> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.taqnyat.sa/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.taqnyat.sa/docs/readme/settings-and-automation/chat-assignment-settings.md). # Chat Assignment Settings This page explains how chat assignment settings work inside LiveChat. Chat assignment settings control how incoming conversations are routed and assigned to agents. These settings help teams manage workload, distribute chats, and make sure customer conversations reach the right person or department. ### What is Chat Assignment? Chat assignment means linking a conversation to a specific agent. When a chat is assigned to an agent, it appears in the agent’s **My Chats** view so they can follow up with the customer. The assignment method depends on the account configuration set from the Portal. ### Assignment Types LiveChat supports different assignment methods depending on the account setup: * Auto Assignment * Manual Assignment * Directed Assignment Each assignment type controls how conversations move from the Queue, chatbot, campaign replies, or departments to agents. ### Auto Assignment Auto Assignment allows the system to automatically assign new chats to available online agents. When Auto Assignment is enabled, the system checks whether an online agent has fewer than **5 open chats** in **My Chats**. If the agent has capacity, the system can assign the new chat to that agent automatically. This helps distribute conversations fairly between available agents and reduces the need for manual chat selection. ### Auto Assignment and Agent Availability For Auto Assignment to work, the agent must be online and available to receive chats. When Auto Assignment is enabled, the system checks whether an online agent has fewer than **5 open chats** in **My Chats**. If the agent has fewer than 5 open chats, the system can automatically assign a new chat to them. If the agent already has 5 open chats, the system will not automatically assign additional chats to them. However, if an agent feels they can handle more than 5 open chats, they can still go to the **Queue**, open a waiting chat, and reply to it. Once the agent replies, the chat will be assigned to them and moved to **My Chats**. Also, if another agent or supervisor transfers a chat to an agent, the chat will still reach that agent even if they already have 5 or more open chats. If the user is a supervisor, the **Accept Chats** option must be activated for them to receive chats automatically. By default, supervisors may have **Accept Chats** disabled so they can supervise the team without appearing as available agents or being interrupted by automatically assigned chats. If a supervisor wants to receive chats automatically, they need to activate **Accept Chats**. If **Accept Chats** is not activated, the system will not automatically assign chats to the supervisor. However, the supervisor can still manually open a chat from the **Queue**, reply to it, or transfer a chat to themselves if needed. ### When Auto Assignment is Useful Auto Assignment is useful when: * The team wants chats to be distributed fairly. * Agents are available during working hours. * The company wants to reduce manual queue handling. * Supervisors want new chats to reach available agents faster. * The team handles a high number of incoming conversations. If an agent can handle more than 5 chats, they can still go to the **Queue**, open a waiting chat, and reply to it. The chat will then be assigned to them and moved to **My Chats**. ### Manual Assignment Manual Assignment means that the system does not automatically assign incoming chats to agents. When Manual Assignment is enabled, chats remain in the **Queue** until an agent or supervisor takes action. Agents can go to the Queue, open a waiting chat, and reply to it. Once the agent replies, the chat will be assigned to that agent and moved to **My Chats**. Manual Assignment gives the team more control over who handles each conversation, but it requires agents or supervisors to actively monitor the Queue. ### When Manual Assignment is Useful Manual Assignment is useful when: * The team wants agents to choose chats manually. * Supervisors want more control over workload distribution. * Incoming chats need to be reviewed before assignment. * The company has a small team that monitors the Queue directly. * Chats need to be handled based on priority or case type. ### Directed Assignment Directed Assignment means that conversations are routed directly to a specific agent based on the account configuration. This option is usually activated by the admin from the Portal. Directed Assignment is commonly used in two cases: 1. **Chatbot routing** When the chatbot is activated, the chatbot flow may route conversations directly to a specific user. 2. **Campaign replies** When the admin sends a campaign message and assigns one agent to be responsible for replying to customers who respond to that campaign. For example, if the admin sends a campaign and wants one specific agent to handle all customer replies from that campaign, the admin can configure the assignment type as **Directed** and select the responsible agent. When Directed Assignment is enabled, the conversation will be assigned to the selected agent instead of being distributed automatically or waiting in the Queue for any agent to pick it up. ### Assignment from Queue The **Queue** view shows conversations that are waiting and not assigned to an agent yet. A chat may appear in the Queue when: * Manual Assignment is enabled. * No available agent was found for Auto Assignment. * The chat is waiting for an agent to pick it up. * The conversation has not been routed directly to a specific agent. To assign a chat from Queue: 1. Go to the **Chats** page. 2. Open the **Queue** view. 3. Select the waiting conversation. 