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Ticket statuses: what do they mean, and when are they used?

Updated

Ticket statuses in Zendesk show where a case is in the workflow. Statuses are not just "labels" - in practice, status governs:

  • Who is expected to perform the next action (the agent, the customer or a third party)
  • Agents' prioritisation and queue logic (what sits at the top of views)
  • Automations (triggers and automations often react to status)
  • SLA measurements (e.g. first reply time and next reply time - and whether they pause)

When status is used consistently, reporting becomes more accurate, SLAs become more stable, and collaboration across teams becomes simpler.

Prerequisites

To be able to work with statuses, you typically need:

  • Access to Zendesk Support as an agent
  • Permission to update tickets in the relevant group (or membership of the group)

An overview of the standard statuses (Zendesk)

Zendesk has six standard statuses. Some accounts also have additions via apps/customisations, but the below are the "core engine".

Status When is it used? What does it mean in practice?
New When a case has just been created The case has not yet been handled by an agent. The SLA for the first reply typically starts here (depends on the SLA policy).
Open When the case is being actively worked on The case is in progress, and the next action is expected from the agent.
Pending When waiting for the customer The customer has been answered, and their input is awaited. The SLA may be set to pause here, depending on the policy.
On-hold When waiting for a third party or internal action The case is put on hold, often with a due date for follow-up.
Solved When the case is deemed resolved The customer can still reply and reopen the case. The case is closed automatically after a period.
Closed When the case is finally closed The case is locked. A reply from the customer typically creates a new follow-up case.

Below, we elaborate on how each status is used in practice - including concrete examples and typical pitfalls.

Status as a principle: "Who has the ball?"

A simple rule of thumb that almost always works:

  • Open = The agent has the ball (the next action lies with the agent)
  • Pending = The customer has the ball (a reply/action from the customer is awaited)
  • On-hold = A third party or internal dependency has the ball (the case cannot be moved forward without another party)

New, Solved and Closed are primarily "lifecycle" statuses that mark the start and end.

Statuses in depth: when is which used?

New - a new case, not yet handled

Use New when:

  • The ticket has just been created (via email, form, API, chat, etc.)
  • No agent has yet taken active ownership

In practice, this means:

  • The ticket typically sits in a "New" queue/view
  • The SLA for the first reply often starts here (depends on the SLA policy)

Best practice

  • New should be short-lived. The goal is the rapid triage of new cases (e.g. to Open or directly to the correct group).

Open - the case is being actively worked on

Use Open when:

  • The case is being investigated, answered, troubleshot or coordinated
  • The next step lies with the agent (and not the customer)

Typical examples

  • A case has been received and requires internal clarification before a reply
  • The customer has been answered, but an action is still missing (e.g. a change in a system, a refund, an update)
  • There is a need for proactive follow-up without waiting for the customer

Pitfall

  • Tickets are left as Open, even though the customer is in fact being awaited. This can put unnecessary pressure on the SLA and create noise in the queue.

Pending - waiting for the customer

Use Pending when:

  • A reply/question has been sent to the customer, and the customer's input is awaited
  • A clarification, a screenshot, an approval or a time is needed

Typical examples

  • "Can the order number be confirmed?"
  • "Please try these steps and come back with the result"
  • "Can this solution be approved before the change is made?"

SLA and reporting

  • Many setups pause the SLA in Pending, because the case cannot be moved forward without the customer. This depends on the SLA policy.

Best practices

  • Clearly describe what is being waited for and when there will be follow-up.
  • Consider using macros that simultaneously:
    • ask the right questions
    • set the status to Pending
    • optionally set an internal reminder/due date (if that is used)

On-hold - waiting for a third party or internal dependency

Use On-hold when:

  • You are waiting for a third party (a supplier, a courier, a payment provider, an integrator)
  • You are waiting for an internal dependency (e.g. the product team, finance, IT, compliance)
  • The case cannot be resolved until another party delivers something

Typical examples

  • "The case has been escalated to the supplier, and a reply is awaited"
  • "Internal approval is awaited"
  • "A log extract from IT is awaited"

Best practices

  • Always note in an internal note:
    • who is being waited for
    • what is being waited for
    • when the next follow-up is expected
  • If you work with due dates or reminders: set them, so that On-hold does not become a "forgotten" status.

