You can use Workflows to automatically change ticket states when a customer or teammate replies. This ensures your team doesn't have to manually move tickets back to In progress or Waiting on customer during a conversation.
In this guide, we’ll use the example of moving a ticket from Waiting on customer to In progress.
Note: When a customer replies to a ticket in a Waiting on customer or Resolved state, the ticket automatically shifts to an 'In progress' state — no workflow needed. If custom In progress states are configured, the ticket will shift to the first state listed in the 'In progress' group for that ticket type, as shown in the screenshot below.
Using the screenshot as example, the default in this case would be "With Us". This means you can control which custom state becomes the default for a specific ticket type by placing the custom status at the top of the In Progress list for that specific ticket type in the In progress list in Settings > Inbox > Tickets.
As for the workflow setup in this article, it will be useful when you want to automate state changes for teammate replies, or apply conditions for specific ticket types.
When to use this
Use this setup when you want to automate ticket state changes beyond the built-in behavior — for example, moving tickets to Waiting on customer when a teammate replies, or scoping state changes to specific ticket types only.
By combining an Workflow with a reusable ticket workflow, you can ensure your ticket states stay accurate in real-time without manual intervention.
Before you start
Ensure you are using Tickets and Workflows.
Confirm you have permission to create and edit Workflows
Step 1: Create a reusable workflow to set the ticket state
First, you need a reusable workflow that defines what the ticket state should change to.
Go to Workflows > + New Workflow > Create from scratch.
Select Reusable workflow as the trigger.
Click Add step and choose Set ticket state.
Choose the target ticket state (e.g., In progress).
Give the workflow a clear name, such as: "Reusable – Set ticket state to In progress".
Click Save and Set live.
Step 2: Trigger the workflow when a customer replies
Next, create an Inbox workflow to detect the customer's message and trigger the reusable workflow.
Go to Workflows > + New Workflow > Create from scratch.
Set the trigger to During a conversation → Customer sends any message.
Optional: Add filters to ensure the workflow only runs for specific tickets, such as:
The linked ticket’s ticket type is the one you care about.
The linked ticket’s ticket state is Waiting on customer.
Click Add Step and choose Pass to reusable workflow.
Select the reusable workflow you created in Step 1.
Click Save and Set live.
Step 3: Test the automation
To ensure everything is working correctly:
Create a test conversation and convert it to a ticket.
Manually set the ticket state to Waiting on customer.
Send a new message as the customer.
Verify that the ticket state automatically changed to In progress.
Note: This is a workflow-based automation. Ticket states will only change if the specific workflow conditions and filters are met.
Using the same pattern for teammate replies
If you want to move tickets to Waiting on customer when a teammate replies, repeat the process with these changes:
Create a reusable ticket workflow that sets the state to Waiting on customer.
Create an Inbox workflow using the Teammate sends any message trigger.
Use the Pass to reusable workflow step to call the new ticket workflow.
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