How to get an alert when a Zendesk ticket is on hold too long
By Jake Marsh · Updated
To get an alert when a Zendesk ticket sits On-hold too long, open Hourwell, pick the On-hold too long template, set the goal in working hours and choose the actions under When the goal is passed. The template sets the status back to Open and emails the assignee. Click Save timer, and Zendesk runs the actions on every ticket that stays On-hold past the limit.
Steps
- Open Hourwell in the left bar as an admin and pick On-hold too long under New timer. Its condition is "status is On-hold", and it starts over each time the ticket goes back On-hold.
- Narrow it if needed. Add conditions under Runs while (all of these), such as one group, a form, or a tag like
waiting_vendor. Use Ticket status (custom) if your team holds tickets in a custom status. - Set the goal. The template uses 16 working hours. Enter your own under Goal: hours.
- Add a warning if you want one: set Warn this many minutes before and add an action under When the warning time comes, such as Email the assignee.
- Set the breach actions under When the goal is passed. Keep Set status Open and Email the assignee, or add Move to group, Set priority or Add tags.
- Pick the calendar under Counts time on, so nights, weekends and holidays don't count.
- Click Save timer, then Start on open tickets to include tickets already On-hold.
Write the email
Emails can use {{ticket.id}}, {{ticket.title}} and {{ticket.link}}. The template's subject is On-hold too long: {{ticket.title}} (#{{ticket.id}}). Send it to the assignee, the ticket's group, another group or one agent, such as the team lead.
When the alert fires
| Who is signed in | When the action runs |
|---|---|
| The ticket's assignee, or for an unassigned ticket someone in its group, has Zendesk open | Within a minute of the deadline |
| Anyone else with Hourwell has Zendesk open | Within about 4 minutes |
| Nobody | Zendesk's hourly automations run it after the deadline, never before: usually within an hour or two, within a few hours for a deadline more than half a day away |
| Timer on a 24/7 calendar | Armed by its start trigger the moment it starts, even with nobody signed in |
Agents also get a pop-up in Zendesk when a timer on one of their tickets goes overdue.
If the ticket leaves On-hold while a deadline is armed, an Hourwell trigger disarms it at once, so nothing fires on a ticket that already moved. Zendesk automations act on at most 1,000 tickets an hour and never on closed tickets.
Watch the On-hold queue
- The ticket sidebar shows the timer with its time left, a progress bar and when it's due in the agent's time zone.
- Timers running lists every running or overdue timer, with the Overdue, Due within an hour and My tickets filters.
- The "Hourwell: overdue timers" view lists every overdue ticket.
What it costs
Hourwell Standard is $3 per agent per month, every feature included. It has a 14-day trial; Zendesk asks for a card at install and bills monthly. The Hourwell documentation covers every action and how deadlines fire.
Hourwell
Custom timers and OLAs in business hours, on any status, group or field, with breach actions. $3 a month per agent.
Questions
Can I reopen tickets that have been On-hold too long automatically?
Yes. The On-hold too long template sets the status to Open at the breach. You can also move the ticket to another group or agent.
Does the hold time count overnight?
Only if the timer's calendar is 24/7. On a business-hours calendar the clock stops outside working hours and on the calendar's holidays.
Why did the alert come later than the deadline?
Nobody with Hourwell had Zendesk open, so Zendesk's hourly automations fired it. They run after the deadline, never early.
Can I alert on Pending tickets instead?
Yes. Change the condition to "Status is Pending", or to any custom status your team uses for waiting.
Should I edit the triggers Hourwell creates?
No. Change the timer instead. Hourwell repairs its own triggers when an admin opens it or clicks Apply rules now on the Setup tab.