By the [run]Book: Episode 17

By  
El Copeland
March 17, 2026
20 min read
Share this post

Episode 17 warps up the breakdown of version 2.21 and begins 2.212, highlighting impactful updates across billing, SLA visibility, and ticket management. The team dives into major improvements like dynamic ticket filters, default billing templates, and better billing tab access controls. This episode is especially useful for MSPs looking to tighten billing accuracy, improve reporting visibility, and streamline ticket workflows.

Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 17
For easier tracking, check out haloreleases.remmy.dev to filter and search HaloPSA updates by ID, version, and keyword.

Important Mentions

Billing Tab Visibility Changes | v2.212 #1062249 | 30:16

The Billing tab is now visible to agents without requiring full billing permissions, with actions locked based on access.

  • Improves visibility without over-permissioning agents
  • Reduces need to grant risky billing permissions
  • ⚠️ Be cautious: exposing billing data still requires process control and training (as discussed in the episode)
SLA Breach Visibility for On-Hold Tickets | v2.21 #795425 | 12:33

Tickets on hold can now be included in SLA breached filters.

  • Previously, putting a ticket on hold could hide SLA breaches
  • This setting ensures accurate reporting and accountability
  • ✅ Recommended: turn this on immediately
Default Billing Template for New Customers | v2.21 #792419 | 13:01

You can now define a default billing template applied automatically when creating a new customer.

  • Removes need for custom automation to apply templates
  • Ensures consistent billing rules across all customers
  • ✅ Recommended: enable this and retire older automation-based approaches
Dynamic Ticket Filters | v2.21 #772177 | 16:52

Dynamic filters can now be used on ticket lists for more flexible querying.

  • Enables complex AND/OR filtering logic
  • Reduces reliance on multiple saved views
  • Opens the door for more advanced automation without SQL
  • 🚀 One of the most impactful usability improvements in this release

FullFeature List

Changing the Product/Item 3rd Party ID reference will now be copied to recurring invoices when configured in Item Settings | v2.21 #956174 | 5:23

This helps keep recurring invoices aligned when item third-party IDs change.

  • Useful during accounting platform migrations
  • Reduces manual cleanup on recurring invoice records
  • Helps preserve item mapping consistency across systems
Invoice Due Date option "Equal to Invoice Date" has been added to the Recurring Invoice options to match the options at Customer setup | v2.21 #933961 | 6:09

Recurring invoices now get the same due date option already available at customer setup.

  • Brings recurring invoice behavior into line with customer billing settings
  • Helpful for teams that want cleaner due date standardization
You can now hide the ‘Approve/Reject All’ buttons on the Portal My Approvals page and require approval notes to always show ticket details | v2.21 #898703 | 6:22

This adds more control to portal-based approval workflows.

  • Helps avoid overly broad one-click approval behavior
  • Encourages better review discipline
  • Improves auditability around approval notes and detail visibility
Added 2 new Site-level settings to create invoices against a different Customer | v2.21 #859082 | 6:40

This extends alternate invoicing behavior down to the site level.

  • Adds more flexibility for multi-site or multi-entity billing setups
  • Useful where billing responsibility differs by site rather than customer
Added a setting "Re-assign tickets to unassigned when the assigned agent is made inactive" to the Microsoft Entra integration to allow agent tickets to be re-assigned if they are deactivated via an import | v2.21 #833690 | 7:04

This helps prevent tickets from disappearing into inactive-agent limbo.

  • Particularly useful when Entra sync deactivates agents automatically
  • Helps surface tickets that might otherwise get lost
  • Worth reviewing carefully because reassignment can also affect downstream reporting
You can now add Primary Agent, Secondary Agent & Account Manager as criteria for ticket filter profiles and lists | v2.21 #827931 | 9:50

More ticket list criteria means more practical operational views.

  • Lets you filter based on responsibility relationships, not just ticket ownership
  • Useful for dashboards, routing views, and account oversight lists
Improvements to ManageEngine Endpoint Central Integration | v2.21 #815251 | 10:11

This update improves the ManageEngine Endpoint Central integration.

  • Better integration maturity is always welcome for teams relying on external RMM/endpoint tooling
  • Useful for shops standardizing around that stack
Added the ability to use generic Open ID Connect single sign-on | v2.21 #814980 | 10:36

Halo now supports generic OpenID Connect SSO.

  • Expands identity provider compatibility beyond more limited built-in options
  • A solid improvement for organizations with more advanced authentication requirements
Added the ability to clone Item Bundles | v2.21 #801764 | 11:31

You can now duplicate item bundles instead of rebuilding them manually.

  • Saves setup time
  • Helpful when creating variations of similar commercial offerings
Added settings in asset management and services configuration for the name shown for the assets and services areas | v2.21 #798807 | 11:36

This adds more naming flexibility to the UI.

  • Lets teams align terminology with internal language
  • Helpful for organizations that want the platform to better match how they talk about assets and services
Added a setting to the SLA configuration to allow tickets that are on hold to be included in the SLA Breached filter for ticket lists | v2.21 #795425 | 12:33

This makes SLA breach reporting more honest and more useful.

  • On-hold tickets can still be breached, and now your filters can reflect that
  • Recommended setting to enable for better service visibility
You can now set a default billing template, picked up when creating a new customer. | v2.21 #792419 | 13:01

A major improvement for standard billing configuration.

  • Great for MSPs using a common template across all new customers
  • Replaces the need for custom customer-created automation in many environments
Added support for asset-based meters on recurring invoice lines, enabling managed print functionality | v2.21 #787149 | 15:28

This adds more flexibility to meter-driven recurring billing.

