Introduction Request types are the foundation of organized support in Ravenna. They transform generic support requests into structured, categorized tickets with the right information, routing, and workflow. Whether you’re handling IT support, HR inquiries, facilities requests, or any other type of internal support, request types ensure consistency and efficiency.

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Understanding Request Types

Request types serve multiple purposes in your support workflow. They categorize incoming requests, generate appropriate forms, set default values, and route tickets to the right teams. When someone needs help, the request type determines everything from what questions they’re asked to where their ticket ends up. The system includes AI-powered classification that can automatically identify the right request type based on the content of a request. This means less manual work for your team and faster, more accurate categorization of support requests.

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Creating Request Types

Introduction Navigate to Request Types to manage your workspace’s request types. Each workspace maintains its own collection of request types tailored to their specific support needs. When creating a new request type, you’ll configure several key aspects that define how it works and appears to users.

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Basic Configuration

Start with a clear, recognizable name and helpful description that eliminates guesswork for requesters. Visual elements like icons, emojis, and colors help users quickly identify the right request type, especially when choosing from multiple options in Slack.

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Building Request Forms

The form builder lets you create custom data collection forms using both system fields and custom fields. This is where you define exactly what information gets collected for each type of request.

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System Fields

System fields are the built-in components of every ticket: title, description, status, priority, requester, assignee, approvers, and followers. These fields are part of Ravenna’s core ticket structure. For system fields, you can control whether they’re required or optional, but you cannot make required fields optional. For example, the title field must always be required, but you could make the description field required for requests that need detailed information.

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Custom Fields

Custom fields give you unlimited flexibility to collect specific information for different request types. Available field types include text, text area, number, date, boolean, select, multi-select, user select, and application select fields.

Custom Fields

Learn more about creating and configuring custom fields for your request types

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Request Type Settings

The settings section contains three important tabs that control different aspects of how your request type behaves. General Settings control the basic behavior and appearance. You can mark a request type as private to limit its visibility to workspace members only, or set it as the default request type for your workspace. The default request type is automatically selected when the system can’t determine the most appropriate type for a request. Introduction AI Configuration enables intelligent features that help automate request handling. Sample messages teach Ravenna’s AI system to recognize when incoming requests match this type. The more representative examples you provide, the better the system becomes at automatic classification. Introduction The classification response lets you customize what Ravenna says when it automatically identifies a request as this type. This is particularly useful for setting expectations or providing immediate guidance to requesters. Defaults Tab sets up automatic values that streamline ticket creation. The ticket title template uses field values to generate consistent, informative titles automatically. This is especially valuable when requesters don’t provide clear titles for their requests. Introduction Default priority, queue, and tags ensure that tickets created with this request type start with appropriate settings. This reduces manual work for your support team and ensures consistent handling of similar requests.

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Status Management

Introduction Request types can define their own allowed statuses beyond the standard system statuses. While all request types include the default statuses (Open, In Progress, Waiting, Done, Closed), you can add custom statuses within these groups. For example, the “In Progress” group might include both “In Progress” and “Needs Review” for requests that require approval steps. The “Done” group could have “Completed” and “Delivered” to track different completion states.

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AI-Powered Features

Ravenna’s AI capabilities make request types more intelligent and automated. The system learns from the examples you provide to automatically classify incoming requests, reducing manual categorization work. When users submit requests through various channels, the AI analyzes the content and suggests or automatically assigns the most appropriate request type. This works across web forms, Slack messages, and email requests. The classification confidence threshold ensures that only clear matches get automatically classified. Ambiguous requests are flagged for manual review, maintaining accuracy while reducing workload.

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Integration with Queues

Request types integrate closely with your queue structure to ensure proper routing and assignment. Each request type can specify a default queue where tickets should be created, streamlining the routing process.

Queues

Learn more about setting up and managing queues for your workspace

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Using Request Types Effectively

Once configured, request types work seamlessly across all of Ravenna’s interfaces. Users selecting request types through the web interface see clean, organized forms with only the relevant fields for their specific need. In Slack, request types generate modal forms that collect the necessary information without leaving the conversation context.

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Best Practices

Start with a core set of request types that cover your most common support scenarios. It’s better to begin with fewer, well-designed request types than to create many overlapping or unclear options. Use clear, consistent naming that matches how your users naturally describe their needs. Avoid internal jargon or abbreviations that might confuse requesters. Design forms that collect necessary information without being overwhelming. Required fields should truly be essential, while optional fields can gather helpful context without blocking request submission. Test your request types regularly by submitting sample requests and reviewing the resulting tickets. This helps identify areas where the forms could be clearer or where additional fields might be valuable. Request types are workspace-specific, allowing each team to create a support system that matches their unique requirements and processes.