# Ticket sources and email event automation

Label where tickets originate and use email events to respond to ticket creation, messages, status changes or timed conditions.

*Release 3.3 · admin, operator, supervisor*

**Settings › Email › Ticket Source** · **Settings › Events › Email Events**

## What it is

**Ticket Source** provides labels for where tickets originate. **Email Events** defines actions that run when a ticket is created, receives email, changes status, closes or meets a timed trigger. You can use these rules to route work, change its priority or notify the right person.

## Who uses it and why

- Administrators with **Settings** maintain source labels and email-event rules.
- Supervisors with **Manager** configure email events to respond to the team's work.
- Operators select the appropriate **Ticket Source** and see the resulting ticket updates.

## Where to find it

Use **Settings › Email › Ticket Source** with **Settings**. Use **Settings › Events › Email Events** with **Settings** or **Manager**.

Operators see **Ticket Source** in the ticket editor when sources are available.

## How it works

Sources have a name and a **Hidden** state. The list initially places system sources first, then orders names. Hiding a source removes it from normal selection without giving existing tickets a different source. Deletion deactivates the source rather than erasing its underlying identity.

An email event listens for one or more choices under **Test for this Event**:

- **New Ticket Created**
- **Ticket Closed**
- **New Email**
- **Status Changed**
- **Time Based Trigger**

When the trigger and conditions match, the enabled rule performs its configured actions, subject to priority and cooldown. Actions include **Change Priority**, **Change Status**, **Transfer**, **Notify By Email**, **Set Disposition**, **Set Tags**, **Remove Tags**, **Email Autopilot**, **Mark as Spam** and **Add to Blacklist**.

**Notify By Email** can target **Assigned Operator**, **Customer** or specified **Email Addresses**. **Transfer** can target an **Operator**, **Team**, **Settings › Channel** or **Queue**. **Email Autopilot** offers enabled features of that kind.

## Configure it

To add a source, open **Ticket Source**, choose **New**, enter **Ticket Source Name** and save. Use **Hidden** when the category should remain identifiable but should no longer be offered for normal selection.

To create an event, open **Email Events**, choose **New**, enter **Name** and **Description**, then choose **Test for this Event**. Add conditions, **Priority**, **Cooldown** and the required **Actions**. Review recipients and sending account for notification emails, save the rule and check its **Enabled** state.

For **Email Autopilot**, a user with the **Settings** or **Developer** role must first configure an enabled feature in **Settings › AI › Features**. Then select it in the action.

### Fields

| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket Source Name | Settings › Email › Ticket Source | Yes | Names a ticket-origin category. |
| Hidden | Settings › Email › Ticket Source | No | Hides a source from normal selection while retaining its identity for existing work. |
| Name | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Identifies the event rule. |
| Description | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Explains the rule's purpose for other administrators. |
| Cooldown | Settings › Events › Email Events | No | Sets the interval in seconds between eligible executions under the event rules. |
| Priority | Settings › Events › Email Events | No | Sets the event's execution priority. |
| Test for this Event | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Selects ticket creation, closure, new email, status change or time-based triggers. |
| Actions | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Defines the changes or notifications performed when the event matches. |
| Enabled | Settings › Events › Email Events | No | Turns the saved event rule on or off. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Manage Ticket Source and Email Events through their Settings menus. |
| Manager | Manage Email Events. |

## Limits and good to know

- The email-event editor limits a rule to three actions and rejects duplicate action types.
- **Cooldown** uses seconds. It is separate from the day-based lifecycle timers managed by Powerfront.
- **Mark as Spam** stops the current ticket without automatically blocking future emails. **Add to Blacklist** adds the sender's address as a separate action.
- Hiding or deleting a source does not recategorise existing tickets. Check historical views before relying on a deleted source's displayed label.
- A system source can have different edit controls from a source you created.
- Status-changing events can interact with ticket lifecycle timers. Review both when a ticket moves unexpectedly.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Email ticket handling and statuses](CHN-026.md): Ticket sources and email events apply to email tickets and their lifecycle changes.
- **Configured in** [Roles and permissions](ADM-008.md): Roles determine access to source and email-event management.
- **Configured in** [Teams](ADM-013.md): Transfer actions use the teams and members configured in Teams.
- **Configured in** [Email Autopilot for tickets](AI-012.md): The selected Email Autopilot feature determines how the AI handles eligible tickets.
- **Configured in** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Transfer actions use the channels configured in Settings > Channel.
- **Configured in** [Dispositions](CHAT-019.md): Disposition definitions supply the choices available to the Set Disposition action.
- **Configured in** [Tags and conversation data](CHAT-031.md): The website's shared tag vocabulary supplies tags used by email-event actions.
- **Configured in** [Email account and mailbox setup](CHN-024.md): Notification actions use the selected email account's sending details.
- **Configured in** [Email event rules and actions](ENG-022.md): Email-event records define the triggers, conditions, priority, cooldown and actions that run on tickets.
- **Works better with** [Transferring conversations](CHAT-010.md): Transfer actions can move work to an operator, team, channel or queue.
- **Works better with** [Email templates and ticket notifications](CHN-028.md): Notification messages can use email macros and the selected account's branding.
- **Works better with** [Email sender blocking and exceptions](CHN-030.md): Mark as Spam and Add to Blacklist have separate current-ticket and future-sender effects.

### Used by

- **Configures** [Email event rules and actions](ENG-022.md): Ticket Source can restrict a rule to selected sources.
- **Configures** [Email ticket handling and statuses](CHN-026.md): Ticket sources and email events classify tickets and can change their status or assignment.
- **Configures** [Email sender blocking and exceptions](CHN-030.md): Email events can mark existing work as spam or add its sender to the blacklist.
- **Configures** [Ticket reports](REP-011.md): Ticket sources supply the Source breakdown and filters.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why is a source missing from the ticket editor?

Check whether it is **Hidden** or has been deleted. A user with **Settings** can review the source list.

### Why can a Manager edit events but not open Ticket Source?

The client **Ticket Source** menu requires **Settings**. **Manager** can access **Email Events**.

### Why did an event not run again straight away?

Check **Enabled**, the selected trigger, conditions and **Cooldown**. The ticket may no longer meet the conditions after the first action.

### Why is my AI feature absent from Email Autopilot?

The selector offers enabled Email Autopilot features. A user with the **Settings** or **Developer** role can check its type and enabled state in **Settings › AI › Features**.

### Why can I not add another action?

The editor allows up to three actions and prevents duplicate action types in one rule.