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New Tasks Auto-Completing

Whenever we create a new Task on a ticket (not through a workflow, just by clicking the "Add Task" button), it sends the email and then immediately autocompletes, without the agent interacting with either the email or the ticket. I confirmed the setting "Auto set state to Resolved at workflow completion" is disabled.

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Accepted answers

jeremymayfield

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! you can. This is an effective strategy for handling email security filters without compromising your mail server's security.

To do this, you need to swap the variable that generates the "Call to Action" button for a variable that only provides the text and links.

Navigate to Setup > Service Desk > Notifications.
Find the template that corresponds to your issue. Based on your previous message, this is likely "Task Created via Incident/Workflow" (or a custom version of it).
Click the Pencil icon to edit the template.
In the Email Layout section, go to the Main Layout or Email Body tab.
Look for the variable {{main}}. This variable is the "all-in-one" block that includes the body text AND the "Direct Action" buttons.
Replace {{main}} with {{main_wo_action}}.
- wo_action stands for "Without Action."
Click Save.

All comments

jeremymayfield

This is a frustrating behavior that usually indicates a conflict between the Task entity and a background Automation Rule, rather than the workflow settings you’ve already checked.

In SWSD, "Add Task" creates a record that the system treats as an update to the parent ticket. If the task is autocompleting instantly, it's almost always due to one of the following three hidden triggers:

Check if you have any Automation Rules (Setup > Service Desk > Automation Rules) that trigger on "Object Updated" where the object is a Task.

Sometimes a rule is built to "Close Task if [X] condition is met." If that condition is too broad (e.g., if the Task Assignee is blank or if the Parent Ticket is in a certain state), the rule executes the millisecond the task is created.
Look for any rule that has an action to "Update Field: State to Completed" for Tasks.

SWSD has a specific behavior where it will bypass mandatory fields and autocomplete processes if it thinks an automation is handling the resolution.

Go to Setup > Global Settings > Service Desk Settings.
Look for "Resolve Incomplete Service Requests" or "Close Incomplete Changes." * Even though you are in an Incident, if the Task itself is part of a template or being flagged by a "Custom" trigger, these toggles can force a "success" state prematurely.

Since you mentioned it "sends the email and then immediately autocompletes," check if you have an Inbound Email Action or an integration (like a Zapier or Power Automate flow) that monitors your mailbox.

If an external system sees the "New Task Assigned" email and sends an automated "Received/Read" receipt back to the Service Desk, the Service Desk might parse that reply as a "Task Completion" signal if "Email to Update" is enabled.
Test: Briefly disable the "Task Assigned" notification for one test. If the task stays open, the issue is a "reply loop" from the recipient's email server (like an Out of Office or a security sandbox "clicking" links in the email).

The best way to catch the "who" is the Audit Report:

Open the specific ticket where the task autocompleted.
Go to the Audit Tab at the bottom.
Look for the entry: "Task [Name] state changed to Completed by..."
- If it says "System," it is an Automation Rule.
- If it says "[Agent Name]," it is an API key or an integration acting on their behalf.

ryanSAII

This is what the Audit Log shows:

Mar 11, 2026 - 2:07PM
Task completed notification email for [Agent email] was sent.
Mar 11, 2026 - 2:07PM - By [Agent Name]
'Name' is 'This is a test task'.
'Completed at' is 'Mar 11, 2026 - 2:07PM'.
'Event Title' is 'Task updated'.

Follow-up to each recommendation:

Check if you have any Automation Rules (Setup > Service Desk > Automation Rules) that trigger on "Object Updated" where the object is a Task.
We have no Automation Rules active

SWSD has a specific behavior where it will bypass mandatory fields and autocomplete processes if it thinks an automation is handling the resolution.
Both options Resolve Incomplete Service Requests and Close Incomplete Changes are toggled OFF.

Since you mentioned it "sends the email and then immediately autocompletes," check if you have an Inbound Email Action or an integration (like a Zapier or Power Automate flow) that monitors your mailbox.
This seems like a pretty serious bug on your end. How do I disable Email to Update in settings? Also, there is no Task Assigned notification under Setup > Service Desk > Notifications, and I also cannot seem to delete/remove unwanted notifications.

ryanSAII

Update:

I disabled the Task Created via Incident/Workflow so no email notification is sent, and I can confirm the tasks no longer autocomplete. This is not a solution as we need to be able to notify Agents and Task Approvers when a new Task is assigned to them. Please advise.

jeremymayfield

The audit log entry "Mar 11, 2026 - 2:07PM - By [Agent Name]" is the smoking gun. When an action is logged as being performed "By [Name]" at the exact millisecond the notification email is sent, it confirms that an external system is acting on behalf of that agent by interacting with the email.

This is not a bug in the code, but potentially conflict with your Email Security. These tools "click" every link in an inbound email to check for malicious content. Since SWSD task emails often include a "Direct Action" link to complete the task, the security tool is "completing" the task for you.

jeremymayfield

You mentioned you couldn't find the task assigned notification or delete unwanted ones. This is because SWSD uses a template-based system where some are system notifications and some are custom.

ryanSAII

Is there a way to disable or remove the "Complete" button in the notification email? Changing the security settings on mail filtering seems like a bad idea, so removing the problem within the email seems like the best solution.

jeremymayfield

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! you can. This is an effective strategy for handling email security filters without compromising your mail server's security.

To do this, you need to swap the variable that generates the "Call to Action" button for a variable that only provides the text and links.

Navigate to Setup > Service Desk > Notifications.
Find the template that corresponds to your issue. Based on your previous message, this is likely "Task Created via Incident/Workflow" (or a custom version of it).
Click the Pencil icon to edit the template.
In the Email Layout section, go to the Main Layout or Email Body tab.
Look for the variable {{main}}. This variable is the "all-in-one" block that includes the body text AND the "Direct Action" buttons.
Replace {{main}} with {{main_wo_action}}.
- wo_action stands for "Without Action."
Click Save.

jeremymayfield

Once you make this change, the email will look slightly different. Because there is no longer a "Direct Action" button for the security scanner to click, the task will not autocomplete. The agent will simply click the link in the email, which opens their browser to the task page where they can manually mark it as complete when they are finished.

ryanSAII

That did the trick! I can tailor the rest of the email to our liking, but not having the buttons in the email body resolved the problem. Thank you for your help today.

jeremymayfield

Anytime… well, accept including but not limited to, nights, weekends, holidays, during the Super Bowl, World Series games, when my wife is mad, and when I am asleep.