Automation #10 - Auto Assign Ticket based on Keywords

Automation #10 - Auto Assign Ticket based on Keywords



This is a monthly series designed to help you get the best out of Desk. We take our cue from what's being discussed or asked about the most in our community. Then we find the right use cases that specifically highlight solutions, ideas and tips on optimizing your customer support with the automation capabilities of Zoho Desk.

Zoho Desk offers you a few choices on how to assign your tickets. From Direct assignment to Round Robin rules, every variation cued to assign tickets in a way best suited to your business workflow.
 
These features can help you create a viable workflow easily. Even in cases when you'd like to add more context to open tickets and assign them based on their content. For example, you have a Direct Assignment rule based on a State. As per the rule any ticket originating from that State is automatically assigned to a specific Agent, say Agent 1. However, after a few conversations, the customer refers to the keyword refund in their email content. At which point you want it to include the Refund team automatically. This can be achieved using a custom function, which reads the keyword in the email replies of a customer, and automatically assigns any email matching the keyword to the concerned team based on the rule set.

We have replaced Auth-tokens with connections for all the existing custom functions. So the first step to make the most of ZohoDesk's automation capabilities is to create a connection to use in the custom function later.
 
To create the connection, carry out the following steps: 
  1. Click on Setup > Developer Space > Connections 
  2. Click Create Connection
  3. In the Pick Your Service section, under Pre-Defined Services find and select Zoho OAuth
  4. In the Connection Details section, add zohodesk as the Connection Name and Connection LinkName
  5. In the Choose Scopes list, select Desk.tickets.READ
  6. Click Create and Connect
  7. In the page that appear, click Connect
  8. If you have more than one portal associated, select the Portal to which this connection should be added and click Accept.
To create the custom function, follow the steps below: 
  1. Go to Setup, and under Automation, click Workflows.
  2. On the left panel, under Workflows, click Rules > Create Rule.
    In the Basic Information section, carry out the following steps:
  3. In the Module drop-down menu, select Tickets.
  4. Enter a name and description for the rule.
  5. If you want to activate the rule right away, select the Active checkbox. Else, you can just create the rule now and activate it later, on the Rules page.
  6. Click Next.
    In the Execute on section, perform the following steps:
  7. Select the Create checkbox to execute this rule every time a new ticket is created.  
  8. Click Next.
    In the Criteria section, if you want to create a ticket just based on the keywords, then do not select any criteria and move to the next section.
    In the Actions section, carry out the following steps:
  9. Click the + icon and select Custom Functions > New
  10. Click Edit Arguments
  11. In the Name field type TicketID, and from the Value drop-down list select Ticket Id under Ticket Information.
  12. In the script window, input the Custom Function you find below: 
    orgId = "paste orgId here";
    DepartmentB_id = "paste department B id here";
    keyword1 = "paste keyword value here";
    keyword2 = "paste keyword value here";
    TicketInfo = zoho.desk.getRecordById(orgId, "tickets", TicketID);
    subj = TicketInfo.get("subject");
    threads = zoho.desk.getRelatedRecords(orgId,"threads","tickets",TicketID).get("data").toList();
    threadId = threads.getJSON("id");
    Message_body = invokeurl
    [
    url :"https://desk.zoho.com/api/v1/tickets/" + TicketID + "/threads/" + threadId + "?include=plainText"
    type :GET
    connection:"zohodesk"
    ];
    Message_body = Message_body.getJSON("plainText");
    if ( Message_body.containsIgnoreCase(keyword1) || Message_body.containsIgnoreCase(keyword2) || subj.containsIgnoreCase(keyword1) || subj.containsIgnoreCase(keyword2)   )
    {
    info zoho.desk.ticket.move(orgId, TicketID, DepartmentB_id);
    }
Note: The connection name used in the above script should match the name that you provided while creating the connection. 

Stay tuned for more such use cases!


