SLA policies set first-response and resolution targets for tickets. Core tracks elapsed working time, pauses clocks according to the policy, and flags tickets approaching or exceeding their targets.

Create a policy

Open Settings > SLA and select Create Policy.
Enter a policy name and description.
Set response targets in minutes and resolution targets in hours for Low, Medium, High, and Urgent priorities.
Optionally enable Planned vs Unplanned Targets, then define which categories, ticket types, or sources qualify for planned targets.
Choose whether to count Business hours only.
Select the statuses and categories that pause clocks.
Choose Set as default if this should be the workspace fallback, then save.

Set targets from your service agreement. The values in a new policy are starting values, rather than a guarantee of what your team can deliver.

Business hours and pauses

Configure the workspace timezone, working days, start/end time, and holidays in Settings > Business. Policies with Business hours only exclude time outside that schedule.

Pause Clock When Status Is and Pause Clock When Category Is control the policy's paused time. A matching status or category pauses the unresolved clock and the first-response clock if no response has been recorded. Leaving the paused condition resumes any unfinished clocks.

Open a ticket's SLA badge to see the applied policy, response and resolution targets, counted time, excluded time, and paused periods. Helpdesk admins can inspect SLA timing for their own company's portal tickets.

What counts as a first response

Core records the first response when a staff member sends a public reply or when a ticket moves out of New. Completing or closing a ticket also records a response if none exists yet. An internal note does not count as a public response, and assigning a technician alone does not stop the response clock.

Resolution timing stops when the ticket is Complete or closed. Changing priority or policy can change the applicable targets; use the badge's details to check the current calculation.

Which policy applies

Link a policy in a contract's SLA Policy field to use it for that company's tickets while the contract is active.

When several active contracts exist, Core prefers a directly assigned contract policy, then a policy for the contract, then a policy for its contract type. If none applies, it uses the workspace default. Changes to the applicable policy update open tickets without sending historical breach alerts.

Warnings and breaches

An enforced SLA becomes At risk when either clock reaches 80% of its target, and Breached when either clock exceeds its target. Staff alerts follow inbox and email preferences. To send warnings and breaches directly to a staff Slack channel, configure SLA channel alerts. Without a native channel, Core uses SLA Slack Channel Email in Settings > Business when configured. Each alert uses one channel destination.

Alerts announce new SLA status changes. An unresolved breach does not send a repeated alert just because another day passes. Paused, completed, and exempt tickets do not send new warnings or breaches.

Open the SLA Dashboard under Reports for the 30-day overview. Use Reports in its header for detailed filters and exports.

Compliance percentages use tickets resolved in the last 30 days with an enforced policy. Active Breaches and At Risk include all open enforced tickets, including older ones. Daily trends use the workspace timezone; technician results include internal staff.

Exempt a ticket

Open the ticket, enable SLA Exempt in its SLA section, and confirm. Use this for work outside the agreement and record the reason in an internal note.

Exempt tickets are excluded from enforcement and breach notifications. Their displayed SLA state is an exemption, rather than proof that a response or resolution target was met. Turn exemption off to resume normal tracking.

SLA Management