Email event rules and actions
Apply ordered email rules to route tickets, change their details and trigger follow-up when events or time conditions match.
What it is
Email Events apply rules to email tickets when something changes or enough time has passed. A rule can route work, change ticket details or send a notification. INSIDE checks rules in priority order and stops after the first rule that runs its actions.
Who uses it and why
- Administrators with the Settings role and Events permission configure rules.
- Supervisors review routing and escalation behaviour. The Manager role exposes the screen, but saving and deleting need the Settings role with Events permission.
- Operators see the resulting assignments, ticket changes and notifications.
Where to find it
Open Settings › Events › Email Events. Use the list to review rules and their Enabled state.
Settings › Email › Automation is a separate Powerfront-managed screen for standard ticket timers. Ask Powerfront to change those timers; use Email Events for the ordered rules described here.
How it works
- A selected event occurs. Choices under Test for this Event are New Ticket Created, Ticket Closed, New Email, Status Changed and Time Based Trigger.
- INSIDE checks enabled rules with actions, starting at the lowest numbered Priority. Rules without a priority come last. Equal priorities use the rule's ID order.
- The rule checks its cooldown and conditions. Conditions can combine alternatives and requirements, including ticket status, priority, subject, email account, message sender, assignee, source, tags, disposition and sentiment.
- Time conditions can check elapsed time since a status change, assignment or the last non-system message.
- The first qualifying rule runs its actions. Later rules are not evaluated for that event.
Standard 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. A transfer can assign work or push it to a queue.
Configure it
Create a rule with a unique Name and Description. Enter Cooldown, optionally set Priority, and choose the events that should check it. Add at least one condition and one action, then save. Enable the rule after checking its configuration.
Put specific rules before broad catch-all rules. Include Time Based Trigger when using elapsed-time conditions. For Email Autopilot, configure the AI feature under Settings › AI › Features with the Settings or Developer role, then select it in the action.
Test both matching and non-matching tickets, including any pinned tickets and status transitions you depend on. Check View Only and the Events permission if saving is unavailable.
Fields
| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Gives the rule a unique name within the displayed email event list. |
| Description | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Describes the rule's purpose. |
| Cooldown | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Sets the minimum interval in seconds between attempts by this rule for the same ticket. Zero applies no cooldown; the new editor leaves the value unset and requires a number before saving. |
| Priority | Settings › Events › Email Events | No | Sets evaluation order, with smaller numbers first. Accepts 1 to 999999999; unset priorities run after numbered priorities. |
| Test for this Event | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Selects one or more ticket events that cause INSIDE to check the rule. |
| Actions | Settings › Events › Email Events | Yes | Defines what happens when the conditions match. At least one action is required and the editor rejects duplicate action types within a rule. |
| Enabled | Settings › Events › Email Events | No | Switches the saved rule on or off. A newly saved rule starts disabled until enabled. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Access Email Events and save or delete rules when Events is permitted and View Only is off. |
| Events | Allows event configuration within the Settings role. |
| Manager | Access the Email Events screen. This role alone does not grant saving or deleting rules. |
Limits and good to know
- These standard conversation rules apply to email tickets. They do not turn web chat or social messages into email tickets.
- Migrated conversations are excluded from this rule processing.
- A cooldown starts before the actions run. An unsuccessful action can still leave the rule cooling down.
- Timed rules remember relevant ticket timestamps to avoid repeating the same action on unchanged state. Expiry of a cooldown alone does not guarantee another timed action.
- Pinned tickets normally resist automatic transfer. A disabled or suspended assignee can allow routing to recover the ticket.
- The editor rejects duplicate action types within one rule and some contradictory combinations, including transfers tied to closed tickets. A new-ticket rule cannot change the new ticket directly to Open through this editor.
- A matching rule can prevent later rules from running even when one of its actions has nothing to change. Avoid overlapping rules that rely on every matching rule executing.
Depends on and works with
+8 more · this feature uses
- Sentiment and emotionEnhances
Sentiment can be used in ticket conditions.
- Tags and conversation dataEnhances
Tags can be conditions and can be added or removed by actions.
- Email templates and ticket notificationsConfigured by
Email templates and macros supply the content used by notification actions.
- Ticket sources and email event automationConfigured by
Ticket Source can restrict a rule to selected sources.
- Email Autopilot for ticketsConfigured by
The selected Email Autopilot feature defines the AI handling requested by the rule.
- Custom scripts in email event rulesEnhances
Developer extensions can add scripted event behaviour beyond the standard action choices.
- DepartmentsConfigured by
Channel routing and availability settings determine eligible destinations for automatic transfers.
- TeamsConfigured by
Team membership and team pinning settings affect automatic ticket transfers.
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Incoming email and ticket repliesEnhances
Incoming emails can trigger rules after INSIDE identifies their ticket.
- Email ticket handling and statusesRequires
Email Events operates on email tickets and their lifecycle events.
- Email account and mailbox setupConfigured by
Email account identity can filter rules and supply notification senders.
- Transferring conversationsEnhances
Transfer actions route matching tickets.
- Chat queueEnhances
A Transfer action can push a ticket to the queue.
- Taking and pinning conversationsConfigured by
Pinned assignment protects eligible tickets against automatic transfer.
- DispositionsConfigured by
Disposition definitions supply the classifications available to email rules.
- Spam review and blockingEnhances
Rules can mark spam or add a sender to the blacklist.
- Sentiment and emotionEnhances
Sentiment can be used in ticket conditions.
- Tags and conversation dataEnhances
Tags can be conditions and can be added or removed by actions.
- Email templates and ticket notificationsConfigured by
Email templates and macros supply the content used by notification actions.
- Ticket sources and email event automationConfigured by
Ticket Source can restrict a rule to selected sources.
- Email Autopilot for ticketsConfigured by
The selected Email Autopilot feature defines the AI handling requested by the rule.
- Custom scripts in email event rulesEnhances
Developer extensions can add scripted event behaviour beyond the standard action choices.
- DepartmentsConfigured by
Channel routing and availability settings determine eligible destinations for automatic transfers.
- TeamsConfigured by
Team membership and team pinning settings affect automatic ticket transfers.
Used by
- Email Autopilot for ticketsConfigured by
Email Events invoke the selected Email Autopilot feature.
- Ticket sources and email event automationConfigured by
Email-event records define the triggers, conditions, priority, cooldown and actions that run on tickets.
- Integration script selection for automated actionsConfigured by
Email Events defines the triggers, priority and cooldown for rules with Powerfront-configured script actions.
- Custom scripts in email event rulesConfigured by
Email Events defines the triggers, conditions, priority and cooldown for custom script rules.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why did my second matching rule not run?
An earlier rule ran its actions. Adjust Priority or combine the required actions into one rule.
Why did a timed rule run only once?
INSIDE tracks the timestamp that satisfied the condition. Review whether the ticket's status, assignment or last-message time has changed, as well as the cooldown.
Why did a matching ticket stay with its operator?
Check whether it is pinned or protected by a pin-to-creator setting. Automatic transfers normally preserve that assignment.
Why can I open Email Events but not save?
Saving requires the Settings role with Events permitted and View Only off. The Manager role alone is insufficient.
Why did Email Autopilot do nothing?
Check that the rule ran and selects the intended Email Autopilot feature. That feature has its own eligibility and processing rules.