      • Sticky Posts

      • Zoho Desk Virtual Meetup: US Central, October 5 - 7, 2021

        After the interactive Virtual Meetups in the other regions, we are starting with the US Central and Midwest regions from October 5 to October 7, 2021. The dates for other regions will be announced soon.  At this event, we will explore the topics which
      • Register for Zoho Desk Beta Community

        With the start of the year, we have decided to take a small step in making the life of our customers a little easier. We now have easy access to all our upcoming features and a faster way to request for beta access. We open betas for some of our features
      • Share your Zoho Desk story with us!

        Tell us how you use Zoho Desk for your business and inspire others with your story. Be it a simple workflow rule that helps you navigate complex processes or a macro that saves your team a lot of time; share it here and help the community learn and grow with shared knowledge. 
      • Zoho Desk Community Meetups 2019 - Canada

        Hey there!  ​ Are you making the best use of Zoho Desk? Do you think meeting and learning from other Zoho users in your city would help? If yes, then Zoho User Group Meetups is the right place for you! We're happy to announce our first Zoho Desk User Group meetups in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary, and Vancouver. These meetups are a great place to meet local Zoho users, Zoho Desk product experts and partners, all under one roof.    Join us as we discuss some key Zoho Desk features and share
      • Tip #1: Learn to pick the right channels

        Mail, live chat, telephony, social media, web forms—there are so many support channels out there. Trying to pick the right channels to offer your customers can get pretty confusing. Emails are most useful when the customer wants to put things on record. However, escalated or complicated issues should not be resolved over email because it's slow and impersonal.  When you need immediate responses, live chat is more suitable. It's also quick and convenient, so it's the go-to channel for small issues. 

        • Recent Topics

        • Syncing with Google calendar, Tasks and Events

          Is it possible to sync Zoho CRM calendar, task and events with Google Calendar's tasks and events. With the increasing adoption by many major tool suppliers to sync seamlessly with Google's offerings (for instance I use the excellent Any.do task planning
        • Merge invoices

          This has come up three times in a month of me using the system. a client whom i do work for on a regular bases asked me to invoice separate jobs on a single invoice. I would then go and cancel the old invoices and make a new one. It would be great if i could just select the invoices and click merge to create a single invoice.
        • Pipeline stages for product-led growth (PLG) subscription services

          (Estagios de pipeline com foco em serviço digital por assinatura (PLG)) Dear colleagues, I am writing to request assistance with a significant challenge I am currently facing. I manage a digital service that operates on a subscription-based model. I am
        • Multiselect lookup in subform

          It would be SO SO useful if subforms could support a multiselect look up field! Is this in the works??
        • Zoho CRM for Email ( Microsoft add on app) Feb 25, 2025

          We are currently experiencing issues with Zoho CRM for Outlook despite updating the Microsoft add on app and Zoho software to the latest versions. When working in Outlook on our Macs and PC's and 365 on the web, when we try to link an email in Outlook
        • Sheet View for Reports

          We often need to filter our contacts in a way that is too complex for Custom Filters (which now allows filtering by Related Modules - amazing! - but doesn't allow for an *OR* relationship between the multiple filters) or Custom View (which does not yet
        • Feature enhancement: Highlight rows based on a cell value

          Hello Sheet users, We're excited to announce a new feature enhacement, shaped directly by your valuable feedback! As you might know, conditional formatting is a great tool for anyone dealing with large data sets. Previously, if you’ve ever wanted to draw
        • Urgent: Unable to Receive OTP Email for Portal User Registration in Zoho Creator

          I paid to enable the Portal User feature on 2/25, and followed the official instructions (Youtube video: Customer Portals | Zoho Creator) to set up the Portal User using my Gmail account. However, I am not receiving the OTP email and am unable to successfully
        • Zoho not receiving verification email.

