How triggers and automations run

Triggers

Triggers run inside every ticket create and update, before the change is saved:

1. ChaosDesk checks the active triggers in order: by category, then by position inside the category. Uncategorized triggers run first.
2. When a trigger matches, its actions are applied (status changes last), and the check starts again from the top, because its changes can make other triggers match.
3. Each trigger fires at most once per update. This stops loops, and the whole cycle stops after 25 passes.

All trigger changes are saved in the same update and shown in the ticket's events as made by that trigger. An action that would break a ticket rule is skipped and recorded as an error event; the update and the trigger's other actions go on.

Order triggers on the Triggers page by dragging the handle, or focus it and press the arrow keys. Use Move to category to file them.

Automations

Automations run a few minutes past every hour, on every ticket that is not closed:

• they need at least one "Hours since…" condition under ALL;
• they run in the order of the list, and each run acts on up to 1000 tickets per automation, oldest updates first;
• an automation must change something that stops it matching again, or use a condition that is true only once — ChaosDesk refuses to save one that cannot stop itself;
• on top of that, an automation acts on a ticket only once until the ticket changes again or stops matching, and ChaosDesk stops after 100 automation updates on one ticket (automations that close the ticket are exempt).

Macros

Macros never run on their own. An agent applies them, and the changes are staged until the agent submits.

Find a rule that misbehaves

• The rules lists show Fires (30 d) for each rule, with the last hour, 24 hours and 7 days on hover. Sort by usage shows the busiest ones.
• Open a ticket's events to see which trigger or automation changed what, and why it matched.
• Switch a rule off with Active while you investigate.

Related

• Create a trigger
• Automations
• Trigger and automation conditions