By
El Copeland
August 21, 2024
•
20 min read
Business
Tutorials
Choosing the Right Ticket Status Colors in HaloPSA
Have you implemented unique colors for your Ticket Statuses in HaloPSA?
Coloring these Statuses adds a great Quality of Life to your Agents working tickets. Often, it is treated as a nice-to-have or “let’s just make it look pretty,” which are fine if it works for you. However, we invite you to imagine instead with us: what if you could leverage symbolic colors that guide an Agent through your defined ticket process. What if you could implement that in a reasonable way?
So, to help lessen that decision fatigue for you since we know you’re busy customizing every other setting in HaloPSA as well, here is the framework that Rising Tide uses to approach customizing these settings to help you quickly and sensibly label your Ticket Statuses. In a future article, we’ll tackle Ticket Action color codes; however, the concepts will generally remain the same.
Laying out the Ticket Status Colors Framework
Before we jump into coloring statuses, let’s start by defining a ticket’s lifecycle according to how your Agents need to allocate their attention to those tickets, whether that is dictated by standard professionalism or ensuring SLAs are kept. For the sake of this conversation, we are going to address these ticket attention phases with the segments: Normal Attention, Elevated Attention, or Inert Attention.
Normal Attention
Ideally, your Agents receive a ticket and all things are “Go,” they have everything they need to start working, and then Close the ticket when they've successfully completed the task and can rest on their laurels (or move on to the next ticket!).
We recommend all Normal Attention tickets to be assigned “cool colors” like greens, blues, and purples. (And not cool because we think they’re rad, cool as opposed to warm colors, more information here on color theory) Statuses like New and In Progress generally belong here. We have the ticket, everything is going as planned. What a perfect, serene world. Peaceful, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, that’s not the reality in most of our businesses! What happens when tickets require extra attention or action to ensure their timely completion?
Elevated Attention
Here in Elevated Attention is where we see statuses like Escalated, Pending Approval, or Reopened: tickets that we need to be actively thinking about and revisiting, especially ones that are keeping our SLA clock running. To inspire action and increase visibility, we’re using warm, fiery colors like Orange, Red, and Yellow.
What if there is a ticket where we cannot take immediate action, or it doesn’t warrant it? That’s our last category: Inert Attention.
Inert Attention
There will be times when our tickets are active but there is literally nothing we can do but wait. The SLA clock isn’t running, so we don’t need to worry about taking action on these just yet: statuses like Waiting on Client or Waiting on Vendor. We recommend using greys to signify these statuses’ inactive character.
In general, we recommend you set up HaloPSA to do most of the status setting and remembering to move tasks in and out of statuses, especially Inert-type statuses. Specifically, when setting up these Inert Attention statuses in HaloPSA, be sure to build those Ticket Statuses, Ticket Type Settings, and your related Workflows so when a ticket enters or exits an Inert status, it automatically puts the ticket on or removes it from SLA hold. You can see examples of these settings in the screen captures below.
Some examples of this recommendation in action could be:
- Setting a Waiting on Client ticket to Attention Required when a customer replies to an email
- Setting a Waiting on Vendor ticket to Attention Required when a Supplier updates
- Setting a ticket to Scheduled upon creating an Appointment (Ticket Type Settings: Status after user appointment booking (resource booking), or Status after Agent creates appointment)
- Automatically setting Waiting on Client tickets to Closed after a certain number of hours with no reply according to SLA rules you set.
Ticket Status Colors Framework in Action
With all of these ideas in mind, we suggest as you approach customizing each ticket status, you ask:
What type of Attention do I expect of my team at this status: Normal, Elevated, or Inert?
When you have that answer, choose a color from the suggested family. Remember that color for other statuses you may have for other Ticket Types so it stays consistent regardless of what Area your Agent is operating from!
Here are some examples for what we specifically recommend to Rising Tide Customers. You will likely not need all of them, depending on your MSP’s needs:
Normal Attention
- Brand New/Assigned (Waiting on You): Green — Ticket is newly created and waiting for initial action. Green indicates readiness to start and clear action needed.
