The taxonomy of your help desk determines everything. How tickets route, which SLAs apply, what skills are needed, and whether your data enables root cause analysis or creates black holes. This comprehensive guide covers every category and subcategory across hardware, software, network, security, and enterprise services.
The Four ITIL Ticket Archetypes
Before categorizing by topic, every ticket must be classified by its fundamental nature. The ITIL framework separates workflows based on intent, urgency, and lifecycle. Misclassification at this level is the primary driver of skewed metrics and failed service delivery.
| Feature | Incident | Service Request | Problem | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Disruption or failure | User need or entitlement | Recurring incidents | Improvement requirement |
| Risk Level | Variable (Low to Critical) | Low (Standardized) | N/A (Analytical) | High (Requires Mitigation) |
| Approvals | None (Fix immediately) | Required (Manager) | None (Technical Review) | Required (CAB) |
| Resolution | Fix or workaround | Delivery of asset/access | Permanent fix | New state implementation |
| Example | Server crash, Wi-Fi outage | Password reset, new laptop | Why email crashes Fridays | OS patch deployment |
Help Desk Category Explorer
Click each category domain to explore the complete taxonomy of subcategories and items. These six domains cover enterprise service management from traditional IT to HR and Facilities.
End User Computing
- Desktops: Boot failures, peripherals, display issues, storage
- Laptops: Battery, charging, hinges, thermal throttling
- Mobile Devices: MDM enrollment, OS updates, physical damage
- Docking Stations: Monitor detection, USB ports, charging
Imaging And Printing
- Local Printers: Driver issues, paper jams, consumables
- Network MFDs: Scan to email, badge reader, connectivity
- Follow Me Printing: Authentication, job release, queue errors
- Large Format: Plotter calibration, media handling
Server Infrastructure
- Physical Hosts: PSU redundancy, memory errors, CPU thermal
- Virtual Machines: VM unresponsive, resource adjustment
- Storage Systems: RAID degradation, capacity alerts, HBA failures
- Remote Management: iDRAC/iLO connectivity issues
Environmental Control
- Power: UPS battery faults, PDU overload, generator tests
- Cooling: HVAC failures, temperature alerts, humidity warnings
- Monitoring: Environmental sensor alerts, threshold breaches
- Cabling: Fiber cuts, patch panel changes, cable certification
Hardware Ticket Subcategories
Hardware support requires granular sub-categorization to facilitate IT asset management, warranty processing, and identification of devices with disproportionately high failure rates.
Boot and Power Issues
No power, POST failures, random shutdowns, thermal protection triggers
High PriorityBattery and Charging
Not charging, swollen battery (safety critical), rapid drain, AC adapter failure
High PriorityDisplay and Graphics
Dead pixels, flickering, no signal, multi-monitor configuration issues
Medium PriorityPhysical Integrity
Chassis damage, hinge separation, keyboard liquid damage, trackpad failure
Medium PriorityStorage and Performance
Slow read/write, S.M.A.R.T. errors, boot device not found, corruption
High PriorityThermal and Cooling
Fan noise (bearing failure), CPU throttling, overheating shutdowns
Medium PriorityMDM Enrollment
Intune/Jamf enrollment failures, profile installation errors, compliance issues
Medium PriorityOS and Firmware
iOS/Android update failures, boot loops after patching, jailbreak detection
Medium PriorityPhysical Damage
Cracked digitizer, water damage (LCI tripped), button failures
Low PriorityConnectivity
4G/5G signal loss, Wi-Fi authentication, Bluetooth pairing failures
Medium PriorityLocal Printer Issues
Print spooler stuck, driver incompatibility, paper jams, consumables low
Low PriorityNetwork MFD Scan Functions
Scan to email SMTP errors, scan to folder SMB mismatches
Medium PriorityFollow Me Printing
Badge reader failures, PIN rejection, job release errors
Low PriorityNetwork Connectivity
Device offline, IP conflicts, incorrect subnet configuration
Medium PriorityPhysical Host Hardware
PSU redundancy loss, DIMM ECC errors, CPU overheating alerts
Critical PriorityVirtual Machine Issues
VM unresponsive, resource adjustment requests, snapshot management
High PriorityStorage Systems
Predictive drive failure, RAID degradation, rebuild stalls, capacity alerts
Critical PriorityRemote Management
iDRAC/iLO connectivity loss, firmware updates, console access
High PrioritySoftware Ticket Subcategories
Software tickets typically outnumber hardware due to the complexity of modern SaaS ecosystems. The taxonomy must separate the application itself from user access rights to allow correct routing.
