Create queue rules

Last Update: Nov 2024 • Est. Read Time: 4 MIN
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Queue rules allow you to determine how inbound conversations and tasks are assigned to a queue using customer, conversation, or company data. For example, you can create rules that assign conversations to queues based on the channel they came through, the native language of the customer contacting you, their company name, or the support area requested, such as the returns department. 

Additionally, you can create skill rules that route conversations directly to agents with specific expertise, ensuring the best agent handles the inquiry. 

Once in a queue, the conversation or task is routed to an available agent.

Who can access this feature?
User typesAdmins can access the Routing page.


In this article

Understand rule conditions

Queue rules use a set of conditions, or criteria, to determine how conversations and tasks are assigned to a queue. To ensure a they are placed in the correct queue, queue rules should be as specific as possible.

There are two types of conditions – all conditions and any conditions. Conditions set under "Match all of the following" must all be true for a queue rule to run. Conditions set under "Match any of the following" will run if an incoming conversation matches at least one of the conditions specified.

For example, you may want to route chat conversations for returns to a specific “Returns” queue and not your Chat queue. To do so, you can use Conversation Channel Is Equal To Chat and Message Subject Contains Return.

You can create filter criteria using both Match All and Match Any conditions. If you create conditions using both, all of the criteria set in Match All must be true and any criteria in Match Any can be true. For more information on available operators, see Understand filter operators.

Create a queue rule

Queue rules consist of conditions or criteria based on customer, conversation, or company data. Multiple rules can use the same queue and setting a queue for a rule is required. Conversations and tasks can only be assigned to one queue at a time.

Notes:

  • Workflows that trigger a conversation update will run before queue rules are applied, so you can use them to add, update, or delete attributes before the queue rules route the conversation to its queue.
  • The order in which your queue rules appear is important.

To create a queue rule:

  1. Go to Settings  >Platform >Routing.
  2. Go to the Rules tab and select Add Rule
  3. Fill in the following information:
    • Name is the name of the rule.
    • Description provides context on how the rule is used.
  4. Select whether you are creating the rule to route a Conversation or a task (custom object).
  5. Determine the conditions for the rule. For example, you can set up a queue rule to route all incoming chat conversations.
  6. Then, use the Assign rule to a queue setting to choose which method to apply conversations to a queue based on this rule. 
  7. Last, select the name of the destination queue (if routing by display name) or queue key (if routing by queue key). For this example, we will route these conversations based on Display Name to a Chat Conversations queue. Enter the raw format in this box if you're using a queue key.
  8. Select Save Changes.

Assign a rule to a queue

All rules must be assigned to a queue so that a conversation can be routed properly. Although multiple rules can be assigned to the same queue, conversations can only be assigned to one queue at a time.

When creating a queue rule, you can assign it to a queue using either the queue's Display Name or a Queue Key.

  • Display Name
    This is the most common way to assign a rule to a queue. We recommend this method match a queue to a rule based on its name so you can easily select the desired queue without confusion. When you select this option, you'll see a drop-down menu that lists all available queues by their name.

  • Queue Key
    This is an advanced but powerful way of routing conversations. A queue key assigns a rule to a queue using conversation or customer attributes in raw format. Setting this up is more complicated, but queue keys allow you to build rules with variables referencing multiple queues. Learn more in Use queue keys to streamline queue rules.

Set the order of queue rules

The order in which your queue rules are listed is very important. Queue rules are applied to conversations from top to bottom, so the best practice is to have more specific rules at the top of the list to ensure that conversations get routed correctly. 

Note: Order does not apply to skill rules. 

Let's explain this concept further using the two example queue rules we already created:

  1. A Customer chat queue rule that routes all incoming chat conversations.
  2. A Customer chat returns queue rule that routes all incoming chat conversations that are specifically for returns.

Those two rules are listed as follows. Note that Customer chat, the most general rule, is first in the list.

Now, what would happen if both of these chat conversations are created? If the rules are kept in the same order, the Customer chat returns rule will never be applied since the more general Customer chat rule matches both conversations and is first on the list. 

Think of the rule order as a checklist of items. Since a conversation can only match one rule, the first rule that matches or is checked off of the list will always be applied first.


In this case, since both conversations are chat, the first rule would always match either scenario first, and route both to the same Chat queue. To prevent this, the best practice when organizing rules is placing the most specific ones at the top of the list. This ensures that those conditions are always applied first and conversations get routed to the correct queue. You can re-order rules by dragging and dropping them to a new location.

Turn on queue rules

Once you create your rules, you need to activate them for them to route conversations to queues. To do so, turn on the toggle next to each rule. You can turn rules on and off as desired.

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