Automation Rules

PSA's automation engine lets you build rules that automatically route, assign, escalate, and notify based on ticket events and conditions. Automations reduce manual triage work and ensure consistent service desk operations.

How Automation Works

Each automation rule has three components:

1. Trigger — the event that fires the rule
2. Conditions — optional filters that must be true for the rule to execute
3. Actions — what happens when the rule fires

Rules are evaluated in priority order. When a trigger fires, PSA checks each rule's conditions from highest to lowest priority and executes the first matching rule (or all matching rules, depending on configuration).

Trigger Types

Trigger	When it fires
Ticket created	A new ticket is created (from any source — manual, email, portal, API)
Ticket updated	A ticket field changes (status, priority, assignee, queue, tags)
SLA warning	A ticket reaches the SLA warning threshold (e.g., 75% of target)
SLA breach	A ticket exceeds its SLA target
Time elapsed	A configurable duration passes since the last update or creation
Client reply	The client adds a reply to a ticket
Ticket resolved	A ticket moves to Resolved status

Condition Types

Filter which tickets a rule applies to:

Condition	Example
Priority	Only P1 and P2 tickets
Category	Only Incident tickets
Client	Only tickets from a specific client or client group
Queue	Only tickets in the Triage queue
Assignee	Only unassigned tickets
Tags	Only tickets with the "VIP" tag
Subject contains	Subject includes specific keywords
Source	Only email-created tickets, only portal tickets, etc.
Custom fields	Match on any custom field value

Combine multiple conditions with AND/OR logic.

Action Types

Action	What it does
Assign to technician	Set the ticket assignee to a specific person
Assign to queue	Move the ticket to a queue
Change status	Update the ticket status
Change priority	Escalate or de-escalate priority
Add tag	Apply a tag to the ticket
Remove tag	Remove a tag from the ticket
Send notification	Email or push notification to a person, team, or channel
Add internal note	Post an automated note on the ticket
Escalate	Move to an escalation queue and notify the escalation contact
Run webhook	Send a webhook to an external service

Multiple actions can execute in a single rule.

Rule Priority and Ordering

Rules execute in priority order (1 = highest priority). Configure rule priority at Automation → Signal Rules:

• Higher-priority rules execute first
• You can set rules to stop processing after they match, preventing lower-priority rules from firing
• Or allow rules to continue processing so multiple rules can act on the same ticket

💡

Use "stop processing" for catch-all rules at the bottom of your rule list. For example, a low-priority rule that assigns all unmatched tickets to the Triage queue should stop processing to prevent further evaluation.

Testing Automation Rules

Before activating a new rule:

1. Go to Automation → Signal Rules and select the rule
2. Click Test Rule
3. PSA shows recent tickets that would have matched the rule
4. Review the results to confirm the rule behaves as expected
5. Enable the rule when satisfied

Common Automation Templates

Auto-Assign by Category

Trigger: Ticket created Condition: Category = "Network Issue" Action: Assign to queue "Network Team"

Auto-Close Stale Tickets

Trigger: Time elapsed (7 days since last update) Condition: Status = "Waiting on Client" Action: Change status to "Closed", Add internal note "Auto-closed due to inactivity"

VIP Client Escalation

Trigger: Ticket created Condition: Client tag = "VIP" Action: Change priority to P2 (minimum), Assign to queue "Tier 2", Send notification to service manager

SLA Breach Escalation

Trigger: SLA warning (75%) Condition: Priority = P1 or P2 Action: Send notification to queue manager, Add tag "SLA-at-risk"

After-Hours Routing

Trigger: Ticket created Condition: Created outside business hours AND Priority = P1 Action: Send notification to On-Call team, Add tag "after-hours"

Visual Workflow Builder

For complex multi-step automations, use the Workflow Builder (Workflows → Editor):

• Drag-and-drop interface for building workflows
• Branching logic (if/else conditions)
• Approval steps (pause for human approval before continuing)
• Parallel actions (execute multiple actions simultaneously)
• Loop detection and timeout guards

The workflow builder is suited for processes like change management approvals, multi-tier escalation paths, and client onboarding workflows.

Scheduled Actions

For time-based automations that aren't triggered by ticket events:

1. Go to Automation → Scheduled Actions
2. Define a cron schedule (e.g., every weekday at 9 AM)
3. Set the action (e.g., send a daily digest of open P1 tickets to the service manager)

AI Natural Language Rules

PSA supports creating automation rules using natural language:

1. Go to Automation → Natural Language
2. Describe the rule in plain English (e.g., "When a ticket about printer issues comes in, assign it to John")
3. PSA's AI translates this into a structured rule with trigger, conditions, and actions
4. Review the generated rule and activate it

ℹ️

AI-generated rules should always be reviewed before activation. The AI suggests the rule structure, but you should verify the conditions and actions match your intent.

Execution Logs

Monitor automation activity at Workflows → Executions:

• See which rules fired and when
• View the ticket that triggered the rule
• Check what actions were taken
• Debug rules that aren't firing as expected

Next Steps

• Ticket Management — Understand ticket fields that automations act on
• SLA Tracking — SLA-based automation triggers
• Service Desk Queues — Queue routing via automation
• Troubleshooting — Automation rule firing unexpectedly