- Claimed/Work in Progress: Blue — Ticket is actively being addressed towards resolution. Blue symbolizes confidence in ongoing work and progress.
- We’d be remiss if we didn’t specifically call out that at Rising Tide we recommend that your Agents should not be "Claiming" tickets until they're ready to work on them.
- Closed: Black — The ticket has been fully resolved and all necessary actions are completed. Black signifies completion and closure of the ticket.
Elevated Attention
- Pending Approval: Yellow — Awaiting authorization or approval to proceed. Yellow is high-visibility and unique to call attention to follow up that may be necessary.
- Escalated: Orange — Moved to a higher level of support due to complexity or urgency. Orange highlights urgency and attention required.
- Customer Updated/Vendor Updated/Approver Updated: Orange— Orange is used to indicate recent release from a paused status like Waiting on Customer or Waiting on Vendor and subsequent re-instating of the current SLA timer, if applicable.
- Attention Required: Orange — Elevated attention needed following removal from an SLA hold.
- Reopened: Red — Previously closed/resolved ticket is active again due to additional issues or dissatisfaction. Red indicates a critical reactivation that needs immediate reassessment.
Inert Attention
- Waiting on Client: Grey — Progress on the ticket is paused because it requires input or action from the client. Grey suggests inactivity from the MSP’s side, waiting on external action.
- Waiting on Vendor/Waiting on Parts: Grey — Progress on the ticket is halted while waiting for action or information from an external vendor. Similar to waiting on client but specific to external vendors.
- Scheduled: Purple — Scheduled could also technically be included in the Normal category, hence the cool purple. Denotes a paused status where work is planned, but no active work is required.
- Resolved: Teal — Similar to Scheduled, Resolved straddles the Normal category as well. The issue within the ticket has been addressed, awaiting final closure or verification from the requester. Teal is a calm yet upbeat color indicating resolution but awaiting final closure.
As with most rules, there are going to be times when items cross between phases, or you may operate differently and not define a ticket status the same way we did here.
Maybe you have some color-blind technicians on staff and decide to use completely different colors completely or none at all. (If you do want to create a color-blind friendly palette, here’s a great resource.)
Maybe you want to choose different values (light or dark) within a certain family than what Halo provides.
Good! Break our rules. They're just here to help you decide what you do or don't actually want.
Our main recommendation is that you use your best judgement on what is right for your team and just be consistent which sometimes means keeping it simple. And let us know what you ended up doing, you may help someone else. Happy customizing!
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.
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About this Series
This discussion guide is part of Rising Tide’s Fall 2025 book club, where we’re reading The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. If you’re just joining us, here are a few pages you’ll likely benefit from:
- Chapter One – The Go-Getter for an introduction on how to use these Discussion Questions
- Book Clubs, Conversations, and Curiosity for why we started a book club for a technical team here
Chapter Four Discussion
Chapter Summary
In Chapter 4, The Condition, Joe if back in the office and we find him losing yet another customer. This, time, however, in an effort to test the First Law of Stratospheric Success (Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment), he guides the customer to a competitor who may be able to better fit his needs.
Discussion Questions
Use these open-ended prompts to guide reflection and conversation. Remember, there are no right answers!
- How did Joe giving the customer to Joe’s competition make you feel?
- How was Joe’s action representative of giving more in value than he takes in payment?
- Can you describe a time a person gave you more in value than you paid? How did that make you feel?
- What are ways in your life that you can practice giving more in value than you take in payment?
Rising Tide Input for your Consideration
- Success is about perspective. You can be successful by your own goals, and not standard expectations of power, money, and attention.
- Our friend and MSP Owner at Network Integration Specialists in Virginia, Doug White, mentioned that he's enjoying making automations for his customers and not charging extra, and how those actions spark unsolicited client replies like, “This is awesome”. Truly the kind of experience the next MSP will have a hard time matching!
