FAQs: Notification Rules and Triggers | Zoho Desk

FAQs: Notification Rules and Triggers

Notification Rule Basics

What are notification rules?
Notification rules are standard triggers that send updates to customers, CC’d users, agents, departments, or teams when specific support activities occur. Depending on the rule, notifications can be delivered by email or SMS/text message.

For example, a requester can receive an acknowledgement when a new ticket is created, while the assigned agent can receive an alert when the customer replies.
Can notification rules be turned off?
Yes. Standard notification rules can be activated or deactivated as needed. This allows administrators to retain useful alerts while preventing notifications that do not match the organization’s support workflow.

For example, an organization may keep ticket-assignment notifications active for agents while disabling public-comment edit notifications if those updates create unnecessary message volume.
Are notification rules limited to email?
No, Notifications can be sent through email or SMS/text message. The available delivery method should be selected according to the organization’s notification requirements and the recipients who need the update.

Customer and CC Notifications

Which notifications can a ticket requester receive?
Requesters can be notified when:
  1. A new ticket is received
  2. Their reply to a ticket is acknowledged
  3. Their ticket is closed
  4. A public comment is added
  5. A public comment is edited
  6. A public comment is deleted
  7. A new reply is received on the ticket
These notifications help keep the requester informed throughout the ticket lifecycle.
What is the difference between a new-ticket acknowledgement and a reply acknowledgement?
A new-ticket notification confirms that the requester’s ticket has been received. A reply acknowledgement confirms that a response from the requester has been received after the ticket already exists.

For example:

A customer submits a new issue at 9:00 AM and receives confirmation that the ticket was received.
The customer adds more information at 11:00 AM and receives acknowledgement that the follow-up response was received.
Will a customer be notified when a public comment changes?
Yes. Separate contact notification rules are available for adding, editing, and deleting public comments. These notifications apply to comments that are public on the ticket.

Administrators should consider the customer experience before enabling all three. A customer may need to know that new information was added, while edit or deletion alerts may be unnecessary for certain support processes.
Can users copied on a ticket receive the same updates as the requester?
Yes. Separate CC notification rules are available for users copied on a ticket. CC’d users can be notified when:
  1. A new ticket is received
  2. A new reply is received
  3. A reply is acknowledged
  4. The ticket is closed
  5. A public comment is added, edited, or deleted
  6. They are added as a CC on an existing ticket
Will someone added as a CC later receive a notification?
Yes. A notification rule is available specifically for notifying users when they are added as a CC on an existing ticket.

For example, when a customer adds a procurement colleague to an ongoing billing ticket, that colleague can be notified that they have been included in the conversation.

Agent Notifications

Which ticket events can notify an agent?
Agent notification rules are available for several ticket-related events, including:
  1. Ticket assignment
  2. Receiving a ticket reply
  3. A ticket being submitted for review
  4. Adding, editing, or deleting a comment
  5. Being mentioned in a ticket
  6. Assignment of a Blueprint transition
These alerts help agents respond to changes that require their attention.
Will an assigned agent be notified when a customer replies?
Yes. The Receiving a ticket reply notification can alert the agent that a ticket assigned to them has received a new response.

This is particularly useful for follow-up-driven workflows. For example, an agent who requested screenshots from a customer can be alerted when the customer sends the requested information.
Can a reviewer be notified when a ticket needs approval?
Yes. The Receiving ticket for review notification informs the reviewer or approver when a ticket is awaiting their review.

This supports approval-based support processes, such as escalations requiring supervisory review before a response, refund decision, or workflow progression.
Can agents be notified when they are mentioned?
Yes. Notification rules are available when an agent is mentioned in a ticket, call, task, or event.

For example, an agent can mention a product specialist in a ticket to request technical guidance. The mentioned specialist can then receive an alert without needing to monitor every ticket manually.
Can an agent be notified about associated calls, tasks, and events?
Yes. Agent notifications are available for:
  1. Assignment of a call, task, or event
  2. Completion of a call, task, or event created for the agent’s ticket
  3. Mentions in calls, tasks, or events
For example, if a follow-up call is assigned to an agent for a ticket, the agent can be notified at assignment. When that call is completed, the agent can also receive a completion notification.
What is a Blueprint transition assignment notification?
This notification alerts the agent who has been assigned to perform a transition in a Blueprint. It helps ensure that the person responsible for advancing a ticket through its defined process is informed when their action is required.

Department and Team Notifications

Can an entire department be notified when a ticket is moved to it?
Yes. The Receiving a moved ticket department notification alerts all agents when a ticket is moved into their department.

For example, a ticket initially handled by General Support may be transferred to Billing. This notification can make the Billing department aware of the incoming request.
Can a department be notified about unassigned new tickets?
Yes. The Creating a new ticket department notification alerts all agents when a ticket is created and has not been automatically assigned.

This is useful for teams that triage incoming work manually. However, it should be enabled thoughtfully because a high volume of unassigned tickets may generate a large number of alerts.
Can a department be notified when a ticket is shared with it?
Yes. The Receiving a shared ticket notification alerts all agents when a ticket is shared with their department.

This helps a department stay informed when another team needs visibility or collaboration without necessarily moving ownership of the ticket.
Can members of a team receive notifications about team-assigned tickets?
Yes. Team notifications are available when:
  1. A ticket is assigned to the team
  2. A ticket assigned to the team receives a reply
  3. A comment is added to a team-assigned ticket
  4. A comment is edited on a team-assigned ticket
For example, when a ticket is assigned to a Hardware Support team rather than a specific agent, team members can be notified so that the appropriate member can take action.

Notification Design and Administration

How should notification rules be configured without overwhelming recipients?
Enable notifications according to the action each recipient must take:
  1. Identify the recipient group - Requester, CC’d user, assigned agent, department, or team.
  2. Identify the actionable event - For example, a customer reply, ticket assignment, review request, or team assignment.
  3. Avoid redundant alerts - Do not activate overlapping rules unless each recipient has a clear reason to receive both notifications.
  4. Review high-volume events - Department-wide notifications for unassigned or moved tickets can create significant alert volume.
  5. Validate customer-facing updates - Confirm that public-comment additions, edits, and deletions should trigger separate customer notifications for the intended workflow.
When should a department notification be used instead of an agent notification?
Use an agent notification when a specific agent owns or must act on a ticket. Use a department notification when the entire department needs awareness, such as when a ticket is moved into the department, created without automatic assignment, or shared with that department.

For example, notify an assigned agent when a customer replies. Notify the department when a new unassigned ticket requires someone to claim or triage it.