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What do I need to know about configuring Ticket email rules?

Ticket email rules provide fine-grained control over what happens when someone sends an email TO your ticket-enabled queue.  That is, these rules are all about inbound email coming into the ticketing system. Notification emails are a type of outbound email and are handled separately.

Default ticket email rules

When you initially enable tickets as your asynchronous contact option on a queue, you'll see seven rules that represent the default inbound email handling. Most of these rules are related to spam handling and can be left as-is unless you're certain a change needs to be made. However, rule #1 is worth consideration in most cases.

Rule 1: Ignore or accept new ticket emails

Rule 1 controls what happens when a new email that is NOT associated with an existing ticket arrives at your ticket-enabled queue.  Should this brand new email be allowed to create a new ticket?  

By default, these new emails that are not associated with an existing ticket are ignored (dropped), as part of anti-spam measures.  New tickets will only be created by staff within the ticketing interface or by the guest through a guest web form.   

Changing this rule to accept new ticket emails can be a good move.  It allows guests to freely send a simple email to your ticket's email address and initiate a ticket. Guests may reach out for help this way if they have previously participated in a ticket email thread, such as one they initially created through a web form and then received staff replies through e-mail.

If you change this rule to "Accept," be sure to Save your change.

What about Rule 7: Accept emails for existing tickets?

This should almost universally be left as-is. It allows emails as a way to update an existing ticket. For example, let's say you as the staff email the ticket guest and then then guest replies with more information. You almost certainly want to allow that reply email to update the ticket.  If a ticket with closed status receives an email, it will "re-surface" the email back to "in progress" status so that staff will easily find it.

What about the other rules?

The other rules can be left as-is unless you find that you're having trouble with spam or not receiving expected email.  You may need to enlist LibraryH3lp support and/or your IT or mail system administrator to get advice on changing items related to SPF (authorized senders) and domain signatures (DKIM).  The rules are tested in order, and you can use the arrows to re-order them.  The X button will fully remove the associated rule.

Whoops, I changed something, and now things are weird

No worries!  Look for the "Use default email rules" option, and the defaults will be restored.  You can also use the X to remove all rules, and that will revert back the standard set of defaults.