  • Especially relevant for managed print and other metered service models
  • Supports scenarios where an asset carries multiple billable meter values
Added the ability to use dynamic filters on ticket lists | v2.21 #772177 | 16:52

Dynamic ticket filters add a much stronger filtering experience.

  • Supports grouped filter logic beyond basic visible-column filtering
  • Helps reduce list sprawl and improves usability for operations teams
Added the ability to clone custom fields | v2.21 #722363 | 21:17

Cloning custom fields speeds up admin work.

  • Useful when building multiple similar fields
  • Cuts down repetitive configuration effort
Improvements to Pie and Doughnut Chart data labels | v2.21 #638315 | 21:49

This update improves chart label readability.

  • Helpful for dashboard clarity
  • A small but welcome quality-of-life improvement
Improvements to the Update Encryption option found in Security/Advanced Settings | v2.21 #510731 | 22:24

This update refines the encryption update workflow.

  • Relevant for teams actively managing advanced security settings
  • Another admin-side quality improvement
A setting has been added to Call Management configuration to show the user's preferred number on the call screen | v2.21 #510517 | 22:56

This improves call handling context.

  • Puts the preferred number front and center
  • Helpful for service desks handling inbound and outbound calls
Properties have been added to Item and Item Group for "Number of decimal places to use for quantity" that will affect the default decimal behaviour | v2.21 #228735 | 23:17

This gives more control over quantity precision.

  • Useful for products or services sold in partial units
  • Helps tailor quantity behavior to the actual commercial model
When using the configuration option to allow all Project and Tasks to be chosen when creating a Project from a Sales Order line, this will now include Tickets if they are linked to a Sales Order line | v2.212 #1062502 | 25:12

This improves flexibility when linking work records from sales orders.

  • Helpful for teams using tickets instead of projects in some fulfillment scenarios
  • Better supports mixed service delivery workflows
The Billing tab of a Ticket will now show for agents without requiring the Billing Details permission. Actions and properties within the Billing tab will be locked depending on permissions | v2.212 #1062249 | 30:16

This adds better billing visibility without fully exposing billing controls.

  • Good balance between awareness and security
  • Still requires caution around how teams use the billing area
ID can now be specified in a Ticket spreadsheet (XLS/CSV) import to update existing Tickets | v2.212 #1062155 | 32:34

Spreadsheet imports can now target existing tickets by ID.

  • Makes bulk updates easier
  • Useful for admin cleanup or migration workflows
The heading for the timer on the Ticket details pane has been removed | v2.212 #1061107 | 32:50

A small UI cleanup on the ticket details pane.

  • Frees up a bit more space
  • Minor but sensible interface polish
A configuration option has been added to allow Co-managed agents to log time | v2.212 #1060620 | 33:09

This adds flexibility for co-managed support models.

  • Lets co-managed agents participate more directly in time tracking
  • Helpful for shared-service or hybrid support arrangements
An option has been added to the CSP Integration so that you can map Users to "Do not import" so that mappings will not be automatically created for them in cases when the Users are not within the scope of a specific tenant permissions. | v2.212 #1060619 | 36:23

This improves control over CSP user mapping behavior.

  • Helps avoid unwanted user mappings
  • Useful where tenant scope or permissions are intentionally limited
Added a hint has been added to the Customer Tax rate selection when using Xero to better explain when this rate is used | v2.212 #1060166 | 38:25

This adds clarification around tax rate usage in Xero-linked setups.

  • A small but useful usability improvement
  • Helps reduce confusion in finance configuration
A button has been added to the Client Billing tab to clear the current Avalara Tenant. | v2.212 #1059696 | 38:34

This makes Avalara tenant cleanup easier from the client billing tab.

  • Handy for correcting configuration mistakes
  • Saves time compared with more awkward reset workflows
Runbooks can now be triggered from Custom Buttons on the following entities: Client, Site, User, Device, Quotation, Purchase Order, Invoice | v2.212 #1059597 | 38:56

This is a strong automation improvement.

  • Lets you trigger runbooks directly from more parts of the UI
  • Opens up practical workflows for service, sales, procurement, and account management
It is now possible to delete specific rows from a custom table using the property "delete_these_rows" | v2.212 #1059297 | 40:35

Custom table row deletion gets more precise.

  • Useful for automation and structured data maintenance
  • Reduces the need for full-table replacement logic
When using the configuration option to not create invoice lines with 0 value, recurring invoices lines shown in recurring invoice lists will be hidden if they have 0 value | v2.212 #1058650 | 40:54

This cleans up recurring invoice visibility.

  • Keeps invoice lists tidier
  • Makes review screens easier to scan
Minor changes to configuration to better explain how the function to automatically add Asset to Contracts can be configured | v2.212 #1058609 | 41:04

This is a documentation/config clarity improvement.

  • Helpful for admins configuring asset-to-contract automation
  • Less ambiguity is always welcome in contract automation settings
Additional options have been added to Ticket Rule assignment for Regional Manager, Logistics Manager, Sales Representative, Account Owner and CXM Lead | v2.212 #1057719 | 41:13

Ticket rule assignment now supports more role-based options.

  • Improves routing flexibility
  • Better reflects broader operational ownership models
Added approval rule criteria "Already approved by agent" | v2.212 #1057491 | 41:21

Approval rule logic gets another useful condition.

  • Adds more nuance to approval workflows
  • Helpful for reducing redundant approval steps
Added Supplier as a criteria field for dynamic field visibility, and added Supplier as notification criteria | v2.212 #1057372 | 41:56

Supplier-related configuration gets more flexible.

  • Helps tailor field visibility based on supplier context
  • Adds supplier-aware notification scenarios
Variables have been added that can be used on Project Templates when created from a Sales Order line | v2.212 #1057339 | 42:34

Project templates now get more dynamic input from sales-order-driven creation.

