In this Explore recipe, you’ll learn how to use the Updates history dataset to identify the timestamp of the first public agent reply on a ticket, then calculate the time between ticket creation and that first reply.

This can be useful if you want to create a first-reply-time calculation in the Updates history dataset. While the default First reply time metric is already available in the Tickets dataset, this recipe shows how to build a similar result using ticket update data.

This approach is best suited to tickets where agent replies are recorded as public comments in Support. For messaging tickets, the result may not reflect the true first agent message because the ticket can be updated later when the conversation transcript is posted to the ticket. For messaging reporting, use the Messaging dataset first-reply metrics instead.

This article contains the following topics:

  • What you'll need
  • Creating the report

What you'll need

Skill level: Average

Time required: 15 minutes

  • Zendesk Explore Professional or Enterprise
  • Editor or Admin permissions (see Giving agents access to Explore)
  • Ticket data in Zendesk Support
Note: This method calculates first reply time using calendar duration only. It does not support business hours calculations. If you need first reply time based on business hours, use the default first reply time metrics available in the Tickets dataset where possible.

Creating the report

This report returns the agent who performed the first public reply for each ticket in your instance.

To create the custom calculated attribute

  1. In Explore, click the reports () icon.
  2. In the Reports library, click New report.
  3. On the Select a dataset page, click Support > Support - Updates history, then click Start report.
  4. In the Calculations menu (), click Standard calculated attribute.
  5. On the Standard calculated attribute page, give your attribute a name like Agent first reply timestamp.

  6. In the Formula field, enter or paste the following formula:

    IF ([Comment present]=TRUE
AND [Comment public]=TRUE
AND ([Updater role]="Agent" OR [Updater role]="Admin")
AND DATE_FIRST_FIX([Update - Timestamp],[Update ticket ID],[Comment present],[Comment public],[Updater role])=[Update - Timestamp])
THEN [Update - Timestamp]
  7. When you are finished, click Save.

To create the custom calculated metric

  1. In the Calculations menu (), click Standard calculated metric.
  2. On the Standard calculated metric page, give your attribute a name like First Reply Time (Mins).

  3. In the Formula field, enter or paste the following formula:

    DATE_DIFF([Agent first reply timestamp], [Ticket created - Timestamp], "nb_of_minutes")
    Tip: If you want to return the result in hours instead of minutes, replace nb_of_minutes in the DATE_DIFF formula with nb_of_hours.
  4. When you're finished, click Save.

To create the report

  1. In the Metrics panel, click Add.
  2. From the list of metrics, choose Calculated metrics > First Reply Time (Mins), then click Apply.
  3. In the Rows panel, click Add.
  4. From the list of attributes, choose Tickets > Updater name, then click Apply.
  5. Select Result manipulation () > Metric filter. Tick the Remove blank values box, then click Apply.
  6. In the Filters panel, add the Updater role attribute and configure this to show Agents and Admins.
  7. The report will match the following:
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