- Give without scoreboard math. Community help, answering questions, volunteering, parenting: these are “long-tail” investments that compound in character and network, not just invoices.
- We're curious! Maybe Gus has layers. There’s likely more going on with him than the mentor archetype...let's file that for later.
About Rising Tide and our Book Club
Rising Tide helps MSPs and service-focused teams build better systems: the kind that align people with purpose. Every Friday at 9:30 AM ET, we host Rising Tide Fridays as an open conversation for MSP owners, consultants, and service professionals who want to grow both professionally, technically, and emotionally. In Fall/Winter 2025, we’re walking through The Go-Giver, chapter by chapter. If that sounds like your kind of crowd, reach out to partners@risingtidegroup.net for the Teams link. Bring your coffee and curiosity…no prep required.
Chapter-by-Chapter Discussion Questions for The Go-Giver by Bob Burg: Chapter Three - The Law of Value
What makes a business truly valuable? Chapter 3 of The Go-Giver reframes worth: deliver more value than you take. Explore Ernesto’s playbook—care as a differentiator, authentic generosity, and spotting hidden value in plain sight—to build customer experiences that create trust, loyalty, and momentum.
Read post
About this Series
This discussion guide is part of Rising Tide’s Fall 2025 book club, where we’re reading The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. If you’re just joining us, here are a few pages you’ll likely benefit from:
- Chapter One – The Go-Getter for an introduction on how to use these Discussion Questions
- Book Clubs, Conversations, and Curiosity for why we started a book club for a technical team here
Chapter Three Discussion
Chapter Summary
In Chapter 3, The Law of Value, Joe and Pindar visit a busy Italian-American cafe and its owner/head chef/real estate magnate: Ernesto. Here, we learn The First Law of Stratospheric Success: “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment”
Discussion Questions
Use these open-ended prompts to guide reflection and conversation. Remember, there are no right answers!
- Here, we find Pindar redefining phrases again. Ernesto says his hot dog cart was voted the City’s best hot dog stand. Pindar corrects: “Best outdoor dining experience in the city.” What does this difference say to you?
- Who do you think the Connector is going to be?
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Rising Tide Input for your Consideration
- Part of giving is making people feel important. Ernesto’s real differentiator isn’t cuisine: it’s care. People remember how the place treated them more than what they ate.
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- The narrative keeps checking Joe’s assumptions (e.g., not realizing the chef is the owner). How do you feel about the point: perhaps value often hides in plain sight?
- Clout vs. leverage. Clout seeks recognition; leverage seeks outcomes. Joe wants both, but this chapter hints that trust is the real currency.
About Rising Tide and our Book Club
Rising Tide helps MSPs and service-focused teams build better systems: the kind that align people with purpose. Every Friday at 9:30 AM ET, we host Rising Tide Fridays as an open conversation for MSP owners, consultants, and service professionals who want to grow both professionally, technically, and emotionally. In Fall/Winter 2025, we’re walking through The Go-Giver, chapter by chapter. If that sounds like your kind of crowd, reach out to partners@risingtidegroup.net for the Teams link. Bring your coffee and curiosity…no prep required.
By the [run]Book: Episode 9
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In By the [run]Book Episode 9, Connor and Robbie power through the rest of HaloPSA v2.2 — unpacking dozens of quality-of-life updates, automation improvements, and admin refinements that make daily operations smoother. From new calendar defaults and contract history tabs to long-requested rule enhancements and KB management upgrades, the pair keeps the banter light and the insights practical.
Perfect for MSPs, admins, and implementation teams who want to understand not just what’s new, but why it matters in real-world use.
Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 9
For easier tracking, check out haloreleases.remmy.dev to filter and search HaloPSA updates by ID, version, and keyword.
Added the “Other Uses” tab to email templates | v2.2 #909265 | 2:53
This new Other Uses tab shows every place an email template is used — from rules to mailboxes to notifications.
