> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://chatbase.co/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How a Helpdesk ticket moves from start to finish > What happens to a conversation when a ticket opens, while your team works it, and after you close it. When a customer needs a person, a ticket opens and the AI agent stops replying. Your team answers from the Helpdesk. When you close the ticket, the AI agent takes the conversation back. > [!WARNING] > > Waiting on the customer? Set the ticket to **On customer**, not Closed. Closing or cancelling hands the chat back to the AI agent, so the customer's reply goes to the AI agent instead of your team. *** ## How tickets are created Every ticket starts as New. | How it starts | What happens to the chat | | - | - | | The AI agent runs the [Escalations](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/actions/escalate-to-human.md) Action | The AI agent stops replying. | | The customer sends the ticket form in the Chat Bubble | The AI agent stops replying. | | A teammate clicks **Takeover** on a conversation | The AI agent stops replying, and the ticket goes to that teammate. See [Takeover](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/help-desk/takeover.md). | | A customer emails your [Helpdesk address](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/help-desk/email-settings.md) | A ticket opens for the thread. | | A customer replies to an [Outbound](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/outbound-campaigns.md) email campaign set to **Human takeover** | A ticket opens instead of an AI reply. | | A teammate creates one in the Helpdesk, or your system uses the [API](https://chatbase.co/docs/api-reference/v2/helpdesk.md) | A ticket opens. | The AI agent stops replying on your website chat (Chat Bubble, Help Page, Center Stage), Email, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. On API, Phone and mobile app (SDK) integrations it keeps replying. In your website chat the customer sees a ticket card marked Submitted, a Ticket divider when your team first replies, and an AI Resumed divider when the AI agent is back. On other channels, replies arrive in the thread the customer already uses. *** ## Who gets the ticket * A takeover ticket goes to the teammate who took over. * Other tickets follow your [assignment settings](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/help-desk/assignment-algorithm.md), [team routing](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/help-desk/team-routing.md) and [triggers](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/help-desk/triggers.md). * An unassigned ticket goes to the first teammate who replies. If no one is free, the ticket waits in Unassigned. When a teammate frees up, they get the waiting tickets, most urgent first, then oldest. *** ## What replies do to the status * A customer reply moves an On customer, On hold or Closed ticket to On you. * A customer reply never reopens a Cancelled ticket. * A teammate reply reopens a Closed ticket as New. Replies can't reopen [locked](#locked-tickets) tickets. *** ## Closing a ticket Use Closed when the issue is solved and Cancelled for spam, duplicates or mistakes. Close from the status menu, with **Send and close**, in bulk from the inbox, or with a trigger. Tickets also close when the customer ends the chat. Closed sends your [satisfaction survey](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/help-desk/satisfaction-surveys.md). Cancelled doesn't. ### Handing the conversation back to the AI agent The AI agent answers the customer's next message once the conversation's last open ticket is closed or cancelled. If another ticket on the same conversation is still open, the AI agent waits. *** ## Locked tickets A closed ticket from your website chat, Email, WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram locks, because the conversation belongs to the AI agent again. A locked ticket shows a **Locked** badge. You can add notes but can't reply or reopen it, and bulk updates skip it. The reply box is replaced by **This ticket is locked** and the reason: | What it says | What to do | | - | - | | The conversation continues in ticket #N. | Click **Go to ticket #N**. | | The conversation has ended. | Take the conversation over. | | The conversation is paused. | Take it over, or click **Resume AI**. | | The conversation is back with the AI agent. | Take the conversation over. | To talk to the customer again: * **Take over in this ticket** reopens the same ticket as New, keeps the assignee and keeps the history in one place. * **Take over in a new ticket** opens a fresh ticket and leaves the old one closed. *** ## Reopening a ticket Set an unlocked ticket to any open status. A locked ticket reopens only with **Take over in this ticket**. Merged tickets can't be reopened. *** ## Merging Merge duplicate requests into one open ticket. The others close, and their new replies go to the ticket you kept. See [Merging tickets](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/help-desk/merging-tickets.md). This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.