Windows Boot and Startup
BSOD, boot loops, slow login, roaming profile issues, startup repair
High PriorityWindows Update and Patching
Update failures (0x800 errors), KB rollbacks, WSUS sync issues
Medium PrioritymacOS Issues
Kernel panics, Time Machine failures, FileVault encryption issues
High PriorityLinux/Unix
Kernel panics, GRUB errors, package dependency conflicts, mount failures
High PriorityPerformance Issues
High CPU/RAM by system processes, memory leaks, disk thrashing
Medium PriorityPolicy and Registry
GPO application failures, corrupted user profiles, temporary profiles
Medium PriorityOutlook Client Issues
OST corruption, sync failures, "Need Password" loops, calendar delegation
Medium PriorityExchange Server Side
Mailbox moves, shared mailbox permissions, transport rules blocking mail
High PriorityTeams Audio/Video
Call quality (jitter/packet loss), device not recognized, screen share lag
Medium PriorityTeams Collaboration
Guest access issues, file upload failures, chat history missing
Low PrioritySharePoint/OneDrive Sync
Sync conflicts ("File in use"), version history restoration requests
Medium PrioritySharePoint Permissions
Access denied errors, external sharing link expiration
Low PriorityERP Financial Modules
GL posting errors, AP/AR reconciliation, month-end close lockouts
High PriorityERP Supply Chain
Inventory sync failures, procurement order errors, warehouse management
High PriorityCRM Data Integrity
Duplicate records, lead assignment rule failures, data import errors
Medium PriorityCRM Integration
API sync errors with marketing automation, Marketo/Pardot connectivity
Medium PriorityDevelopment Tools
IDE license errors, Git merge conflicts, CI/CD pipeline failures
Medium PrioritySoftware Licensing
Key activation issues, KMS errors, seat allocation, audit compliance
Low PriorityWhy Help Desk Categories Decide Everything
Help desk categories are not administrative decoration. They are the control plane of your entire support operation.
Every downstream function depends on them. Routing accuracy, SLA enforcement, technician utilization, automation success, and executive reporting all rise or fall based on how well issues are classified at intake. A weak taxonomy forces agents to guess, pushes tickets into generic buckets, and produces data that looks detailed but explains nothing.
Most help desks fail quietly at this layer. They adopt categories that mirror org charts instead of systems. They reuse vendor defaults that were never designed for their environment. Over time, “General,” “Other,” and “Miscellaneous” become the most honest categories in the system.
How Categories Power Reporting, SLAs, And Automation
Categories are not labels. They are decision inputs.
- Every SLA clock, escalation rule, and automation workflow evaluates category data before it acts. When categories are precise, systems behave predictably. When they are vague, automation either misfires or is disabled entirely.
- From a reporting perspective, categories are the difference between activity metrics and insight. Ticket volume by category reveals where demand actually exists. Mean time to resolution by subcategory exposes skill gaps. Repeated incidents within the same issue type point directly to root causes that should move from reactive support into problem management.
- SLAs rely on categorization to set expectations. A VPN outage and a password reset should never share a response target, yet they often do when category design is shallow. Proper taxonomy allows urgency, impact, and ownership to be inferred automatically instead of negotiated manually on every ticket.
- Automation depends on this structure even more. Self-service workflows trigger only when the system can confidently identify intent. Skill-based routing works only when categories imply competency. AI-driven classification models learn only from clean historical data. If your category history is polluted with catch-alls, automation does not fail loudly. It simply never improves.
In a mature service organization, categories act as the connective tissue between humans, systems, and data. They translate user language into technical action, and technical outcomes into executive insight. Without that translation layer, everything above it becomes noise.
Network Ticket Subcategories
Network issues are notoriously difficult for end users to describe accurately. A robust taxonomy translates vague symptoms like "the internet is down" into actionable infrastructure tickets by differentiating LAN, WAN, and remote access.
Local Area Network (LAN)
- 1Wired Port Issues: Dead wall jacks, switch port disabled/err-disabled
- 2Speed Negotiation: Speed/duplex mismatch, flapping links
- 3VLAN Assignment: Wrong VLAN (Guest vs Corp), segmentation blocks
- 4Switch Configuration: Port security violations, spanning tree issues
Wireless Network (WLAN)
- 1Signal Coverage: Dead zones, weak RSSI, aggressive roaming
- 2Authentication (802.1x): RADIUS rejection, certificate validation
- 3Guest Network: Captive portal failures, voucher expiration
- 4AP Management: Access point offline, firmware updates
Wide Area Network (WAN)
- 1Circuit/ISP: Circuit down, packet loss, high latency, ISP maintenance
- 2SD-WAN: Edge device offline, tunnel flapping, routing policy failures
- 3DNS Issues: Name resolution failures, stale cache, forwarder errors
- 4DHCP Issues: IP exhaustion, APIPA addresses (169.254.x.x)
VPN And Remote Access
- 1Client Installation: Software failures, TAP adapter conflicts
- 2Authentication: MFA timeout, token rejection, expired certificates
- 3Tunnel Performance: Slow speeds, RDP lag, MTU fragmentation
- 4Split Tunneling: Local LAN access blocked, internet routing issues
| Category | Subcategory | Issue Type | Priority | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Low Signal / Coverage Area | Medium | Network Engineering |
| Network | Wireless (Wi-Fi) | Guest Access Issue | Low | Network Engineering |
| Network | VPN | Client Connection Error | Medium | Network Engineering |
| Network | VPN | 2FA/MFA Failure | High | IAM / Security |
| Network | Switch/Router | Device Down | Critical | Network Engineering |
Security And Access Ticket Subcategories
Security incidents require distinct taxonomy aligned with NIST and SANS frameworks to ensure proper triage, chain of custody, and compliance reporting. Resolution often means containment rather than just fixing the user's problem.