  • Improves template flexibility
  • Helpful for standardized fulfillment workflows
Additional columns have been added to the Quote and Sales Order line column profiles | v2.212 #1057260 | 42:47

This expands visibility in quote and sales order line views.

  • Helpful for finance and sales review workflows
  • More columns means less need to jump into detail views
An option has been added to the setting "Allow a Tickets Customer and Site to be different from the Users Customer and Site" to allow only the Site to be changed for a given User | v2.212 #1057242 | 42:59

This makes customer/site control more precise.

  • Adds a middle ground between fully matching and fully independent customer/site behavior
  • Useful for environments with stricter user association rules
Added additional response schemas to the API swagger documentation | v2.212 #1053435 | 43:56

The API docs continue to improve.

  • Better documentation supports better integrations
  • Especially useful for teams building custom API workflows
You can now specify the amount of columns you'd like like to show when logging a ticket through the agent app | v2.212 #1053014 | 44:35

This improves ticket logging layout flexibility in the agent app.

  • Lets teams control form density
  • Helpful when designing cleaner ticket intake experiences
Auto payments processed via Stripe on the integrator now use idempotency keys | v2.212 #1052572 | 45:31

This is an important reliability improvement for payment processing.

  • Helps prevent accidental duplicate processing
  • Good back-end hardening for Stripe-integrated billing
Added the ability to be able to change a service's category when the service is created from an asset | v2.212 #1050926 | 45:52

This adds more flexibility when services are generated from assets.

  • Useful where the default category is not the right long-term fit
  • Gives admins more post-creation control
Added the setting 'Copy values to parent Tickets on new Ticket screen' at custom field and ticket type field level | v2.212 #1042761 | 45:59

This improves parent/child ticket data behavior.

  • Lets values flow upward earlier in the ticket creation process
  • Helpful for service desks using child-ticket-driven workflows
Added the ability to link a 3rd party ID against agents, teams, agent roles, user roles, and CABs | v2.212 #1041704 | 47:57

Third-party ID linking is now available across more entities.

  • Supports cleaner integrations
  • Helps external systems map records without relying on internal IDs alone
Added flastactiondate as a field within the Query Builder | v2.212 #1041176 | 50:52

Query Builder gets another field for reporting logic.

  • Gives admins more data points to build useful views and reports
  • Helpful for operational tracking
Account and Prospects can now be viewed in Top Levels | v2.212 #1034016 | 50:56

This expands visibility of account/prospect records in top-level views.

  • Useful for sales and account-management workflows
  • Continues the gradual maturity of account/prospect handling
Added access control for custom buttons | v2.212 #1033683 | 51:35

Custom buttons now get access control.

  • Lets admins expose UI actions more safely
  • Important for governance as button-triggered automation becomes more powerful
UI Improvements to the New Opportunity Screen launched from Accounts/Prospects records | v2.212 #1032933 | 51:42

This adds polish to the opportunity creation experience.

  • Makes sales workflows smoother from account/prospect records
  • A welcome UX improvement for CRM-oriented teams
API Key Authentication method added to the Halo API | v2.212 #1032829 | 51:47

This is one of the biggest integration-facing updates in the episode.

  • Makes API authentication easier in many practical scenarios
  • Especially useful for agent-based integrations and tooling
  • Important reminder from the episode: permissions are tied to the identity behind the key, so scope and access design still matter

Share this post
El Copeland

As Partner and Business Consultant at Rising Tide, I help organizations align culture with efficiency, bridging the gap between strategy and the everyday systems that make it work. I’ve spent my career leading diverse, cross-functional teams and building communities where people actually want to learn and collaborate. With roots in technology, education, user experience & design, and project management, I specialize in turning complex ideas into clear, actionable plans that keep both people and projects thriving.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me weight-training, gardening, or rewatching Doctor Who with a cat in my lap.

See some more of our most recent posts...
June 23, 2026
8 min read

By the [run]Book: Episode 24

Episode 24 reviews HaloPSA v2.218, including Connor’s top recommendation: enable the new setting that blocks Default Contracts on Client records to protect billing rules.
Read post

In Episode 24 of By the [run]Book, Connor and Jason review HaloPSA v2.218 with a heavier focus on contracts, billing, QuickBooks, sales order workflows, and portal improvements. The standout update is the new setting to prevent Default Contracts from being used on Client records, which Connor strongly recommends enabling to avoid major billing rule issues. They also cover the new Self-Service Portal PWA option, Quick Time logging changes, Sales Order Communication Ticket improvements, and QuickBooks payment method mapping.

Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 24

Important Mentions

There are limitations affecting haloreleases.remmy.dev caused by changes to the Halo API

Connor and Jason announced a new Halo AMA series starting July 1st at 8:00 AM Eastern / 1:00 PM UK. The sessions will feature Robbie, Bri, and Jason from Rising Tide, with questions pulled from the community, Discord, Reddit, and live attendees.

Full Feature List

Sales Order variables have been added to the Available Variables on Runbooks | v2.218 #1101977 | 3:06

Sales Order variables are now available inside Runbooks, giving automation builders more sales-order-specific data to reference when building workflows.

When importing Devices using the Domotz integration only mapped Agent's Devices will be imported if there are any mapped Agents - otherwise all Devices for all imported Agents will be imported | v2.218 #1100861 | 3:25

This improves how Domotz device imports behave when mapped agents exist. Connor and Jason noted that Domotz can be useful for infrastructure-heavy MSPs, especially where network scanning and switch access are important.

Sales Order Communication Tickets will now display the associated Sales Order | v2.218 #1100760 | 5:01

Sales Order Communication Tickets now show the Sales Order they are tied to, making the relationship clearer for teams managing procurement or post-sale follow-up.

