Mail parser/inbox filter not working?

[jsfritz]

Hello,

The "Mail parser" and/or "Inbox filter" aren't working. At least, I think one of them isn't working. I'm really not sure because there is nowhere to manage or edit "Inbox filters".

I think part of the problem is I'm confused on what is what. In the ticket list I click "-add filter-" and set up a rule so that any email coming from my username at any domain gets put into the "IT Logs" folder. This lets me choose that the email ticket automatically be closed. This just doesn't work at all for me.

In the helpdedsk setup I click on "Mail parser" and also set up "Mail routing" so that any email coming from my username at any domain gets put into the "IT Logs" folder. This also doesn't work. There is no option here to close the ticket automatically.

There are several usability problems here:

1) What's the difference between the "Inbox filter" (the -add filter- button) and the "Mail parser" tab in the helpdesk setup? I can't figure it out. One allows more functionality than the other (Inbox filter = can close tickets automatically) but I can't manage those in the helpdesk setup.
2) Why can't I manage "Inbox filters" in the helpdesk setup? There's no mention of it at all.
3) Why, when I click on "Mail parser" tab, does it say "Parser mail routing"? Shouldn't what's on the tab be indicative of what's shown in the green header after I click on it?
4) When I'm in the "Mail parser" tab on the helpdesk setup, there are no instructions given, so it's a little confusing. Where do I start? What information goes in the routing rule? An email address? A subject line? Any matched text in the body? When I click "add another rule field", does it join the rules using an AND or an OR?

All these different terms for doing the same thing confuse me. Sorry for the rant, but we emphasize usability here and I thought I would throw in my two cents.

[mfogg]

Hi jsfritz,

1) What's the difference between the "Inbox filter" (the -add filter- button) and the "Mail parser" tab in the helpdesk setup? I can't figure it out. One allows more functionality than the other (Inbox filter = can close tickets automatically) but I can't manage those in the helpdesk setup.
2) Why can't I manage "Inbox filters" in the helpdesk setup? There's no mention of it at all.

There are two levels of routing in Cerberus. In Helpdesk Setup > Mail Parser you choose which of your groups to route mail that matches a specified "to" address pattern.

The inbox filters are what you use to route mail into buckets and choose to automatically close certain tickets once it's at the group level. Each group has it's own set of inbox filters that are applied after a ticket is routed into a group (either by a parser rule, or by another group inbox filter). You can manage them from the "group setup" link (then click one of your groups, and it's on the Inbox Mail Rules tab). The group setup link is right next to the "helpdesk setup" link.

3) Why, when I click on "Mail parser" tab, does it say "Parser mail routing"? Shouldn't what's on the tab be indicative of what's shown in the green header after I click on it?

"Mail Parser" is meant to be a shortened version of "Parser Mail Routing"

4) When I'm in the "Mail parser" tab on the helpdesk setup, there are no instructions given, so it's a little confusing. Where do I start? What information goes in the routing rule? An email address? A subject line? Any matched text in the body? When I click "add another rule field", does it join the rules using an AND or an OR?

In the Parser Mail Routing you can create rules by specifying an email address or email address pattern that will match the to address on incoming mail. You can find some pattern examples under the field. From the dropdown right next to the field you choose which group to route the mail to.

As you add Parser mail routing patterns you can change the priority by updating the Priority text field displayed in the table of your created routing rules. Any incoming mail will route to the group for the highest priority matched rule only.

All these different terms for doing the same thing confuse me. Sorry for the rant, but we emphasize usability here and I thought I would throw in my two cents.

No problem! We spend a lot of time considering usability ourselves. Hopefully this clarifies for you why we've split up the rules functionality the way we have.

[jsfritz]

Thanks for all the good information, it really helped; I think it's working correctly but will keep you informed.