Documentation forWeb Help Desk

Set up incoming email accounts

  See this video: Setting Up Accounts.

When you installed Web Help Desk for the first time, you created the incoming and outgoing email accounts in the Configuration Wizard. If you decided to skip this step during the initial setup, create the incoming and outgoing email accounts to get started.

To enable clients to submit Web Help Desk tickets via email, edit the default incoming account. You can also create a second incoming account for specific request types.

To enable clients to submit tickets via email, review the ticket and email options.

Determine who processes tickets from the default incoming account

Decide which request type will be assigned to tickets that are created based on emails sent to the default incoming account. Also decide which tech group will be responsible for evaluating each ticket and assigning the appropriate request type. If necessary, create a new request type and tech group for this purpose.

In this example, you will create a new request type called Incoming Email, which will not be visible to clients. Tickets with this request type will be routed to a tech group called Assignment.

When an Incoming Email is assigned to the Assignment group, a member of that group reads the ticket details and selects the appropriate request type. When the request type is updated, Web Help Desk reassigns the ticket to the tech group responsible for that request type.

  1. Create a request type to assign to tickets created through email.

    1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
    2. In the toolbar, click Setup > Tickets > Request Types.

      The Request Types window displays the existing request types.

    3. Click New.
    4. Enter a name for this request type. For example, New Hire Paperwork.

    5. Click the drop-down menu and select the parent request type. To create a parent-level request type, leave this field blank.

    6. Select the tech group that addresses this type of request type.

    7. Specify the default priority level to assign tickets of this request type and whether fields are hidden or required. Select the Request Detail Required checkbox if tickets with this request type require a detail entry.

    8. Enter additional instructions that will display in blue text above the Request Detail field in the ticket. For example, you can enter specific instructions for creating this type of ticket, or explain the request type's purpose so a client can choose the correct type.

      You can apply BBCode formatting to format lists, add emphasis, or include links to supporting information. See Customize tickets, notes, instructions, and emails with BBCode for details.

    9. Select the Visible to Clients checkbox if this request type will be included in the pop-up menu presented to clients. Otherwise, leave this checkbox unchecked to make this request type an internal request type that is only visible to techs.

      In this example, the New Hire Paperwork request type will be visible to clients.

    10. Select the Use Models checkbox if the user will be prompted to select an asset or model when creating tickets with this request type. Leave this checkbox unchecked to require clients to select an asset when generating a ticket from the client user interface.

    11. Select All to apply this request type to all companies. Select Specific to select specific companies that apply to this request type.

    12. (Optional) Restrict this ticket type to a specific location or location group. Only clients or techs associated with your selections will see this request type.

      For example, if the request type will be routed to a facilities maintenance group for a specific location, restrict the type to that location.

    13. (Optional) Restrict this ticket type to a specific department. Only clients or techs associated with your selections will see this request type.

    14. If an approval process should be automatically initiated when a ticket is saved with this request type, click the drop-down manue and select the approval process.

      Alternatively, you can associate a request type with an approval process when you create the approval process.

    15. Indicate if the request type supports custom fields. The default selection is None.

      Select All to display all visible and editable custom fields.

      Select Specific to select one or more custom fields.

    16. Select the Attachments Enabled checkbox if the request type allows clients to attach files to a ticket.

      This setting does not prevent a tech from attaching files to a ticket.
    17. (Optional) Select the checkbox to indicate if the request type is available as a category for defining FAQs and SolarWinds Integration. When selected, you can select the request type on the SolarWinds Integration page. Otherwise, leave this checkbox unchecked.

    18. Identify the tech who will receive the highest level escalation (after the tech group manager). The selected tech will receive tickets with this request type if the request type is not included in a tech group.

    19. Select the survey that is sent to clients when this type of ticket is closed. Otherwise, select None to disable surveys for this ticket type.

    20. (Optional) Select a color for the label background. Select White for no label color.

    21. Click Save.
  2. Create a tech group to assign the appropriate request type to these tickets. 

    1. Select Techs > Tech Groups.

    2. Click New.

    3. Specify the tech group name and manager.

    4. Select the checkbox to assign the group manager to all new tickets for the group, or receive an email for all new tickets for the group. If auto assignment is enabled but no techs in the group are available, the group manager automatically receives new tickets until a tech is available.

