How to Permanently Delete Tickets from Your Account

This article explains the correct process for permanently removing tickets from your LiveAgent account using the delete and purge functions.

Understanding the Two-Step Process

To permanently remove tickets from your LiveAgent account, you must complete two separate steps:

1. Delete the tickets (change their status to deleted)
2. Purge the tickets (permanently remove them from the system)

Many users attempt to purge tickets directly without deleting them first, which will not work. Both steps are required. Note that "Deleted" is simply a status in LiveAgent—deleted tickets remain accessible in your system until they are purged.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Delete the Tickets

1. Log in to your LiveAgent account.
2. Click on Tickets in the main menu.
3. (Optional) Use Custom filter to narrow down the tickets you want to delete. You can filter by:
   • Ticket status
   • Source (e.g., Facebook, Email)
   • Department
   • Date range
   • Tags
   • Any other criteria relevant to your needs
4. Click Apply to apply your filters.
5. Select the tickets you want to delete by clicking the checkbox next to each ticket, or click the checkbox in the upper left-hand corner to select all filtered tickets.
6. Click Mass action.
7. Select Close and delete ticket from the dropdown menu.
8. Click Run now.
9. Confirm the action by clicking Yes in the confirmation dialog.

The selected tickets will now have their status changed to "Deleted." Deleted tickets remain in your system and can be restored if needed.

Step 2: Purge the Tickets

Once the tickets have been deleted, you can proceed to purge them:

1. In the Tickets section, filter for deleted tickets (you may need to adjust your view to show deleted/trash tickets).
2. Select the deleted tickets you want to permanently remove.
3. Click Mass action.
4. Select Purge ticket and stop rules execution from the dropdown menu.
5. Click Run now.
6. Confirm the action by clicking Yes in the confirmation dialog.

The selected tickets will now be completely removed from your system. Purged tickets cannot be restored.

Important Notes

• Delete is reversible: Deleted tickets remain in your system and can be restored if needed.
• Purge is permanent: Once tickets are purged, they cannot be recovered under any circumstances.
• Order matters: You must delete tickets before you can purge them. Attempting to purge tickets that have not been deleted will not work.
• Use filters wisely: When deleting or purging large numbers of tickets, use filters to ensure you are only selecting the tickets you intend to remove (e.g., by date range, department, or status).

Example Scenario

If you want to permanently remove all tickets from the Facebook department created between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020:

1. Go to Tickets and click Custom filter.
2. Set filters for: Department = Facebook, Date created = 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2020.
3. Click Apply.
4. Select all filtered tickets.
5. Click Mass action → Close and delete ticket → Run now → Yes.
6. Once deletion is complete, filter for deleted tickets from the same period.
7. Select all deleted tickets.
8. Click Mass action → Purge ticket and stop rules execution → Run now → Yes.

Your tickets are now permanently removed from your account.