Managing tickets effectively is crucial to maintaining a well organised Zendesk account. If you have tickets that don’t require immediate action but shouldn't be forgotten, snoozing them can help streamline your workflow. While Zendesk does not have a built-in "Snooze" feature, there are ways to create similar functionality. 

We'll cover the following topics below on how you can set up and manage snoozed tickets in Zendesk:

• What is snoozing? 
• How to snooze tickets in Zendesk
  • Method 1: Using a custom drop-down ticket field and automation
  • Method 2: Using a custom date field and automation
  • Method 3: Using SweetHawk Reminders App
• Using Macros and Views to monitor snoozed tickets
• Best practice for snoozing tickets

What is snoozing?

Snoozing a ticket involves temporarily removing it from active views until a specified time, at which point it reappears as active. This is useful for tickets that are waiting for a future action or follow-up.

How to snooze tickets in Zendesk

Method 1: Using a custom drop-down ticket field and automation

1. Create a Custom Field
   • Go to Admin Centre > Objects and Rules > Tickets > Fields.
   • Click Add Field, select Dropdown, and name it "Snooze Until".
   • Add options such as "1 Day", "3 Days", "1 Week", etc.
   • Save the field.
   • NOTE: 
     1. You can download the custom field CSV to use for the upload of field values.
     2. See the Zendesk Guide: Importing and exporting custom fields and values
        • Look for subtitle: Importing the CSV field value file into a new custom field
2. Apply a Tag
   • For each dropdown option, assign a tag (e.g., snooze_1day, snooze_3days).

   • 

3. Add the field to the required ticket forms you'd like this workflow to be visible on to agents.
   • Go to Admin Center > Objects and Rules > Tickets > Fields.
   • Select the form you wish to add the field too.
   • Add the field
   • Save the form.
4. Create Automations
   • Go to Admin Center > Objects and Rules > Business Rules > Automations.
   • Create an automation for each snooze duration:
     • Example for 1-Day Snooze:
       • Conditions:
         • Tags includes snooze_1day
         • Hours since update is greater than 24.
       • Action:
         • Remove the tag snooze_1day.
         • Update ticket status to "Open" or move it back to a relevant view.

     • 

5. Train Your Team
   • Inform agents to set the "Snooze Until" field when a ticket should be paused. The automation will handle reactivating it.
   • Agents must set the ticket status to on-hold when they add a Snooze date. 

Method 2: Using a custom date field and automation

1. Add a Custom Date Field
   • Go to Admin Centre > Objects and Rules > Tickets > Fields.
   • Click Add Field, select Date, and name it "Snooze Until".
   • Save the field.

   • 

2. Add the field to the required ticket forms you'd like this workflow to be visible on to agents.
   1. Go to Admin Center > Objects and Rules > Tickets > Fields.
   2. Select the form you wish to add the field too.
   3. Add the field
   4. Save the form.
3. Create Automations
   • Set up an automation to move tickets out of snooze when the date arrives:
     • Conditions:
       • Status category is "On-Hold"
       • Snooze Until - Is within the next - 1 days
     • Actions:
       • Status category is "Open"

       • 

4. Set the Snooze Date
   • Agents can use the custom date field to set the desired snooze end date when updating a ticket.
   • Agents must set the ticket status to on-hold when they add a Snooze date. 
5. Monitor Snoozed Tickets
   • Create a view to display tickets with a future "Snooze Until" date. Agents can easily check the list and ensure follow-ups occur on time.

Method 3: Using SweetHawk Reminders App

If you prefer a more automated and sophisticated approach, we highly recommend using the SweetHawk Reminders app! 

• Check it out here: SweetHawk Reminders App

Reasons why we love it?

1. Super easy to use
2. Provides a visual reminder to the agent on the ticket & improved collaboration
3. Effortless ticket follow-ups
4. Customisable reminder schedules
5. Automated reminder notifications
6. Reportable via Zendesk Explore
7. Scalable for teams of all sizes
8. Works well with other SweetHawk apps or as a standalone app on your Zendesk
9. No awkward manual admin configuration with custom fields, triggers or automations!

Cons? 

• None!

Using Macros and Views to monitor snoozed tickets

Macros:

You can utilise macros to help adjust set a snooze field on a ticket (along with other custom fields/internal notes)

Views: 

You can create views utilising the custom fields created above to monitor tickets which are currently set to snooze. Here's an example of how you might configure a view: 

Best practices for snoozing tickets

• Define Clear Criteria: Establish rules for when tickets should be snoozed to avoid misuse.
• Set Limits: Use automations to ensure tickets don’t remain snoozed indefinitely.
• Communicate Internally: Ensure team members understand how snoozing fits into your workflow.
• Monitor Performance: Use Zendesk Explore to track snoozed tickets and ensure follow-ups are timely.

While Zendesk provides options for creating a snooze-like functionality using custom fields and automations, these solutions can be cumbersome to set up and require ongoing manual management. Building and maintaining automations for multiple snooze durations, updating ticket fields, and ensuring accuracy can be time-consuming, especially for larger teams.

For a more seamless and efficient experience, the SweetHawk Reminders App offers a robust alternative. It allows you to schedule reminders directly within Zendesk, automatically notifying agents when a ticket needs attention. With an intuitive interface and no complex configurations required, the app simplifies the process and enhances productivity, making it an ideal solution for managing snoozed tickets.