IT Service Desk Template (ITIL-Style)
A service desk queue that separates incidents from service requests and change requests, with an approval stage built into the flow.
Free for 6 months · No credit card · Live in about 5 minutes
The single most useful idea to borrow from ITIL is also the simplest: an incident and a service request are not the same work. An incident is something broken and unplanned. A service request is entitled, predictable work that follows a repeatable path. Treating both as generic tickets is what makes an IT queue hard to prioritise.
This template applies that separation without asking you to adopt a framework. You get the request types as categories, a longer status flow that accommodates approvals, and replies written for acknowledging an incident versus approving a request.
Who it’s for
IT teams who have outgrown a plain request list and need to distinguish incidents, service requests and changes, but don't want a full ITSM platform with a CMDB and a configuration project.
What it fixes
- Incidents and routine requests compete in one undifferentiated list
- Change requests have no approval trail, so nobody can show what was authorised
- Major incidents look identical to everything else until someone escalates by hand
- Reporting can't answer how much of the workload is planned versus unplanned
What you get, preconfigured
Pick this template at signup and the workspace arrives set up like this. Everything below can be renamed or removed afterwards.
The 6-stage workflow
Tickets are Logged, then Triaged once someone has categorised and prioritised them, and that split is what makes triage a visible step rather than an assumption. In progress is active work. Awaiting approval parks change requests and anything needing sign-off, which is what gives you the authorisation trail. Awaiting user covers being blocked on the requester, and Resolved closes it.
6 ticket categories
3 saved replies
- “Incident acknowledged”
- “Service request approved”
- “Change scheduled”
Each one is a full draft you edit, not a title. Placeholders fill in the requester’s name automatically.
Example tickets included
Seeded so the inbox isn’t an empty list on day one. Delete them whenever you like.
- Email delivery delayed across the whole officeMajor incidentInfrastructure
- Access request: finance reporting dashboardService requestAccess
- Request to upgrade the CRM to v14Change request
Setting it up
- 1Create a workspace. No credit card, no sales call.
- 2Pick the IT Service Desk template. Statuses, categories, saved replies and example tickets are applied immediately.
- 3Connect the mailbox those requests already arrive at, by OAuth for Outlook, Gmail or Zoho, or by email and password for any other provider.
- 4Invite your team. Pricing is flat per workspace, so adding people costs nothing extra.
You can add another template later: a workspace can run several departments side by side under the same flat price.
Questions
Do I need to adopt ITIL to use this template?+
No. ITIL is a framework you can take pieces from. This template borrows the incident/service request/change distinction and an approval step, which is the part most teams get value from, and leaves the rest alone.
What is the difference between an incident and a service request?+
An incident is an unplanned interruption: something is broken or degraded, like a laptop that won't connect. A service request is planned, entitled work that follows a repeatable process, like provisioning a new starter's accounts or requesting a licence. They deserve different priorities and different response expectations.
Does PileDesk include a CMDB or asset management?+
No, and that's deliberate. PileDesk covers request management. If asset inventory, configuration items or formal change control are core requirements, a dedicated ITSM platform is the better fit and our comparison pages say so directly.
Read next
Start with the IT Service Desk template
Free for six months, whole team included. Set up yourself in about five minutes.