To create a trigger in Zendesk, go to Admin Center, then Objects and rules, then Business rules and Triggers. Open the Ticket tab, click Create trigger, name it, add conditions and actions, then click Create trigger again. It starts active and joins the end of the list, and the order of that list matters.
How Zendesk decides which triggers fire
Ticket triggers are business rules that run immediately after a ticket is created or updated, and perform actions if their conditions are met. Each one has two halves: conditions, the qualifications needed to fire, and actions, what happens when they're met. That's simple enough. The part that confuses people is the cycle, and it's worth a minute.
Every time a ticket is created or updated, all ticket triggers run in a cycle, in the order they're listed on the Triggers page. If one fires and updates the ticket, the cycle starts over. A trigger never fires more than once in the same cycle. Once you've understood that one rule, you'll be able to explain most of the strange behaviour you'll ever see.
Who can build triggers
Admins and agents in custom roles with permission to manage business rules can create ticket triggers. On non-Enterprise plans, triggers are visible to agents but only editable by admins. On Enterprise plans, they're visible only to agents in custom roles with permission to manage triggers.
Creating a ticket trigger, step by step
1. Open the Triggers page
In Admin Center, click Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Business rules > Triggers.
2. Start the trigger
Click the Ticket tab, then Create trigger. If a similar trigger exists, use the options menu to Clone it instead, or choose Create trigger below to place the new one under a selected trigger.
3. Name and file it
Enter a Name, an optional Description, and pick or create a Trigger category. A consistent naming convention makes triggers much easier to find once you've got dozens.
4. Add conditions
Click Add condition and decide whether the trigger needs All or Any of them to be true. For each condition, choose a Category, Field operator and Value.
5. Add the Ticket | Is condition
Include Ticket | Is with Created or Updated. Without it, the trigger runs every time any ticket is created or updated, which isn't what you'll usually want. Ticket | Is | Created is commonly used to route new tickets, and Ticket | Is | Updated to send notifications.
6. Add actions
Click Add action, choose a Category and Value, and fill in the details you'll need, for example an email notification to the requester or a group.
7. Save and position it
Click Create trigger. It's added to the end of the list and set active straight away. If you'd rather build it switched off, click the arrow next to Create trigger and select Inactive. Then move it up or down the list if its position matters.
Why the last trigger to fire wins
Zendesk help's Creating ticket triggers article flags order as the trap. Because the whole cycle restarts every time a trigger fires and updates a ticket, one trigger can switch another on, and when two triggers set the same field, the last one to fire wins.
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The fix is specific conditions. Use Ticket | Is | Created or Updated on every trigger, and use tags as nullifying conditions: have a trigger add a tag when it fires, and add a condition that it only fires when that tag is absent. That stops it looping or clashing, and you won't need to untangle it later.
Limits and quirks to know
- You can have a maximum of 7000 active ticket triggers, standard and custom combined.
- Each business rule must be less than 65kb.
- Triggers can be organised into categories, and the order of triggers and categories sets the firing order.
- Ticket triggers don't work on AI agent tickets.
How other help desks handle automation
Freshdesk automation rules run on ticket creation or ticket updates and can make API calls through Trigger Webhook or Trigger API actions. Front rules are made up of triggers, conditions and actions, and can be linear or branching. For wider comparisons, see my lists of Zendesk alternatives and help desk software for small businesses.
My advice before your tenth trigger
Name every trigger consistently, file it in a category, and give it a Ticket | Is condition so it only runs when you mean it to. When something fires unexpectedly, look at the list order and the cycle before you touch the conditions. A short, well-ordered set of triggers is far easier to trust than a long list nobody understands.
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Frequently asked questions
Who can create triggers in Zendesk?
Admins and agents in custom roles with permission to manage business rules.
What's the maximum number of triggers?
A maximum of 7000 active ticket triggers.
Why is my trigger not firing the way I expected?
Check the list order and the cycle: triggers run in order, and a trigger that updates the ticket restarts the cycle so others may then match.
Are triggers active when I create them?
Yes, unless you choose Inactive from the arrow next to Create trigger.
Do triggers work on AI agent tickets?
No. Zendesk says ticket triggers don't work on AI agent tickets.