- Easier to audit dependencies and clean up old templates
- Improves visibility when editing or deleting templates
Added a new Ticket General Setting that adds a system Action to log when qualification matching occurs on a ticket | v2.2 #898706 | 3:42
A new system action logs each time qualification matching runs on a ticket.
- Tracks when and how qualification criteria matched
- Useful for auditing automation behavior
Added approval option to choose CAB based on custom field | v2.2 #896229 | 4:22
CAB selection in approval processes can now reference a custom field.
- Supports text or single-select fields matching the CAB ID or name
- Enables dynamic approver routing based on ticket data
Logged in Users can now save a draft of a Ticket they are logging on the Self Service Portal | v2.2 #884056 | 5:50
Portal users can start a ticket and save progress as a draft.
- Ideal for long or multi-step ticket forms
- Prevents data loss if users need to pause
Quote Revised workflow trigger has been added | v2.2 #883519 | 6:51
A new trigger fires whenever a quote is revised.
- Enables automated notifications or state changes on revision
- Complements existing quote sent and approved triggers
Runbook start authorization type of “Halo API Bearer Token” added | v2.2 #881366 | 8:04
Runbooks can authenticate via Halo API Bearer Token.
- Executes the runbook as the agent calling it instead of a system account
- Adds flexibility for API-driven integrations
Added a new setting to always default the calendar selection to the currently logged in agent | v2.2 #859262 | 9:29
Simplifies calendar management for agents.
- Automatically opens their own calendar first
- Reduces manual selection errors
Added the ability to bulk update the Next Review Date field on Knowledge Base Articles | v2.2 #858884 | 11:12
Administrators can update review dates for multiple KBs at once.
- Great for annual content reviews
- Keeps knowledge bases fresh and compliant
Knowledge Base Article fields are now available as fields to be shown when Approving/Rejecting on an Approval Process | v2.2 #857514 | 11:12
Add KB fields to approval forms for better context when reviewing changes.
- Reviewers see article metadata before sign-off
Added a new column to the MessageContent table to identify Subject, Body, and Footer components of email templates | v2.2 #855304 | 11:58
Improves data visibility for developers working with email template records.
- Makes debugging and reporting easier
You can now add Sales Mailbox emails to CRM notes of Clients, Sites or Users | v2.2 #844239 | 13:45
Sales emails can be attached as CRM notes to keep records complete.
- Centralizes client communications
- Improves visibility for sales and account teams
Added a new method for receiving stock on purchase orders | v2.2 #843072 | 15:10
Introduces SKU validation during stock receipt.
- Reduces manual entry errors
- Found under Items & Stock Control → General Settings
Change History tabs have been added to Contracts and Supplier Contracts | v2.2 #836482 | 17:27
New tabs track every edit made to contracts.
- Adds an audit trail for agreements
- Increases accountability in contract management
Added a call management setting “Continue calls after logging or linking a call to a ticket” | v2.2 #833694 | 19:19
Calls no longer end automatically when linked or logged to a ticket.
- Lets agents keep the call open for follow-up
- Avoids losing context mid-conversation
Charge rate restrictions now apply, based off of the ticket type, when logging quick time | v2.2 #823209 | 22:44
Quick Time entries now respect ticket-type charge rate rules.
- Enforces billing consistency across types
- Useful for projects and service billing
You can now add Attachments to Canned Text | v2.2 #822463 | 24:14
Canned Text can include file attachments.
- Great for sending standard documents or forms
- Reduces manual uploads
Introduced a ticket type level override for the “Show the Quick close option on the new Ticket screen” global setting | v2.2 #816120 | 25:09
Control Quick Close visibility per ticket type.
- Enforce processes where closure must follow workflow
- Keep it available for simple incident types
Added access control to PDF Templates | v2.2 #814057 | 27:08
PDF Templates now respect access controls.
- Limit who can configure or edit templates
- Non-admins can be granted permissions as needed
💬 Off-topic: LOG SITE VISIT THE RENADA WAY | 28:35
The team demonstrates Renada’s custom “Log Site Visit” action as a cleaner alternative to Halo’s arrive/leave process.