  • Helpful for larger MSPs with separate sales, procurement, and fulfillment roles.
  • Connor noted some MSPs keep everything on the Opportunity instead, so this is most useful where Sales Order tickets are part of the process.
  • This can reduce confusion when multiple tickets are created around the same quote or sales flow.
The Pax8 Product/Item creation function will now match on the Vendor/Supplier SKU (Pax8 SKU) | v2.218 #1100669 | 7:34

The Pax8 Product/Item creation function will now match based on the Vendor/Supplier SKU. Connor and Jason advised caution with this area because automated Pax8 product and invoice item creation can still create duplicates or require cleanup if existing products are not mapped well.

Added a setting to specify the user ID field in SailPoint | v2.218 #1100602 | 9:56

This adds more configuration flexibility for SailPoint integrations by allowing the user ID field to be specified.

A configuration option has been added so that the "Conversation and Internal" Ticket history view will include all emails | v2.218 #1100317 | 10:22

This setting allows the Conversation and Internal ticket history view to include automated/system emails, such as acknowledgement emails.

  • Useful when troubleshooting whether system-generated emails were sent.
  • Connor pointed out that hidden actions can make ticket history harder to follow, so showing more email activity can help admins and agents understand what happened.
Added minor changes to the Pax8 configuration screen to improve the set-up process | v2.218 #1100194 | 12:29

Minor setup improvements were added to the Pax8 configuration screen. Connor and Jason did not identify a major visible change during the review.

Invoice Due Date can now be updated from the Invoice List | v2.218 #1099985 | 13:14

Invoice due dates can now be bulk updated directly from the Invoice List, which may help billing teams adjust multiple invoices without opening each invoice individually.

When using the Quickbooks integration you can assign a Quickbooks Payment Method to a Halo Payment method and this will be used when pushing Payments from Halo to Quickbooks | v2.218 #1099714 | 13:56

Halo payment methods can now be mapped to QuickBooks payment methods when payments are pushed from Halo to QuickBooks.

  • Useful for MSPs recording payments in Halo and syncing them to QuickBooks.
  • Helps keep payment method reporting cleaner in QuickBooks.
  • Connor noted many MSPs may receive payment data into Halo instead of pushing it out, so this mainly matters for teams using Halo as the payment source.
Hosted customers can now install the Self-Service Portal as a Progressive Web App | v2.218 #1099594 | 15:14

Hosted customers can now install the Self-Service Portal as a Progressive Web App. Connor and Jason discussed how this could make portal access feel more app-like for end users.

  • The portal can be installed on a desktop or mobile device.
  • App name, description, and icon can be customized.
  • This may be useful for MSPs that want a branded, easy-access client portal experience.
Stock Quantity can now be shown as a column using Sales Order Line column profiles | v2.218 #1099248 | 17:11

Stock Quantity can now be added to Sales Order Line column profiles, giving teams more control over what inventory information appears on sales order lines.

A column for "published" will now show on the dashboard list | v2.218 #1099130 | 19:58

The dashboard list now includes a Published column, making it easier to see which dashboards are currently published without opening each one.

An option for using mTLS (Mutual TLS) has been added as an authentication option for custom integrations | v2.218 #1098487 | 20:17

Custom integrations now support mTLS as an authentication option. This is most relevant for integrations requiring certificate-based mutual authentication between systems.

A configuration option has been added to allow the Action used for logging time from Timesheets to be overridden | v2.218 #1098475 | 21:03

This setting allows the action used for logging time from Timesheets, specifically Quick Time behavior, to be overridden. Connor and Jason spent time testing and discussing this because the release note was not very clear.

  • Connor generally prefers structured ticket-based time logging over Quick Time.
  • Jason explained that Quick Time still needs an underlying ticket and action to log time.
  • This may allow more customization of how Quick Time logs time, but it is worth testing before relying on it.
Pro-rata options will now show correctly on the Sales Order -> Recurring Invoice pop-up | v2.218 #1095834 | 27:26

Pro-rata options now show correctly when working from Sales Orders to the Recurring Invoice pop-up. Connor and Jason treated this more like a fix than a major new feature.

A setting has been added to Contract configuration to stop the Default Contract property from being used against Client records | v2.218 #1093850 | 28:05

This was Connor and Jason’s clear favorite feature of the episode. The new setting prevents users from setting a Default Contract directly on the Client record, which can override billing rules and cause major billing issues.

  • Connor strongly recommended enabling this setting.
  • The Default Contract field can cause all time to attach to a single contract.
  • This can break carefully configured billing templates and contract rules.
  • Connor noted this is not usually done maliciously; it is just an easy mistake for users to make.
  • Best practice from the episode: turn this on unless you have a very specific reason to send all time to one contract.
An option has been added to the Quickbooks integration to allow the Halo Third Party Customer name to be used instead of the Halo Customer Name | v2.218 #1093788 | 34:51

This QuickBooks option allows Halo to use the Third Party Customer Name instead of the Halo Customer Name when creating or syncing customers to QuickBooks.

A setting has been added to Contract Configuration to filter Contract selection on Tickets to show only Site Contracts if there are any | v2.218 #1092757 | 35:25

This setting filters contract selection on tickets so that site-specific contracts are shown when they exist. Connor and Jason noted that site-level contracts can get complicated and are likely an edge case for most MSPs.

The Google Maps latitude and longitude lookup will now use Country and Region if enabled and populated | v2.218 #1092350 | 39:53

Google Maps latitude and longitude lookup now uses Country and Region when those fields are enabled and populated. Connor showed how this can support map-based customer or prospect views, though he also noted Google API setup can be painful.

