In this article for the Zendesk Timers app, we'll cover how to create a timer definition that records the end time of a specific timer into a custom ticket field. This will allow you to build a Zendesk view to put tickets in order of when tickets with that specific timer are next due to end.
The steps to make this happen are:
1. Create a Zendesk custom text field to record the end time.
2. Create a definition that pushes the end time to the new field.
3. Create a view that orders tickets by the new custom text field.
Step 1. Create a Zendesk custom text field.
To create a Zendesk custom text field, in the Zendesk admin section click into Fields and then Add field at the top right like this:
Then select Text field and give it a name (we'll call ours field "Follow-up time") and click Save like this:
2. Create a definition that pushes the end time to the new field.
To create a timer definition click into the Timers app on the left, then under Timer Definitions click on Add definition like this:
Then give your definition a name and give it the settings you want (like how long it will go for by default). But the important part here is to push the end time into your new ticket field (that was created in Step 1). To do this click the + sign on the far right under the Timer Started ticket update section and select the new field like this:
Now, hover over the field and click the + on the right of the field. In the dropdown field that appears select Ends at timestamp like this:
Now click the + sign on the far right under the Timer Started ticket update again. This time select Add tags and then specify a tag that will be added to all tickets containing this timer. In our example the tag is set to follow_up_timer_running like this:
(Setting a tag allows you to identify these tickets in your views)
Now Save your timer definition.
3. Create a view that orders tickets by the new custom text field.
To create a Zendesk view, over in the Zendesk admin section click into Views and then on Add view at the top right like this:
Then name your view and under Conditions set it to show tickets that are less than solved, that also contain the tag you set to be added by the timer definition in Step 2 like this:
Now under Columns be sure to add your new text field, and under Order by also select the new field to be sorted by Ascending. Then click Save like this:
Now go and set some timers on a few tickets and check the new View to see how the tickets are in order of when the timer ends.