How to change incident status from pending to work in progress when a customer adds a comment

[Manhar Sharma]

hi,

I am trying to create an automation rule for incident pending status to change to work in progress if there is a comment added by the customer via portal only.

I have created one automation rule however it is changing the status of the incident even if there is an comment/update added by the support team. Can we restrict this to customer portal only?

[Ravi Sagar _Sparxsys_ · Accepted solution]

Hi @Manhar Sharma 

You can add a condition to check if the user is a customer.

I hope it helps.

Ravi

[Joseph Chung Yin]

@Manhar Sharma -

I agreed with Ravi stated.  In our env (On-prems), using the out of the box automation rule which checking for user type = Customer + Comment is primary action

Another thing that you need to make sure that there are no further conditions/validation check in your WF moving from Pending to In Progress that prevent the issue transition to complete.

Hope this helps.

Best, Joseph Chung Yin

[Joseph Chung Yin · Accepted solution]

@Manhar Sharma -

I agreed with Ravi stated.  In our env (On-prems), using the out of the box automation rule which checking for user type = Customer + Comment is primary action

Another thing that you need to make sure that there are no further conditions/validation check in your WF moving from Pending to In Progress that prevent the issue transition to complete.

Hope this helps.

Best, Joseph Chung Yin

[Manhar Sharma]

Thanks Ravi and Joseph for your guidance. This works

[Jason Smith]

To automatically update an incident’s status from Pending to Work in Progress when a customer comments, you can set up a workflow or business rule within your incident management system. Here’s a general approach :

1. Define the Trigger: Set up a rule that listens for customer comments on pending incidents. Most platforms allow event-based triggers, so select an event tied to new comments.

2. Configure the Action: Once a comment is detected, specify that the status should shift to Work in Progress. This often involves selecting the status field and setting it to “Work in Progress” as part of your automation.

3. Test and Refine: Before implementing across all incidents, test this automation on a sample case. Ensure it updates status reliably without overriding any intentional pauses or pending actions needed from other teams.

4. Review Notifications: Decide if internal or external stakeholders should be notified when the status changes, as this can help keep everyone aligned on the incident’s progress.

Following these steps allows you to streamline incident response while keeping your team focused on active tasks.