Access control query improvements | v2.218 #1091628 | 42:36

This improves access control queries and includes an option around agent department access control. Jason noted that disabling department-based access control may offer a performance benefit if it is not needed.

Added Created By column to Purchase Orders | v2.218 #1091115 | 44:20

Purchase Orders now have a Created By column available, making it easier to identify who created a purchase order.

Added Description, Creation Date and Created By fields to API applications | v2.218 #1081398 | 44:24

API applications now include Description, Creation Date, and Created By fields, improving visibility and auditability for API app management.

Added multiple condition types to asset field and button restrictions | v2.218 #1080355 | 44:35

Additional condition types have been added for asset field and button restrictions. Connor noted the release note did not clarify exactly which condition types were added.

Added "Closed by" field to Ticket Column Profiles | v2.218 #1076139 | 45:13

Ticket Column Profiles can now include the Closed By field, making it easier to report or filter based on who closed a ticket.

Client and Site level Event triggers can now use Custom Field values as Criteria | v2.218 #1072255 | 45:28

Client and Site level Event triggers can now use Custom Field values as criteria. This adds more flexibility when building automations or event-driven workflows based on client or site data.

The Resolution Finder now matches knowledge base articles using tags only for whole-word matches | v2.218 #1066947 | 46:51

Resolution Finder matching now uses tags only for whole-word matches. Connor and Jason discussed the broader challenge of KB usefulness, noting that KBs are strongest when they support real process guidance rather than generic articles.

Added a new variable $-ALLFIELDSCARD to display a styled version of the ALLFIELDS table | v2.218 #1065730 | 49:53

A new $-ALLFIELDSCARD variable displays a styled version of the ALLFIELDS table. Connor and Jason liked the cleaner presentation and showed how it makes field output easier to read.

June 9, 2026
8 min read

By the [run]Book: Episode 23

Episode 23 of By the [run]Book covers HaloPSA v2.216, including AI acknowledgement emails, ticket and project charge rate restrictions, report audit timestamps, Microsoft CSP subscription imports, and Runbook enhancements. The team also discusses recent Halo API changes affecting haloreleases.remmy.dev, Microsoft's upcoming July 1st pricing changes, and Renada's Teams-based Ticket Swarm approach for rapid ticket collaboration.
Read post

In Episode 23 of By the [run]Book, Connor Fagan and Jason Parsons walk through HaloPSA v2.216, covering a mix of quality-of-life improvements, automation enhancements, reporting updates, and billing controls. Highlights include new ticket-level charge rate restrictions, report audit timestamps, Microsoft CSP subscription import improvements, AI-generated acknowledgment emails, and several Runbook enhancements. The discussion also covers important industry updates, including Microsoft’s July 1st pricing changes, limitations introduced to haloreleases.Remmy.dev due to Halo API changes, and Renada’s Teams-based "Ticket Swarm" approach for urgent ticket collaboration.

Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 23

Important Mentions

There are limitations affecting haloreleases.remmy.dev caused by changes to the Halo API

Microsoft’s July 1st pricing Changes

Check out Renada's instructional video - Ticket Swarm into Microsoft Teams

Full Feature List

There is now an option to hide the Task event type when creating an appointment | v2.216 #1004798 | 3:08

This gives administrators the ability to remove the Task event type from appointment creation screens.

The hosts recommended enabling this for most environments because Task event types do not synchronize with Microsoft 365 calendars, while Appointment types do.

Various improvements to maintenance windows and change freeze periods | v2.216 #993209 | 5:01

A collection of enhancements focused on Halo's ITSM change management functionality.

The discussion noted that this will likely be most valuable for organizations using formal maintenance windows and change approval processes rather than traditional MSP service desks.

You can now choose to use Criteria Groups on Ticket Rules | v2.216 #992806 | 6:02

Criteria Groups continue to expand throughout Halo and are now available within Ticket Rules.

This allows administrators to build more advanced AND/OR logic inside a single rule rather than creating multiple rules to achieve the same outcome.

Added a "Restrict field visibility to specific entities" option for CRM note custom fields, enabling admins to control which entities (Client, Site, or User) the field appears on | v2.216 #985216 | 8:11

CRM Note custom fields can now be limited to specific entity types.

This helps keep note forms cleaner by ensuring fields only appear where they are actually relevant.

Added new global Chat setting - "Prevent multiple agents from connecting to a live chat simultaneously" | v2.216 #985181 | 13:10

A new safeguard prevents multiple technicians from accidentally joining the same chat session.

For teams using Halo Chat, this can help reduce duplicate responses and ownership confusion.

Added 'Current Time' and 'Day of Week' as new Chat flow criteria | v2.216 #984329 | 14:32

Chat Flows can now make decisions based on the current time and day of the week.

This opens up more options for business-hours routing and after-hours automation.

Added SLA response/resolution breached criteria for Ticket Lists and Ticket Areas | v2.216 #983753 | 14:39

Administrators can now separately filter against Response SLA breaches and Resolution SLA breaches.

The hosts felt this provides greater reporting flexibility and allows teams to focus on the SLA metrics that matter most to their business.

Fields with an override display field now show the override name in field lists | v2.216 #982790 | 16:03

Field lists now display the override name rather than only the original field name.

A small but useful quality-of-life improvement when working with heavily customized environments.

Tanium user matching improvements | v2.216 #981827 | 16:31

Improves user matching behaviour within the Tanium integration.

The hosts did not spend much time on this feature but noted it should improve synchronization accuracy.

You can now set a custom refresh rate for widgets | v2.216 #979334 | 17:16

Dashboard widgets can now have their own refresh intervals.

Administrators can balance dashboard responsiveness against system performance by selecting refresh periods between 30 seconds and 1 hour.

