Submit support tickets when you run into problems or need assistance. Categorize your issue, set priority, and track progress from reported through resolved.

### Overview

The support ticket system in eCourtDate gives your agency a structured way to report issues, request features, and get help from the eCourtDate team. Every ticket follows a clear workflow so you always know where things stand. Whether you are dealing with a message delivery problem, a data import error, or a configuration question, tickets make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

- **What it does:** Lets you submit, categorize, and track support requests
- **Why it matters:** Provides a documented trail for every issue, so your team and eCourtDate support stay aligned
- **Who uses it:** Any authenticated eCourtDate user (court clerks, administrators, IT staff, officers)
- **Expected outcome:** Faster resolution times, full visibility into issue status, and a history of past requests for reference

### Prerequisites

Before submitting a support ticket, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate user account with access to your agency
- The URL where the issue is occurring (if applicable)
- A clear description of the problem, including any error messages or unexpected behavior
- Screenshots or supporting details that help explain the issue

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Open the Ticket Form

1. Sign in to your eCourtDate agency at [app.ecourtdate.com](https://app.ecourtdate.com).
2. Click the **Create a Ticket** button in the bottom right corner of any page.
3. The ticket creation form opens with fields for your issue details.

#### Step 2: Fill In Ticket Details

1. Enter a short, descriptive **Title** that summarizes the issue (for example, "Messages not sending to clients in Group A").
2. Select a **Type** from the dropdown to categorize your issue. Available types include:
   - Messages Not Being Sent
   - Incorrect Message Sent
   - Data Import/Export Issues
   - System Access Problems
   - Feature Not Working as Expected
   - Configuration Help Needed
   - Data Request
   - Feature Request
   - Other Issue
3. Enter a detailed **Description** of the problem. Include what you expected to happen, what actually happened, and any steps to reproduce the issue.
4. Select a **Priority** level from the dropdown:

| Priority | When to Use |
|----------|-------------|
| Critical | System is down or a core function is completely broken for your agency |
| High | A major feature is not working correctly, affecting daily operations |
| Standard | A non-urgent issue that needs attention but has a workaround |
| Low | A minor inconvenience, cosmetic issue, or general question |

5. Paste the **Report URL** where the issue is occurring. This helps the support team navigate directly to the problem.
6. (Optional) Enter one or more email addresses in the **Notify** field (comma separated) to keep additional team members informed about updates.

#### Step 3: Submit the Ticket

1. Review your entries to make sure the title, type, and description are accurate.
2. Click the **Create** button to submit your ticket.
3. Your ticket is now created with a status of **reported** and a unique ticket ID.

#### Step 4: Search and Filter Tickets

1. Navigate to the **Tickets** page from the help center.
2. Use the **Search Tickets** panel on the left to find specific tickets:
   - Filter by **Status** to focus on tickets in a particular stage
   - Search by **Description** or **Title** to locate a specific ticket
   - Filter by **User** to see tickets submitted by a particular team member
   - Filter by **Agency** to narrow results to a specific agency
3. Click **Search** to apply your filters.
4. Click on any ticket in the results list to view its full details.

#### Step 5: Track Ticket Progress

1. Open a ticket from the results list to view its current status.
2. The status banner at the top of the ticket shows where it stands in the workflow:
   - **Reported** - The ticket has been submitted and is awaiting investigation
   - **Investigating** - The support team is actively reviewing the issue
   - **Engineering** - The ticket has been assigned to engineering for a fix
   - **Testing** - A fix is ready for testing in staging; you may be asked to review
   - **Resolved** - The fix has been deployed to staging and production
   - **Backlog** - The ticket has been added to the backlog for future work
   - **Canceled** - The ticket has been closed without action
3. Review the **Open Time** indicator to see how long the ticket has been active.
4. Check the comments section at the bottom of the ticket for updates from the support team.

### What to Expect

After submitting a ticket, you receive an email confirmation. The eCourtDate support team reviews new tickets and updates the status as they investigate. You receive email notifications at each status change, so you do not need to check the ticket page constantly. Most standard-priority tickets receive an initial response within one business day.

### Best Practices

- **Write clear titles.** A specific title like "CSV upload fails with date format error" gets faster attention than "Upload not working."
- **Include the Report URL.** Linking directly to the page where the issue occurs saves time during investigation.
- **Set priority accurately.** Reserve "critical" for true outages. Overusing high priority can slow response times for genuinely urgent issues.
- **Add relevant team members to Notify.** If other staff are affected, include their emails so everyone stays informed.
- **Check existing tickets before creating a new one.** Use the search filters to see if someone at your agency already reported the same issue.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I update a ticket after submitting it?**
A: Yes. Open the ticket from the tickets list and update the **Title**, **Description**, **Type**, or **Priority** fields, then click **Save** to apply your changes.

**Q: How do I know when my ticket has been resolved?**
A: You receive an email notification each time the ticket status changes. When the status moves to **resolved**, the email includes a summary of the fix. You can also check the ticket page directly for the green "resolved" banner.

**Q: What happens if my issue comes back after a ticket is resolved?**
A: Open the resolved ticket and add a comment describing the recurrence. The support team will reopen the investigation. You can also create a new ticket and reference the original ticket ID in the description.

**Q: Can I see tickets submitted by other people at my agency?**
A: Yes. Use the **Agency** filter on the tickets search page to view all tickets associated with your agency, regardless of who submitted them.

**Q: What is the difference between "backlog" and "canceled"?**
A: A **backlog** ticket is a valid request that has been deferred for future work. A **canceled** ticket was closed without action, typically because it was a duplicate or no longer relevant.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** You do not see the **Create a Ticket** button on the screen.
**Symptoms:** The bottom right corner of the page does not display the ticket button after signing in.
**Solution:**

1. Make sure you are signed in to your eCourtDate agency (not just the help center).
2. Clear your browser cache and refresh the page.
3. Try a different browser or disable browser extensions that may block page elements.
4. If the button still does not appear, start a live chat using the **Start a Chat** button in the bottom left corner to report the problem.

**Issue:** You submitted a ticket but did not receive a confirmation email.
**Symptoms:** No email arrives after clicking **Create** on the ticket form.
**Solution:**

1. Check your spam or junk folder for emails from help@ecourtdate.com.
2. Verify that the email address on your eCourtDate profile is correct by going to your **User Profile**.
3. If the email is still missing, navigate to the tickets page and search for your ticket by title to confirm it was created successfully.

### Related Articles

- [How to Get Instant Help Through Live Chat](/how-to-get-instant-help-through-live-chat)