---
title: "Queues and canned responses"
description: "Route tickets into queues with default SLA policies and assignees, and give technicians canned responses they insert with a shortcut."
url: "https://support.outpostplatform.com/service-desk/queues-and-automation/"
product: "depot"
type: "how-to"
status: "draft"
ai_summary: "Ticket setup in the Outpost console (Enterprise and MSP). Queues with one default and default SLA policy, group, and assignee (ticket:manage). Canned responses (macros) with a // shortcut (automation:manage). Automation rules are replaced by workflows; older rules are listed on the Workflows page."
availability:
  plans: ["enterprise", "msp"]
  permission: "automation:manage"
  preview: false
source: "https://gitlab.com/outpostplatform/docs/-/edit/main/src/content/docs/service-desk/queues-and-automation.md"
license: "CC BY 4.0"
---

# Queues and canned responses

Queues decide where tickets land and who picks them up. Canned responses,
which the console also calls macros, are replies a technician inserts with a
shortcut. This page shows how to set up both. To change tickets automatically,
see [Workflows](/service-desk/workflows/).

## Before you begin

- Your plan must include the service desk: Enterprise or MSP. See
  [Plans and limits](/account/plans-and-limits/).
- To manage queues, you need `ticket:manage`. To manage canned responses, you
  need `automation:manage`. See
  [Roles and permissions](/depot/roles-and-permissions/).
- To give a queue a default SLA policy, create the policy first. See
  [Service level agreements](/service-desk/sla/).

## Set up queues

Every ticket is in a queue. A ticket raised without a queue goes to the
default queue, and exactly one queue is the default.

1. Select **Tickets** > **Queues**, then **New queue**. On the MSP plan, open
   the client first.
2. Enter a **Name** and a **Description**.
3. To make it the queue that unrouted tickets land in, select **Make this the
   default queue**.
4. Under **What a ticket landing here picks up**, set the values a ticket gets
   when it arrives without its own:
   - **SLA policy**: the SLA policy to apply, or **None**.
   - **Group**: the ID of the group to assign.
   - **Assignee**: the ID of the technician to assign.

   Leave a box blank to set nothing.
5. Optional: enter a **Sort order** to place the queue in lists.
6. Select **Save**.

Deleting a queue does not move its tickets. They keep pointing at it. You
cannot delete the default queue or the only queue: make another queue the
default, or create another queue, first.

## Automate tickets {#create-an-automation-rule}

Changing tickets automatically, such as raising the priority of anything left
untouched for a day, is done with workflows. See
[Workflows](/service-desk/workflows/). Automation rules created before
workflows keep running and are listed and edited on the **Workflows** page.

## Create a canned response

A canned response posts a reply and can change the ticket at the same time,
such as "Close as duplicate".

1. Select **Tickets** > **Canned responses**, then **New macro**.
2. Enter a **Name**, such as "Close as duplicate".
3. In **Shortcut**, enter what technicians type to find it, such as `dupe`.
   Use lowercase letters, digits, dots, underscores, and hyphens.
4. Choose a **Body format**: **Plain text** or **HTML**.
5. Write the **Body**. You can use `{{requester.firstName}}`,
   `{{requester.name}}`, `{{ticket.reference}}`, `{{ticket.subject}}`,
   `{{endpoint.hostname}}`, and `{{tech.name}}`. An unknown placeholder is
   left in the text so the technician sees it before sending.
6. Optional: under **Field changes**, select **Add action** and choose **Add a
   tag**, **Set status**, **Set priority**, or **Set assignee**.
7. Optional: enter a **Sort order**.
8. Select **Save**.

To use one, type `//` in a reply or note and choose the canned response. Its
field changes are made when the message is sent, so choosing one and then
deciding against it changes nothing.

Responses marked **Built in** come with Outpost. Responses marked **Private**
belong to one technician.

## Verify

- Create a test ticket with no queue. It lands in the default queue with that
  queue's SLA policy.

## Next steps

- [Service level agreements](/service-desk/sla/)
- [Workflows](/service-desk/workflows/)
- [Tickets](/service-desk/tickets/)