Added the "include_all_custom_fields" HTTP parameter when listing Assets via the API | v2.216 #972951 | 17:47

A new API parameter allows integrations to retrieve all custom fields when querying assets.

Useful for developers and anyone building integrations around Halo asset data.

Added a setting to give more control over which action fields copy to children when adding actions to parent tickets | v2.216 #967903 | 23:02

Provides additional control over how information flows between parent and child tickets.

The hosts discussed several possible use cases but agreed this will require additional testing to fully understand its impact.

Added in a setting that allows you to define the default Rich Editor Toolbar style | v2.216 #967368 | 27:01

Administrators can now define the default layout used by the rich text editor toolbar.

A simple quality-of-life improvement for organizations that prefer a cleaner editor experience.

You can now use $-APPOINTMENTBOOKING{X} to link an End User to a specific booking type | v2.216 #963310 | 27:50

Appointment booking links can now direct users to specific booking types.

This provides more flexibility when building self-service appointment workflows.

Added AI Acknowledgement Emails at Ticket Type Level | v2.216 #920858 | 29:42

AI-generated acknowledgement emails can now be configured at the Ticket Type level.

The feature allows custom prompts and automated responses tailored to specific ticket categories. The hosts felt this could be useful for gathering additional information from end users before an engineer begins working the ticket, but recommended careful testing before broad adoption.

Added a runbook setting to log a ticket after X failed attempts in a row | v2.216 #896368 | 34:49

One of the most practical automation improvements discussed during the episode.

When a Runbook repeatedly fails, Halo can now automatically create a ticket.

The hosts strongly recommended enabling this for Runbook deployments to improve visibility into automation failures and reduce troubleshooting time.

Added a setting to Etilize to only show items with a Price | v2.216 #804419 | 36:58

Adds an option to filter out catalog items that do not contain pricing information.

A small but useful improvement for teams relying on Etilize product searches.

Creation date and last edited date is now displayed on reports | v2.216 #801011 | 38:06

One of the hosts' favourite additions in this release.

Reports now display who last modified them and when the modification occurred, making report management significantly easier in larger environments.

Popup notes set as modal will now have to be acknowledged before they are closed | v2.216 #793283 | 39:44

Modal popup notes now require acknowledgement before dismissal.

This helps ensure important information is actually seen by technicians.

Added an individual toggle for KB article links per page when enabled | v2.216 #787515 | 41:33

Provides additional control over Knowledge Base article link behaviour.

The feature was only briefly discussed during the episode.

You can now import Subscription products from Microsoft CSP | v2.216 #779249 | 42:28

Improves Microsoft CSP product import functionality.

The hosts highlighted this alongside Microsoft's upcoming pricing changes and discussed how it may simplify subscription management.

Runbook improvements for uploading and downloading of files | v2.216 #749478 | 44:32

Adds additional file handling capabilities to Runbooks.

Useful for workflows involving document processing, attachments, and API-driven automation.

Charge Rate restrictions have been added to Ticket/Project level | v2.216 #650036 | 45:26

This generated one of the longest discussions of the episode.

The feature allows charge rate controls to be configured directly against tickets and projects. While it provides significant flexibility, the hosts cautioned that excessive customization could make billing troubleshooting considerably more difficult.

Options have been added to Resource Booking Types to override the "Minimum minutes" and "Maximum days" for available timeslots | v2.216 #461773 | 51:01

Resource Booking Types can now define their own scheduling limits rather than relying entirely on global settings.

Bills can now be created independently from Purchase Orders | v2.216 #452557 | 51:10

Allows Bills to be created without requiring an associated Purchase Order.

A useful addition for organizations with more flexible purchasing processes.

The current Item Price/Cost will now show on the hint for the Price/Cost on an Invoice | v2.216 #437921 | 51:30

Invoice pricing fields now display the current item price or cost as a reference.

The hosts questioned some of the terminology used but agreed the additional visibility could be helpful.

Sophos Integration is now available | v2.216 #234500 | 53:16

Halo now includes a Sophos integration.

The discussion focused primarily on alert synchronization and early integration improvements since its initial release.

May 26, 2026
8 min read

By the [run]Book: Episode 22

HaloPSA v2.216 delivers several impactful improvements for MSPs, including new SLA-aware database functions, enhanced integrator troubleshooting tools, OAuth token refresh controls, improved sensitive ticket permissions, and expanded invoicing flexibility. Episode 22 continues reviewing features in 2.216 while highlighting the changes that will have the biggest day-to-day operational impact.
Read post

Episode 22 of By the [run]Book dives deep into HaloPSA v2.216, covering a wide range of enhancements across reporting, integrations, invoicing, ticketing, assets, and automation. Connor and Mendy spend extra time unpacking new SLA-aware database functions, improved integrator troubleshooting, OAuth token management, sensitive ticket controls, and several quality-of-life improvements that make Halo easier to administer and automate. This episode is particularly valuable for MSPs looking to improve reporting accuracy, streamline integrations, and gain better visibility into backend processes.

Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 22
For easier tracking, check out haloreleases.remmy.dev to filter and search HaloPSA updates by ID, version, and keyword.

Important Mentions

New database functions have been added to be used to calculate time between dates | v2.216 #1083601 | 2:17

One of the most impactful features discussed in this episode introduces new database functions designed to calculate working time between dates using Halo's own business logic.

  • Enables SLA-aware reporting calculations.
  • Accounts for working hours, holidays, and SLA calendars.
  • Simplifies SQL reporting that previously required complex logic.
  • Particularly useful for custom reports and analytics.

Why it matters: MSPs building advanced reporting can now calculate true business time rather than relying on raw SQL date math.