4. Review the customer’s message. 5. Reply to the customer if you want to handle the conversation. Once the agent replies, the chat will be assigned to that agent and moved to **My Chats**. ### Department Routing Departments help organize chats and route conversations to the right team. By default, conversations may first be routed to the default department, which can be renamed based on the company’s setup. Departments are commonly used when: * A chatbot routes conversations directly to a specific department. * A main team receives chats first and transfers them to other departments when needed. * Different teams handle different types of requests, such as support, sales, operations, or customer service. A user’s visibility and actions may depend on the department assigned to their account and their permissions. ### Chat List Display Settings LiveChat may include additional settings that control how conversations appear in the chat list. These settings help teams organize the chat view based on their preferred workflow. #### Customer Order in the List The customer order setting controls how conversations are arranged in the chat list. Users may be able to choose between: * **Chat with the latest interaction on top** * **By conversation start time** When **Chat with the latest interaction on top** is selected, conversations with the most recent activity appear first. When **By conversation start time** is selected, conversations are arranged based on when the conversation originally started. This helps teams decide whether they want to prioritize the most recently active chats or follow conversations based on their start time. #### Number of Chats Per Page The number of chats per page setting controls how many conversations appear in the chat list at one time. This can help users manage the chat list view, especially when there are many active or archived conversations. The selected number affects how many chats are displayed before moving to the next page. ### Transfer and Assignment Logs Any assignment or transfer action taken on a conversation is reflected inside the chat as an internal system message. These internal messages help the team track what happened during the conversation for internal reference, visibility, and accountability. Internal logs may appear when: * A chat is assigned to an agent * A chat is transferred from one agent to another * A chat is transferred from one department to another * A chat is transferred from chatbot to agent * An agent takes over a chatbot conversation * A new chat is started by an agent using a template message The internal message may show details such as: * Who started the chat * Who assigned the chat * Who transferred the chat * Which agent the chat was transferred from * Which agent or department the chat was transferred to These messages are only visible internally inside LiveChat and are not sent to the customer. This helps agents and supervisors understand the conversation history, track ownership changes, and follow up on actions taken during the chat. ### Important Notes Chat assignment settings are configured from the Portal by the admin or authorized users. The behavior of incoming chats may differ depending on: * Assignment type * Agent availability * Supervisor **Accept Chats** status * Department setup * Chatbot routing * Campaign configuration * Chat list display settings * User permissions If chats are not being assigned or displayed as expected, the admin should review the assignment settings, department setup, chat list display settings, and user permissions from the Portal. ### Best Practices When configuring chat assignment settings: * Use Auto Assignment when the team wants fair and automatic distribution. * Use Manual Assignment when the team needs more control over who handles each chat. * Use Directed Assignment when a chatbot or campaign should route replies to a specific agent. * Make sure agents are online when Auto Assignment is enabled. * Make sure supervisors activate **Accept Chats** only if they want to receive chats automatically. * Choose the chat list order that best matches the team’s workflow. * Review internal assignment logs when tracking who handled or transferred a conversation. * Keep department routing clear so conversations reach the right team. ### Next step After learning about chat assignment settings, continue to the **Reports & Dashboard** section to understand how LiveChat activity and results can be reviewed.