---
key: add-routing-rules-to-a-support-inbox
title: Add routing rules to a support inbox
audience: staff
section: settings/communications
routes: ["/settings/communications/ticketing/inboxes/:inboxUid/routing"]
permissions: ["communications.email.routing_rules.manage"]
features: ["communications.ticketing"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Write rules that decide what happens to new email on a support inbox, such as skipping a ticket for auto-replies or raising the priority for one sender, then switch rules off and on.
keywords: [email rules, ticket rules, filter email, auto reply, spam rule, priority rule, inbox routing, mail rules]
related: [turn-on-ticket-creation-for-a-support-inbox, set-up-ticket-queues, set-up-ticket-request-types]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Ticketing** under **Communications**. Under **Support inboxes**, press **Routing** on the inbox. The page address is `/settings/communications/ticketing/inboxes/` followed by the inbox and `/routing`. The **Routing Rules** card adds rules and lists the ones the inbox has.

## Before you start

- Rules act on new email once the inbox creates tickets. Where tickets land by default is the inbox's queue; see [[set-up-ticket-queues]].
- Your role needs permission to manage routing rules. Without it **Create routing rule**, **Enable** and **Disable** stay greyed out.
- A rule is typed into two large boxes in a fixed text format. Each box starts with a sample showing the shape.

## Steps

1. Check that **Inbox routing surface** shows the right mailbox. Picking another one switches the whole page to it.
2. Type a **Rule name**.
3. Set **Evaluation order**. Rules run from the lowest number up, and the first rule that matches stops the ones after it.
4. In the first box, the conditions, say which email the rule is for. Each condition has a `field`, an `operator` and a `value`, for example `{"field": "from_domain", "operator": "eq", "value": "example.com"}`. Useful fields are `from_address`, `from_domain`, `subject`, `body`, `has_attachments` and `is_auto_response`; operators include `eq`, `contains`, `in` and `is_true`. Set the top `operator` to `all` when every condition must match, or `any`.
5. In the second box, the actions, list what to do: `create_ticket`, `suppress_ticket_creation` (no ticket), `set_priority` with a `priority` of `low`, `normal`, `high` or `urgent`, `add_tags` with a list of `tags`, or `mark_spam`.
6. Press **Create routing rule**. Nova shows **Routing rule created.** and the rule appears under the form.

## What you see

- Each rule shows its name (or **Unnamed rule**), **Enabled** or **Disabled**, its order, and how many conditions and actions it has. Rules made here always stop the rules after them.
- **Disable** switches a rule off without deleting it. **Enable** switches it back on.
- A rule cannot be edited, reordered or deleted here. To change one, disable it and create a new one.

## If something looks different

- A rule saved with the sample conditions never matches: the sample checks a setting Nova does not read. Replace it with your own condition.
- The save fails with a message about unexpected text or a position number: a box is not in the right shape. Compare it with the sample, including the quotation marks and brackets.
- An action that sends the ticket to a queue, a person or a response-time policy is refused: it needs a reference this page does not show. Set the queue on the inbox or on a request type instead; see [[set-up-ticket-request-types]].
- The page is for a different mailbox than you expected: the choice under **Inbox routing surface** changes the whole page, including the **Setup** and **Import & Cutover** tabs.
- You land on Email Accounts or a no-access page instead: ticketing is not part of your plan, or your role cannot see ticketing settings.

[[route:/settings/communications/ticketing|Open Ticketing]]