How to set WIP limits on Zendesk tickets
By Jake Marsh · Updated
To set WIP limits on Zendesk tickets, build a Lanewell board with columns by status, group, assignee or a stage field, and enter a WIP limit for each column you want to cap. Under When a column is at its limit, choose Allow the move and flag the column or Refuse the move. The column header then shows count / limit and turns amber at the limit and red over it.
Steps
- Open Lanewell from the left navigation bar and click New board, or edit a board you have.
- Pick the tickets under Tickets from: a view or a saved search such as
status<solved. - Pick the columns that the limit should apply to. Common choices are in the table below.
- Enter a WIP limit next to each column you want to cap. Leave the others empty.
- Choose When a column is at its limit.
- Allow the move and flag the column: the move goes through, and the column is marked over its limit.
- Refuse the move: a move into a full column is refused before anything is sent to Zendesk.
- Save the board. Admins can Save for the team so everyone works to the same limits.
Which columns to cap
| Columns by | Limit means |
|---|---|
| Status | No more than N tickets New, or Open, at a time |
| Assignee | No agent holds more than N tickets on this board |
| Group | No team holds more than N |
| A stage field | No more than N tickets in "In review" or "Waiting on engineering" |
For assignee and group columns, Always show these columns keeps agents or groups with no tickets on the board, so leads can drag work to whoever has room.
How the limit shows
| Column state | What you see |
|---|---|
| Under the limit | count / limit in the header |
| At the limit | The column turns amber |
| Over the limit | The column turns red, and its cells get a red outline |
| Refuse mode, full column | The move is refused with a message naming the column, its limit and how many it holds |
Swimlanes don't count separately: the limit is for the whole column, across every lane.
Spotting a backed-up queue
A board with status columns and a limit on New shows the moment new tickets pile up past what the team can triage: the column turns amber, then red. Agents see it on the board itself. Lanewell doesn't send emails or notifications about limits.
A refused move in Refuse the move mode tells the agent to move a ticket out first, or to ask an admin to raise the limit.
Limits and permissions
- WIP limits are part of the board's layout. On a shared board, only admins can change them.
- On a personal board, the agent sets their own.
- A limit never changes tickets. It only flags a column or refuses a drag on the board. Changes made elsewhere in Zendesk aren't blocked.
What it costs
Lanewell Standard is $5 per agent per month with WIP limits, swimlanes, the calendar tab and every other feature, after a 14-day trial. Zendesk asks for a card at install and bills monthly. See the Lanewell documentation for the full reference.
Lanewell
Kanban boards and a due-date calendar for your tickets. Drag a card and Zendesk updates the ticket. $5 a month per agent.
Questions
Can I get an alert when a board has more than X tickets?
On a Lanewell board, a column with a WIP limit turns amber at the limit and red over it, so the whole team sees it. It doesn't send emails.
Do WIP limits stop agents from taking tickets in Zendesk itself?
No. The limit applies to moves on the board. Assigning a ticket in the ticket view works as usual.
Can each column have a different limit?
Yes. Each column has its own WIP limit, and columns without one have no cap.
Do limits count tickets the board doesn't show?
The count is the tickets on the board, from its view or search. A board reads up to 500 by default, which an admin can set between 50 and 1,000.
More Lanewell guides
- How to create a Kanban board from a Zendesk view
- How to see Zendesk tickets on a calendar by due date