Pitfall

  • On-hold is used when the customer is in fact being waited for. This confuses both the queue logic and reporting.

Solved - the case is deemed resolved

Use Solved when:

  • A solution has been delivered, and there are no more open actions
  • You want to mark the case as completed, but the customer should still be able to come back

In practice, this means:

  • The customer can still reply to the ticket and thereby reopen it (typically to Open)
  • Zendesk can automatically close it after a period (see the next section)

Best practices

  • Close with a clear "closing statement", e.g.:
    • what has been done
    • what the customer can do if the problem persists
    • that the customer can reply to the thread to reopen it

Closed - finally closed and locked

Use Closed when:

  • The ticket has been finally closed by the system (typically via an automation)
  • The ticket should no longer be editable

In practice, this means:

  • The ticket is locked (cannot be changed)
  • If the customer replies, a new follow-up case is typically created (depending on the channel/setup)

Important

  • Closed is rarely set manually. It typically happens automatically after Solved.

How to change the status of a ticket (step by step)

  1. Open the relevant ticket in Zendesk.
  2. Choose the desired status in the status dropdown.
  3. Add a public comment (to the customer) or an internal note (for internal purposes only), if relevant.
  4. Click Submit to save the change.

Tip: If macros are used, they can both insert text, update fields and set the correct status with a single click.

Automatic status changes you should know about

Zendesk (and the rules that are set up) can change status without active intervention. The most common scenarios:

  • When the customer replies to a case, the status is set to Open by default
  • When a public message is sent, New typically changes to Open
  • A case in Solved is closed automatically after the period set in an automation
    • Zendesk has a maximum limit of 28 days for auto-closing after Solved
  • Triggers and automations can change status in flows such as Pending and On-hold (e.g. follow-up, escalation, reopening)

Best practices: how to make statuses support the workflow

1) Choose the status based on the next action

Always ask: Who is to perform the next action?

  • The agent → Open
  • The customer → Pending
  • A third party/internal dependency → On-hold

2) Avoid "status inflation"

Status is used for the workflow - not as a substitute for tags, fields or internal notes. If more nuance is needed (e.g. "awaiting refund"), it is often better to use:

  • a field (e.g. "Reason" / "Process step")
  • a tag
  • an internal note

3) Always state what is being waited for

Especially in Pending and On-hold:

  • What is missing?
  • Who is it missing from?
  • When will there be follow-up?

4) Keep an eye on queues and views

Make sure that views reflect the status logic, e.g.:

  • "New tickets"
  • "Open tickets (mine/the group's)"
  • "Pending - awaiting customer"
  • "On-hold - awaiting third party"

Troubleshooting and common questions

Status changes back to Open without active intervention

This is almost always due to one of these:

  • The customer has replied (default behaviour)
  • A trigger or automation updates the ticket

How to troubleshoot

  • Check the rules under: Admin > Objects and rules
    • Triggers (happen "immediately" on events)
    • Automations (typically run periodically)
  • Look in the ticket's Events/Audit log to see what changed the status (if you have access to it)

The ticket is not closed after Solved

The most common causes:

  • A closing automation is not active or does not match the ticket
  • The ticket is updated along the way (e.g. internal notes), which can reset the timer for auto-closing in some setups

Checklist

  • Is the automation for "close solved tickets" active?
  • Does the ticket match the conditions (group, brand, tags, etc.)?
  • Is there activity on the ticket that affects the closing time?

On-hold is reopened earlier than expected

Typical explanations:

  • A due date has been set too soon (or a reminder rule)
  • An automation reopens On-hold cases without correct logic (e.g. "if on-hold for X days → open")

How to fix it

  • Review the On-hold workflow and conditions
  • Make sure reopening only happens when there is actually a need (e.g. on the expiry of a due date or a lack of third-party response)

Next steps (related guides)

Do you need help?

If you are in doubt about which statuses best fit the workflow, you can contact the Zendesk administrator, or write via the normal support channel at Available. We can help you clarify best practices, review the current setup and ensure that statuses, SLA and automations work together.

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