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How-to

Create ticket categories

Last updated May 24, 2025 · Tushar Agarwal

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Ticket categories play a crucial role in organizing and routing internal employee queries to the appropriate teams. Each category can be uniquely configured to reflect a department or type of issue (e.g., IT Support, Payroll Queries, Facility Requests) and include specific SLAs, agents, and visibility rules.

Where to begin

To create a new category in the Helpdesk module:

  1. Navigate to Control Panel → Helpdesk → Manage Category.
  2. Click the Add Category button.

This opens a form where you can define the category's behavior and access rules.

Fields to define while creating a category

Below is a detailed explanation of each field you’ll need to configure:

1. Title

  • What it does: The name of the category (e.g., "IT Support", "Payroll Queries")
  • Why it matters: This is what employees will select when raising a ticket

2. Description

  • Purpose: A brief explanation of what this category covers
  • Tip: Write a helpful description for employees to understand when to use it
    Example: “Use this category for any salary calculation discrepancies or payment-related issues.”

3. Parent Category (optional)

  • Purpose: Used to nest this category under a broader classification
  • Example: A category called "Leave Adjustment" might be a child of "Leave Management"

4. Priority

  • Options: Low, Medium, High
  • Usage: Defines the urgency level of tickets raised under this category
  • Tip: Choose "High" for categories like "Access Denied" or "System Downtime"

5. SLA Duration

  • Options: Define in Days or Hours
  • Usage: This is the expected timeframe to resolve a ticket under this category
  • Example: Salary queries may need to be resolved within 3 business days

6. SLA Time Type: Calendar Time vs Business Time

  • Calendar Time: SLA includes weekends and holidays
  • Business Time: SLA only includes working days defined in the company calendar
  • Tip: Use Business Time for HR or Payroll categories where weekends don’t count

7. Category Owner

  • Role: Oversees the overall health of the category, SLA compliance, and resolution quality
  • Note: The owner does not handle tickets directly unless also assigned as an agent

8. Users/Agents

  • Who they are: The actual team members responsible for responding to and resolving tickets
  • Tip: Assign based on department expertise (e.g., assign IT team for "Hardware Issues")

9. Document Mandatory (optional)

  • Usage: Make attaching documents/screenshots compulsory
  • Example: Mandatory for categories like “System Bug Report” or “Incorrect Payslip”

10. Visibility Rules

Helps restrict or allow category access based on employee attributes:

  • Departments (e.g., Finance, HR)
  • Business Units
  • Locations
  • Entities

Example: Only Finance team members can raise tickets under the "Budget Allocation" category.

Final step: Save

Once all required fields are filled in and configurations are complete:

  • Click Save to create the new ticket category

The category is now available to relevant employees based on the visibility settings.

Example use case

Category: Salary Query

  • Owner: Payroll Manager
  • Agents: Payroll Executives
  • Priority: Medium
  • SLA: 3 Business Days
  • Document Mandatory: Yes (Payslip or screenshot required)
  • Visibility: Restricted to full-time employees in the India location

Best practices

  • Keep category names clear and intuitive
  • Use visibility settings to reduce confusion and misrouted tickets
  • Regularly review SLA durations to align with team capacity
  • Add Canned Messages for frequently raised ticket types in each category

Frequently asked questions

Can employees raise tickets without selecting a category?

Only if the Admin has not made category selection mandatory.

To enforce mandatory category selection

  1. Go to Control Panel → Settings → Modules.
  2. Search for Helpdesk.
  3. Enable the toggle for “Category Mandatory”.
  4. Click Update.

Now, employees must select a category when raising a ticket.

What happens if a ticket exceeds its SLA timeline?

If a ticket breaches its defined SLA (Service Level Agreement), it is escalated automatically based on the Escalation Matrix configured for the category.

To set escalation

  1. Go to Control Panel → Helpdesk → Manage category.
  2. Edit the category.
  3. Scroll to Escalation Matrix.
  4. Define when and to whom the ticket should be escalated.
  5. Click Save.

This ensures timely action even if the original agent is unavailable.

Can I make attachments compulsory for certain ticket types?

Yes, you can enable the Document Mandatory setting for specific categories.

To make attachments mandatory

  1. Go to Control Panel → Helpdesk → Manage Category.
  2. Click Add/Edit for the relevant category.
  3. Enable the toggle “Document Mandatory”.
  4. Click Save.

Employees are now required to upload a document or screenshot when raising a ticket under this category.

What happens when a ticket becomes overdue?

If an Escalation Matrix is configured:

  • The system automatically escalates the ticket to a secondary agent or category owner based on the overdue configuration.

This helps ensure SLA compliance and quicker resolution.

Can I disable a category that is no longer in use?

Yes. You can either delete the category or deactivate its visibility.

To manage category status

  1. Go to Control Panel → Helpdesk → Manage Category.
  2. Find the category in the list.
  3. Click Edit.
  4. Either:
    • Clear all visibility settings (to hide it)
    • Or click Delete (if no longer needed)

Note: You cannot delete categories with active tickets until the tickets are resolved or reassigned.