    5. Click Save.

    6. Click the Tech Group Levels tab.

    7. Click Level 1.

    8. Click the drop-down menu and select the tech group level for the editor to open for editing.

    9. Select the auto-assignment for the selected tech group level.

      Assignment Description
      None A tech is not assigned to the ticket, but the ticket still belongs to the tech group level
      A Level Tech Uses load balancing to determine the level tech with the lightest load and assign the ticket to this tech
      Group Manager Assigns the ticket to the tech or administrator designated as the group manager
      Lead Tech Assigns the ticket to the lead tech for the ticket request types
    10. Select the checkbox to disable auto-assignment and email filtering by location and department. This option enables all techs in this level eligible for auto-assignment or email notifications, regardless of the ticket location and department. Otherwise, leave this checkbox unchecked.

    11. Choose whether to force an email notification to one or more techs (depending on the selected option) when:

      • A client updates a ticket

      • A new ticket is created or updated using the REST API

      • A new ticket is created or updated from the SolarWinds alerts it accepts

      If you select Level Techs, the emailed techs emailed are filtered by location group and department group membership.

      If the Ticket has no location group or department group or the Ignore Location and Department checkbox is checked, all level members receive an email.

    12. Select which users associated with a ticket receives an email when a tech clicks Save & email in a ticket for this level.

    13. Select the techs who are assigned to this level.

    14. Click Save.

    15. Click the Request Types Supported tab.

    16. Click Edit.

    17. Select the request type this group services.

    18. Click Save.

  3. Verify that the techs in this group have permission to reassign tickets.
    1. To find out what permission set is assigned to a tech, select Techs > Techs. Then click a name to view the tech's account.

      The Tech Permissions field is located on the Account Info tab.

    2. Select Techs > Tech Permissions.
    3. Click the name of the permission set to open it.
    4. Under Tech Permissions, verify that Allow Re-Assignment is selected.

      If this option is not selected, you can assign the tech to a different permission set or select this option for the current permission set.

    5. Close the window.

Update the default incoming account to enable email ticketing

To enable clients to submit email requests, select this option on the default account and identify the associated request type.

The following example updates the existing settings on the default email account to enable clients to submit tickets via email. All tickets sent to the default email address will have a request type of Incoming Email.

  1. Select email > Incoming Mail Accounts.
  2. Click the name of the default account to display the account settings.
  3. Select Enable email Tickets.

  4. Verify that this account is the default incoming account.

  5. Leave the Tech Group blank.
  6. Select the Request Type that will be assigned to tickets created through this email account.

  7. Click Save.

Create a second incoming account for sensitive tickets

The following example provides instructions for setting up a second incoming email account. This account will be used to process HR tickets.

  1. If the default email account settings are open, click to return to the list of incoming accounts.
  2. Click New.
  3. Select Enable email Tickets.

  4. Verify that this account is not the default incoming account.

  5. Enter the address for the account that Web Help Desk will check for new tickets.
  6. Web Help Desk will delete all messages from this account. Do not specify an account that is being used for any other purpose.

  7. Specify the account type, server information, credentials. and folder. See the tooltips for more information.
  8. Select the outgoing mail account used to send replies to emails sent to this incoming account. You can associate the same outgoing account with both the default incoming account and this incoming account.

    SolarWinds does not recommend using the same mail account as both the incoming and outgoing accounts.

  9. Leave the Tech Group blank, and then select the Request Type that will be assigned to tickets created through this email account.

  10. If necessary, specify advanced email properties.
  11. Click Save.

Troubleshooting a failed Exchange email connection

When you create your incoming email account at Setup > email > Incoming Mail Accounts, you can choose IMAP, POP3, or Exchange/Office 365 as your account type.

If you choose Exchange/Office 365 as the account type, the Exchange server must have Exchange Web Services enabled. Otherwise, it must be configured to support IMAP or POP3 connections.

If you receive an Exchange Web Services error when you save your email connection, do the following:

  1. Log in to your Microsoft Exchange server.
  2. Verify that Exchange Web Services is enabled. If the server does not support this service, enable IMAP or POP3.
  3. On the Exchange server, open Server Manager and navigate to Tools > Exchange Server IIS Manager > EWS.
  4. Verify that Basic Authentication is enabled.
  5. Save your changes.