Added two additional options to the tickets setting 'Sensitive Ticket restrictions' | v2.216 #1056127 | 22:45

Sensitive tickets gain more granular visibility controls.

  • Additional restrictions for end-user visibility.
  • Additional restrictions for agent visibility.
  • Better handling of confidential or executive-level requests.
  • Improves internal governance and privacy controls.

Why it matters: MSPs supporting executive teams or handling confidential projects gain stronger access controls.

Integrator log columns ID and config ID are now filterable | v2.216 #1039846 | 33:06

Connor and Mendy highlighted this as one of the most valuable operational improvements in the release.

  • Makes troubleshooting Halo Integrator jobs significantly easier.
  • Allows administrators to filter logs by specific integration configuration.
  • Simplifies debugging failed syncs.
  • Reduces time spent searching through large log files.

Why it matters: Faster troubleshooting means less downtime and quicker resolution when integrations fail.

Custom integrations that use OAuth 2.0 now have a button to clear the access/refresh tokens, allowing permissions to be refreshed | v2.216 #1029548 | 45:49

This feature received strong praise from both hosts.

  • Allows OAuth tokens to be cleared without recreating integrations.
  • Makes permission testing much easier.
  • Eliminates the need to duplicate integrations during troubleshooting.
  • Simplifies development and integration configuration work.

Why it matters: Anyone building custom integrations or working with APIs will immediately appreciate the time savings.

Full Feature List

New database functions have been added to be used to calculate time between dates | v2.216 #1083601 | 2:17

This feature introduces new database functions that calculate time between dates while respecting Halo's working hours, holidays, and SLA schedules. The hosts highlighted this as one of the most impactful additions in the release for reporting and analytics.

For MSPs building custom reports, this removes much of the complexity previously required to calculate true SLA working time instead of relying on standard SQL date calculations.

When using the new storage data method, Text custom fields will now be extended up to 1000 characters | v2.216 #1083130 | 4:36

Text custom fields created using the newer storage method can now support up to 1000 characters instead of the previous 255-character limitation.

The team discussed real-world examples where long URLs, call recording links, and integration data would previously be truncated. This change reduces the need to switch fields to Memo types simply to accommodate longer values.

Action Group configuration has been added to the menu options at Configuration > Tickets, as well as being added to the Action configuration | v2.216 #1082462 | 6:08

Action Group configuration is now surfaced more prominently throughout the Halo interface.

This doesn't introduce new functionality but makes Action Groups easier to discover and manage by exposing configuration options in more logical locations.

Quotes will no longer be automatically expired if they have a Status that is either used as "Closed" or "Accepted" | v2.216 #1080343 | 7:32

Previously, accepted or closed quotes could still transition to an expired status once their expiry date was reached.

This fix prevents completed quote statuses from being overwritten later, resulting in cleaner sales reporting and a more accurate quote lifecycle.

Added a new Mail Campaign Type: Nurture Campaign - Scheduled | v2.216 #1080219 | 8:29

Scheduled nurture campaigns can now periodically re-evaluate recipient lists rather than only processing the list when the campaign initially launches.

This makes nurture campaigns much more practical for dynamic marketing lists where recipients may qualify after the campaign has already started.

You can now use $ChatTranscript on a Ticket at any time when there is a linked Chat with a User | v2.216 #1079619 | 10:21

The Chat Transcript variable can now be referenced whenever a linked chat exists for a ticket.

This provides more flexibility when building templates, notifications, automations, and workflows that need access to chat history.

Added $_INVOICELONGDESC to the available variables that can be used during pro-rata creation | v2.216 #1079617 | 10:57

A new variable has been added to support invoice long descriptions during pro-rata calculations.

The hosts spent time discussing how this improves consistency between invoice line descriptions and prorated billing entries, helping produce clearer invoices for customers.

Added a setting to only apply date validation upon creation of entities | v2.216 #1075315 | 14:40

Date validation can now be restricted to the creation process only.

This allows administrators to make changes to records later without triggering the same validation requirements that applied when the entity was originally created.

Added the permission "Can Override Device Change Who" | v2.216 #1072389 | 15:23

A new permission allows the recorded user associated with device change tracking records to be overridden.

The hosts noted this introduces additional flexibility but also raises questions around auditing and accountability, so it should be used carefully.

Added the option "Visible - Read Only" to asset type system field settings | v2.216 #1069805 | 17:05

Asset system fields can now be configured as visible while remaining read-only.

This helps expose important information to users without allowing accidental edits.

Added a setting to enable customer specific agreement reference generation | v2.216 #1068707 | 17:22

Agreement reference numbers can now be generated on a customer-specific basis.

Organizations with structured naming conventions may find this useful when managing multiple agreements across different customers.

It is now possible to enforce uniqueness for asset fields per asset type | v2.216 #1067257 | 18:28

Asset custom fields can now be configured to require unique values.

This is particularly useful for:

  • Serial numbers
  • Asset tags
  • External identifiers
  • Device reference numbers

It helps improve data quality and prevents duplicate asset records.

Sage Intacct Entity mapping defaults and manual settings are now available across more entities | v2.216 #1062134 | 19:10

Sage Intacct mapping capabilities have been expanded to additional entities.

This improves flexibility for organizations integrating HaloPSA with Sage Intacct accounting workflows.

You can now map Halo Custom Fields to Sage Intacct fields where mappings are available | v2.216 #1062129 | 20:34

Custom field mapping support has been extended within the Sage Intacct integration.

This allows more business-specific data to flow between HaloPSA and Sage Intacct.

Added a setting to Users Settings > Defaults to determine if a new Users' username should be set to their Email or not if there is already a User at the Site with the same Username | v2.216 #1060115 | 20:46

This setting helps determine how duplicate usernames are handled when new users are created.