          I developed a website registration page and need to send verification email. I am using sendinblue for sending out the verification emails. Somehow, the mail is not being received by the Zoho users. Gmail, outlook, yahoo domains works fine but when I try to send the mail to my Zoho account I am not able to receive the mail. Can you please let me know what might be the issue?
        • Restore deleted spreadsheet

          Hi all, I can not find my spreadsheet. It seems that my spreadsheet is deleted. Please, restore the spreadsheet. Thanks in advance
        • Lookup fields can't be used for anything important

          Hi It seems the lookup fields are mostly.... informative, you can at most link stuff between modules... You can't use lookup fields in blueprints, you can't use them in layout rules or anything... It that correct?
        • Function to check frequency of customer ordering patterns

          Hi, I'm no coder, so I thought I could make use of Chat GPT to generate some Deluge script to create a function that would check order frequency of our customers so that I could send an email if they go beyond their usual order pattern. Chat GPT and Claude
        • Better Control over Team Ordering and Display

          Two feature requests for Zoho Desk team drop downs: The ability to change the order of teams, currently it's not in alphabetical order, which is confusing. I'm thinking a manual ordering via number or drag and drop, alphabetical order, and creation order
        • Clear specific tag or tags from all leads

          I'm looking for a way to clear a specific tag from all Leads. I have a function when a tag is added to a lead they are added to a campaign and their status is set to "invited". I need to find a method to remove the tag. If I try to delete the tag to clear
        • Cisco Webex Calling Intergration

          Hi Guys, Our organisation is looking at a move from Salesforce to Zoho. We have found there is no support for Cisco Webex Calling however? Is there a way to enable this or are there any apps which can provide this? Thanks!
        • Has Anyone Else Built a State Machine into a Function?

          I'm in the process of building a state machine for lead lifecycle management within Zoho CRM, and I'm curious if anyone else has tried integrating a state machine into their Deluge functions, especially considering Zoho’s 12-function cap. I’ve managed
        • Is there a way for a custom function to trigger a custom made email alert?

          Hi Zoho Team, We have currently maxed out our 30 workflows in one of our department and we are trying to find ways to make it more efficient. We usually use our workflows to send automated email notifications per team leader for approval of tickets. Is
        • Unified WhatsApp Number Management in Zoho Desk and SalesIQ

          Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are currently utilizing both Zoho Desk and Zoho SalesIQ for our customer support operations. While both platforms offer WhatsApp integration, we are facing challenges due to the requirement of separate WhatsApp numbers
        • Multi User Lookup field on the Zoho CRM iOS app.

          Hello all!   Hope you are all safe and sound.   We have now brought in support for the Multi User Lookup field on the Zoho CRM mobile app. Below are the enhancements that are supported in this update:   * Multi User Lookup field can be added through the
        • Help with Deluge Script in Zoho SalesIQ (Input Variables Always Null)

          Hi everyone, I’m working on a Deluge script for Zoho SalesIQ, specifically for a block in Zobot. The script is supposed to: Check the visitor’s name when they start a chat. If the name is empty, return false; if a name is present, return true. However,
        • Item/service subtotal

          Just discovered & really pleased that we can drag to re-order the line items in Sales orders & Invoices, a very nice feature which doesn't seem to be documented? It would be nice to be able to insert a subtotal as a line item to complete this great feature
        • Hide/Show Certain Fields When Creating/Editing Invoices, Estimates, Etc.

          Hello there, I would like the ability to hide or show certain fields for different employees/roles in my company when they are creating or editing invoices, estimates, etc.. Most of the time, we don't use half of the fields shown on the create/edit invoice
        • Is there a way to make an account inactive in ZoHo Desk

          We have a few Clients "Accounts" that we no longer do business with. It would be beneficial for them to not show up in lists. However, we want to go back and view tickets, time, etc.
        • Any way to Associate a Recurring Invoice with Deal/Potential in Zoho CRM

          When we create an Invoice in Zoho Books, we have the option to associate that invoice with a Potential/Deal that is tied to that same customer. Can we do the same thing with Recurring Invoices? When creating a Recurring Invoice, I want to be able to Associate
        • SSO/SAML

          Question - how are you guys handling SSO for Desk?  It seems the only options lead back to ADFS which is a dying technology, stupidly complicated to set up and configure (I mean, you can put that on your resume) and seems like overkill for SSO when AAD does it so much better and effortlessly.  We want to have our clients have SSO to log into our support portal and we want our Agents to have SSO as well. I shouldn't have to expose our server, turn on ADFS, configure it, install multiple clients (Sync
        • Are downloadable product available in Zoho Commerce

