Frequently Asked Question

osTicket supports two methods to turn emails into tickets:

Option 1 — Email Piping (Recommended)

How it works:

• Mail server sends emails directly to pipe.php

• Tickets are created instantly (real-time)

Pros:

• Real-time ticket creation

• No cron job required

• Faster and more reliable

Cons:

• Harder to configure

• Requires server access

Email piping sends email directly to the script instead of storing it in a mailbox.

Option 2 — IMAP/POP Fetching (Easier)

How it works:

• osTicket logs into mailbox periodically

• Downloads emails and converts them to tickets

Pros:

• Easy to setup

• Works on shared hosting

Cons:

• Requires cron job

• Small delay (1–5 minutes)

osTicket polls the mailbox at regular intervals to retrieve emails.

Community recommendation:

• Beginners → IMAP

• Advanced/server admins → Email piping