Identity And Access Management
The gatekeeper category covering user identity lifecycle. Password resets are the highest volume category in most help desks.
- 🔑Provisioning (JML): New hire accounts, role changes, terminations
- 🔑Password Management: Resets, unlocks, expiration policy inquiries
- 🔑MFA/2FA: Token resync, SMS failures, authenticator migration
- 🔑SSO: SAML assertion errors, app not in portal (Okta/Azure AD)
- 🔑Privileged Access: JIT admin requests, vault access, secret rotation
Security Incident Response
Categories that trigger CSIRT workflows with specific severity scoring and regulatory notification timelines.
- 🚨Malware: Ransomware detected, virus cleanup, EDR alerts
- 🚨Phishing: Suspicious email reports, credential harvesting clicked
- 🚨BEC: CEO fraud, invoice redirection, payroll diversion attempts
- 🚨Unauthorized Access: Brute force, account lockouts, insider threats
- 🚨Data Privacy: DLP violations, lost device reports, DSAR requests
Enterprise Service Management Categories
Modern ticketing systems extend beyond IT to manage workflows for HR, Facilities, Finance, and Legal. The language shifts from "Users" to "Employees" and requires privacy controls for sensitive data.
Human Resources
- 👥Benefits: Enrollment, plan changes, dependent verification
- 👥Payroll: Direct deposit, tax withholding, discrepancies
- 👥Leaves: FMLA, maternity/paternity, jury duty
- 👥Relations: Policy inquiries, grievances, performance
- 👥Recruiting: Job postings, ATS support, onboarding
Facilities
- 🏢HVAC: Temperature complaints, ventilation, humidity
- 🏢Electrical: Outlets, lighting, breaker issues
- 🏢Plumbing: Leaks, clogs, supply replenishment
- 🏢Space: Desk moves, conference room booking, hoteling
- 🏢Security: Badge replacement, visitor passes, CCTV
Finance And Legal
- 💰AP: Invoice submission, payment status, vendor issues
- 💰Expenses: Report rejections, card limits, lost receipts
- 💰Procurement: PO generation, vendor onboarding, RFPs
- ⚖️Contracts: NDA reviews, vendor approvals, MSAs
- ⚖️Compliance: GDPR/CCPA DSARs, audit evidence, IP filings
Interactive Category Path Builder
Build a complete 3-tier ticket categorization path by selecting from each level. This demonstrates the optimal depth for balancing user navigation with technician detail.
Tier 1: Category
Tier 2: Subcategory
Tier 3: Issue Type
Taxonomy Design Best Practices
Developing the category list is only the first step. Operationalizing requires adherence to specific principles to ensure data quality and agent efficiency.
The MECE Principle
Categories must be Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive for clean data.
- ✓Mutually Exclusive: Tickets fit in only one category logically
- ✓Collectively Exhaustive: All possible issues have a home
- ✗Avoid Overlap: "Email Issue" vs "Outlook Issue" creates confusion
- ✗Monitor Other: If "Other" exceeds 10%, taxonomy is failing
The 3 Tier Rule
Balance depth with usability. Too shallow lacks detail; too deep frustrates users.
- 1Category (Class): High-level grouping (Hardware)
- 2Subcategory (Type): Specific item (Laptop)
- 3Item (Detail): Specific issue (Battery Failure)
- ⚠️Avoid: 7 clicks to categorize kills adoption
User vs Technician Language
Map user intent to technical categories automatically.
- 👤Self-Service: "I can't print" / "Get new software"
- 🔧Technician: "Print Spooler Failure" / "Software Provisioning"
- 🤖AI Mapping: Decision trees translate intent to category
Governance And Evolution
Taxonomies are living organisms that must evolve with technology.
- 🗑️Retire: Remove legacy categories (Windows 7 support)
- ➕Introduce: Create placeholders for new tech before launch
- 📊Audit: Quarterly review of "Other" bucket for patterns
AI And Automation Integration
Modern taxonomies fuel AI automation. Machine learning models analyze subject lines to predict categories, but this requires clean historical data. If history is full of "General/Other," AI cannot learn. Skill-based routing tags categories with required competencies so a Cisco switch ticket routes directly to Network Engineering. Self-healing workflows trigger API calls for categories like "Password Reset" without human intervention.
Taxonomy Health Assessment
Answer five questions to evaluate the health of your current help desk category structure and get recommendations for improvement.
What Percentage Of Tickets Land In "Other" Or "General"?
How Deep Is Your Category Structure?
Do You Separate Incidents From Service Requests?
How Often Do You Review And Update Categories?
Can Your Categories Drive Automation?
Your Taxonomy Health Score
Build Your Optimized Category Structure
A well-architected taxonomy transforms your help desk from a cost center into a strategic asset. It enables automation, clarifies accountability, and provides the granular data necessary to eliminate recurring issues.
Take The Taxonomy Assessment
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