- Uses custom fields for distance and travel hours
- Simplifies reporting and expense tracking
Main Contact has been added as an option for Site Column Profiles | v2.2 #812754 | 31:03
Show the Main Contact directly in Site views.
- Helps identify key contacts at a glance
The “Team” field under Ticket information is now a hyperlink | v2.2 #807462 | 32:01
The Team label is clickable and opens the team configuration.
- Quick navigation for admins and team leads
You can now receive stock on all purchase orders linked to a ticket at once | v2.2 #801168 | 32:30
A new system use allows receiving all POs from a ticket in one action.
- Saves time in procurement workflows
Added option to map to the source field when using event management | v2.2 #799024 | 34:28
Event management can map incoming data to the ticket Source field.
- Makes integration data more traceable
“Add Note to Parent” is now available as a separate checkbox option in action configuration | v2.2 #798972 | 36:43
The Add Note to Parent option can now be combined with other system uses.
- Allows dual behavior without duplicate actions
- Fixes previous limitations for linked tickets
Added the option to default custom SQL single selects to the first value | v2.2 #795490 | 37:44
Custom SQL single select fields can now auto-populate with their first value.
- Simplifies form design
- Reduces empty field errors
Added the “User” field to Actions Field List | v2.2 #795488 | 40:41
A new User field is available for actions.
- Lets agents reassign tickets without custom runbooks
- Fills a long-requested gap in action configuration
The total time logged against a Ticket can now be used on the Rules and Approval Rules | v2.2 #789731 | 41:59
Rules can evaluate total time logged to trigger pop-ups or actions.
- Example: warn technicians after X hours worked
- Adds granular control to service processes
Various improvements to the ServiceNow integration | v2.2 #788388 | 45:58
Backend optimizations enhance ServiceNow sync reliability and speed.
You can now use Dynamic Distribution Lists for Nurture Mail Campaigns | v2.2 #776030 | 46:17
Mail campaigns can leverage dynamic distribution lists.
- Automatically add new contacts to email sequences
- Great for onboarding and training emails
Client-side pagination added to large reports to improve rendering performance | v2.2 #772884 | 48:38
Large reports now load page-by-page to avoid browser timeouts.
- Default limit of 1,000 rows per page (can be adjusted)
- Keeps reports responsive and stable
Option to index tickets based on ticket rules and ticket filtering options when indexing existing records | v2.2 #771405 | 51:05
Adds criteria-based indexing controls for AI and search.
- Re-score tickets to match updated filters
Improved holiday allowance tracking | v2.2 #770136 | 51:42
Different holiday types can have their own allowances and carry-over rules.
- Better alignment with HR policies
- Overrides available per agent
The criteria option “Not equal to” has been added for Checkboxes used in Ticket Rules | v2.2 #674405 | 52:46
Rules can now check if a checkbox is not selected.
- Adds negation logic for workflow criteria
Dollar variables ($) can now be used on Recurring Invoices when generating Invoices for the Notes and Reference fields | v2.2 #578765 | 52:57
You can insert dynamic values into recurring invoice notes and references.
- Automates naming with customer or agreement details
- Speeds up recurring billing setup
Added the ability to add Charge Rate restrictions and overrides to Top Level | v2.2 #557573 | 55:08
Charge rate controls can now be applied at the top-level entity.
- Enforces billing consistency for suppliers or clients
Checkbox custom fields can now be used as triggers in lookup profiles | v2.2 #483346 | 55:48
Lookup profiles can now trigger based on checkbox fields.
- Expands conditional form logic capabilities
A setting has been added to Report configuration so that a Mailbox can be specified to be used for sending Scheduled Reports | v2.2 #459155 | 56:15
Choose which mailbox sends automated reports.
- Improves deliverability and branding control
- Configurable under Reporting → General Settings
Filters on dashboards are now multi-selects | v2.2 #432838 | 57:25
Dashboard filters support multiple selections at once.
- Compare multiple teams, agents, or customers
- Huge usability improvement for managers