsequent behaviour
Open Active work. Eligible unanswered assignments can return to the queue.
Pending Waiting for the customer. A timer can send a reminder, reopen or close the ticket.
On Hold Paused work. A timer can return it to Open.
Resolved Work considered complete. A timer can close it later.
Closed Finished ticket. Reopening is subject to the configured window.

Customer replies can return tickets to Open and requeue eligible unpinned work. A valid pin can retain the assignee. Disabled or suspended assignees do not remain valid simply because a ticket was pinned to them.

Configure it

Ask Powerfront to set the status intervals and customer-reply assignment rules. Production status intervals use days, except Move Ticket from Open to Unassigned after, which uses minutes.

For Pending, Powerfront must choose either reopening or closing as the timed outcome when saving the automation settings. A reminder can run earlier. When several Pending actions are already due, reopening takes precedence, then closing, then the reminder.

Ask Powerfront to set Stay on Ticket or Close Tab / Close and remove from floor as the default workspace action. Your selected tab action is separate from the ticket status.

Settings

Setting Where Applies to Default Who can change it What it does
Push ticket to queue on customer reply Settings › Email › General Settings website On when no value is saved; the editor shows Off until a value is saved PowerfrontReturns eligible unpinned tickets to the queue when the customer replies.
Pin to Operator who Creates New Ticket or First Responds Settings › Email › General Settings website Off PowerfrontAutomatically pins a ticket to its creator or first responding operator.
Can assign Tickets to offline Operators/Teams/Channels Settings › Email › General Settings website Off PowerfrontAllows offline destinations in email assignment options.
Default Tab Action Settings › Email › General Settings website Close Tab / Close and remove from floor PowerfrontChooses whether the workspace closes the ticket tab or stays on the ticket after an action.
Send Ticket Reminder on Pending Status after Settings › Email › Automation website Not set; no reminder when absent PowerfrontSends one reminder after the configured number of days in Pending if a transition has not already taken precedence.
Move Ticket from Pending to Open after Settings › Email › Automation website Not set; no transition when absent PowerfrontReopens Pending tickets after the configured number of days.
Move Ticket from Pending to Closed after Settings › Email › Automation website Not set; no transition when absent PowerfrontCloses Pending tickets after the configured number of days and attempts the closure email.
Move Ticket from On Hold to Open after Settings › Email › Automation website 1 day PowerfrontReopens On Hold tickets after the configured interval.
Move Ticket from Open to Unassigned after Settings › Email › Automation website 1440 minutes (24 hours) when no value is saved; the editor initially loads 60 minutes PowerfrontRequeues eligible assigned, unpinned Open tickets after the configured number of minutes without an operator reply.
Move Ticket from Resolved to Closed after Settings › Email › Automation website 5 days PowerfrontCloses Resolved tickets after the configured interval; tickets resolved without reply do not receive the automated closure email.
Allow Closed Ticket to be Reopened Settings › Email › Automation website 60 days PowerfrontSets the period during which a Closed ticket remains eligible to reopen.

Fields

Field Where Required What it is for
To Ticket editor Yes Selects the customer contact, which must have an email address for a new email ticket.
Subject: Ticket editor Yes Names the enquiry. The editor allows up to 998 characters.
Assignee Ticket editor Yes Selects the responsible operator or team; Take it assigns the ticket to you.
Priority Ticket editor No Selects Low, Normal, High or Urgent.
Disposition Ticket editor No Categorises the ticket using the configured dispositions.
Ticket Source Ticket editor No Records the ticket's origin; selection is required when source choices are offered.

Permissions

Permission Lets you
Allow operator to pin tickets Makes manual ticket pinning available to the operator.

Limits and good to know

  • Closing a tab does not mean the ticket is Closed. Check its status.
  • Automatic Open-to-Unassigned processing excludes pinned work and other ineligible tickets.
  • An enabled offline operator is different from a disabled or suspended operator. Offline assignment also depends on your configuration.
  • A Pending reminder is sent once for that Pending period rather than on every timer check.
  • Automatic closure after Resolved skips the closure email for tickets resolved without a reply.
  • Status changes leave system notices in the conversation. Email events can also respond to status changes.

Depends on and works with

Email ticket handling and statusesCHN-026Email ticket handling andstatusesThis feature usesAdmin settings and feature switches · managed by PowerfrontADM-006 · PowerfrontAdmin settings and featureswitchesOperator accountsADM-007Operator accountsOperator settingsADM-010Operator settingsTeamsADM-013TeamsChat queueCHAT-005Chat queueDepartmentsCHAT-006DepartmentsTransferring conversationsCHAT-010Transferring conversationsTaking and pinning conversationsCHAT-011Taking and pinningconversationsUsed byChat trayCON-013Chat trayOperator replies and commentsCON-015Operator replies and commentsStats Bar and My StatsCON-024Stats Bar and My StatsMobile consoleCON-033Mobile consoleStarting, ending and expiring chatsCHAT-001Starting, ending and expiringchatsChat limits and wind-downCHAT-008Chat limits and wind-downTaking and pinning conversationsCHAT-011Taking and pinningconversationsPostponing conversationsCHAT-012Postponing conversations
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FAQ and troubleshooting

Why did a customer reply send the ticket back to the queue?

Push ticket to queue on customer reply can requeue eligible unpinned work. An invalid assignee can also cause reassignment.

Why did a ticket reopen without a customer reply?

Check Pending and On Hold timer rules with Powerfront, and review the system notice and email events.

Why did my tab close while the ticket stayed Pending?

The tab action and lifecycle status are separate. Closing the workspace tab leaves the selected status intact.

Why can I not create the ticket?

Check the selected contact and email, subject, initial message and assignee. Choose a source and sending account when the form requires them.

Why was there no automated closure email?

A ticket resolved without a reply is excluded from that closure email. Other failures can involve the sending account, template or delivery rules.

INSIDE 3.3 · Source commit 992abb980bContent is a pre-release draft© 2026 Powerfront