          Hi all. We're considering switching to Zoho Commerce for our shop, but we sell software and remote services. Is there a features for downloadable products? I can't find any information about this. Thank you very much Alice
        • Ask the Experts 17: Elevate Customer Communication With Multichannel & Instant Messaging

          Hello Everyone, Get ready for the opportunity to interact with Zoho Desk specialists! This month, we’re diving into Multichannel Operations, helping you manage customer interactions across various platforms seamlessly. Why Join? Customers reach out through
        • ZOHO DESK

          I use Outlook Exchange to receive emails and want to forward them to Zoho Desk for better management. Additionally, I want to reply to emails in Zoho Desk and have them sent to customers via Outlook Exchange, but I don’t know how to configure it.
        • Automating Custom Web Link Messages to Customers via Instant Messaging in Zoho Desk

          Hello, I am looking for assistance with Zoho Desk's Instant Messaging feature. Is there a way to automate the sending of a custom web link to customers every day at 6:30 PM? Any guidance or suggestions on how to achieve this would be greatly appreciated.
        • Exciting Update: Multi WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) Support Now Available in SalesIQ!

          We’re pleased to share an important update that will enhance the way you manage your WhatsApp Business accounts (WABAs) within SalesIQ. With the launch of Multi WABA support, you can now connect and manage multiple brands more effectively, each under
        • An error occurred while uploading the attachment.

          From the image below, attaching files is not possible via the website but is supported through the Mobile App.
        • One time offer in Zoho Campaigns

          Hello! I have an idea to improve my sales. I would like to make a "one time offer" in Zoho Campaigns with a clock that will count down the bid validity period.  Is it possible? Regards.
        • How to Initiate WhatsApp Message on SalesIQ?

          I've just activated a Business WhatsApp phone number through SalesIQ because of its touted omnichannel chat approach. Sounds exciting. I understand that when a customer sends me a WA message, I can reply to it on SalesIQ and keep the chat going, perfect.
        • Multiple self client instances

          there a couple of details that deserve clarification / improvement in Zoho's OAuth 2: 1. for building true server apps - cloud to cloud REST - one has to choose Self Client when creating a new instance in API Console; Server-based Appplications is slightly
        • Workdrive Oauth2 Token Isn't Refreshing

          I have set up oauth for a bunch of zoho apis and have never had a problem with oauth. With workdrive i am using the exact same template i usually use for the other zoho apps and it is not working. All requests will work for the first hour then stops so
        • Zoho Desk - Delete an email conversation

          When using Zoho support desk I see an option to delete and edit conversations that are comments, BUT if the conversation was automatically added as a conversation from an email, then the option to delete it seems not to be available. Is there a way to
        • Organizational Emails Send through Email Relay Server

          Hello, It would be great if the the Organizational Emails could send through the Email Relay Server as well. I often need to send email as someone else and since we use the GMail API option I have to use the organizational emails to do this.  We use Postmark for our Email Relay Server to increase deliver-ability which is something that we have had issues with when sending everything through Zohos servers. Also with postmark there is no need for each organizational email to have its own credentials
        • Emoji support in workdrive

          Hello, We are using emojis in our filenames and folder to help visually find relevant data. Currently Workdrive is stripping out emojis and the rest of the filename (along with the suffix), making the file unreadable when they are synchronized with desktop.
        • What is a 'user' in Zoho Surveys, and can I have multiple Offline Kiosks running?

          Is a 'user' the amount of people that can make and edit surveys on the website? I basically just want to know if I am able to have multiple Offline Kiosks running on multiple devices at the same time. Either on the Basic or Plus plan which both have 1
        • Fundation / Non profit : Could you help ?

          Hi, We're about to handle a Medical research fundation, non profitable structure, what kind of prices could we hope from you ? Could you help us ? We would need Survey, automated campaign and ZIA Thanks in advance
        • Next Page