The hosts generally felt most organizations would likely continue using traditional username formats rather than switching to email addresses automatically.

Added two additional options to the tickets setting "Sensitive Ticket restrictions" | v2.216 #1056127 | 22:45

This was one of the more significant ticketing enhancements discussed during the episode.

Sensitive tickets now support additional visibility controls for both end users and agents.

This helps organizations handle:

  • Executive requests
  • HR-related tickets
  • Confidential projects
  • Restricted internal discussions
Added settings to group by Agent Status in the Treeview, and to show a grouping of Agents by Status to Ticket Areas | v2.216 #1056112 | 25:43

Treeviews can now group agents by their availability status.

Dispatchers and service coordinators may find this particularly useful when reviewing ticket assignments and resource availability.

Added a setting for Asset Custom Buttons to disable the runbook queued confirmation popup | v2.216 #1054838 | 26:19

Asset custom buttons can now suppress the runbook queue confirmation message.

A small but useful quality-of-life improvement for heavily automated workflows.

Added a Chat flow action which can retrieve data from the User's browser local storage and map to Ticket or Chat Custom Fields | v2.216 #1054416 | 26:40

Chat flows can now retrieve information stored within the user's browser and map that data into Halo records.

The hosts discussed potential use cases while also noting the broader security considerations associated with browser-side data access.

Allowed non-integer IDs for multi-select custom fields | v2.216 #1054352 | 28:54

Multi-select custom fields are no longer restricted to integer-based identifiers.

This improves compatibility with external systems that use GUIDs and other non-numeric identifiers.

Added new $ variables for Client Mention notifications | v2.216 #1045900 | 30:07

Additional variables have been added for Client Mention notifications.

This supports richer notification templates and more contextual messaging.

Added "Mailbox" field to Ticket Types to allow Agents to set the default mailbox when creating new Tickets | v2.216 #1044902 | 32:28

Ticket types can now define a default mailbox during ticket creation.

This provides additional control over ticket routing and mailbox selection.

Integrator log columns ID and config ID are now filterable | v2.216 #1039846 | 33:06

One of the standout features from the episode, this enhancement makes Halo Integrator troubleshooting significantly easier.

Administrators can now filter logs by configuration ID, making it much simpler to locate and investigate integration runs.

For MSPs managing multiple integrations, this can dramatically reduce troubleshooting time.

Variables used in Runbooks can now be JSON escaped using the following format - ##jsonstringify##<<ticket^example_field>>##/jsonstringify## | v2.216 #1037026 | 38:42

Runbook variables can now be JSON-escaped before being passed to external systems.

This helps avoid formatting issues when sending structured data through APIs and automation workflows.

In the config commit list view, agent names will now display the stored name for consistency across instances | v2.216 #1032902 | 39:54

Configuration commit history will now display stored agent names consistently across linked instances.

A small but welcome improvement for organizations managing multiple Halo environments.

Added the v2 invoice merging method to allow more customisable merging options | v2.216 #1032275 | 40:15

A new invoice merging method introduces additional customization options for invoice generation.

The hosts noted that this feature introduces significant complexity and should be thoroughly tested before being adopted in production billing processes.

Service status improvements to the Self Service Portal | v2.216 #1031911 | 42:27

The Self Service Portal now includes improvements for displaying service status information.

Organizations maintaining customer-facing status pages may benefit from improved visibility during outages and service disruptions.

Custom integrations that use OAuth 2.0 now have a button to clear the access/refresh tokens, allowing permissions to be refreshed | v2.216 #1029548 | 45:49

Another major highlight from the episode.

Administrators can now clear stored OAuth tokens without recreating integrations.

Benefits include:

  • Easier permission testing
  • Faster troubleshooting
  • Reduced integration rebuilds
  • Simpler development workflows

For anyone building custom integrations, this feature alone can save a significant amount of time.

You can now use End Users and Site level Custom Fields on Ticket Column Profiles | v2.216 #1029518 | 47:36

Ticket column profiles can now display End User and Site-level custom fields.

This allows additional business data to be surfaced directly within ticket lists and views.

Added runbook ID as a filterable column on the integration runbook list view | v2.216 #1029237 | 48:32

Runbook IDs can now be used as a filterable column within integration runbook views.

A small administrative improvement that makes locating specific runbooks easier.

Add new Ticket Notification triggers for when there have been no Actions on a ticket for X hrs/days | v2.216 #1021268 | 48:48

New notification triggers can alert teams when tickets have been inactive for a specified period.

This may help identify tickets that have fallen through the cracks and improve follow-up processes.

A database table has been added named "InvoiceCreationTrace" that will be used to record what happened during Invoice creation from the Ready For Invoicing lists | v2.216 #1013403 | 49:49

Invoice creation now generates trace records that can be used for troubleshooting and diagnostics.

The hosts highlighted the importance of additional visibility into billing processes and invoice generation logic.

Added an end date column for software licences | v2.216 #1013163 | 51:38

Software licence records can now display an end date column.

A straightforward improvement that provides better visibility into licence lifecycle information.

Added ticket type groups to change tracking | v2.216 #1009333 | 51:47

Ticket type groups can now be leveraged within change tracking functionality.

This complements broader improvements around ticket grouping and permissions management.

You can now set automatic invoice reminders | v2.216 #1008361 | 54:10

Automatic invoice reminders can now be configured directly within Halo.

This helps reduce manual collections work and provides a more consistent accounts receivable process.

Added a setting 'approval delegation when out of office' to user settings | v2.216 #1005500 | 55:47

Approval requests can now be automatically delegated when a user is marked out of office.

While relatively simple today, the hosts discussed how this may become increasingly valuable as Halo continues expanding its out-of-office functionality and approval workflows.