Assignment, ownership and SLA
Understand the assignment behavior used by the current direct inbound path, keep one visible owner and verify SLA targets before making an operating commitment.
- Who uses it
- Administrators, Employees
- Guide depth
- 4 steps
- Content reviewed
- 2026-07-22
What this helps you achieve
The practical result of following this guide, with the current product boundaries kept visible.
Open the available settings
The administrator knows which page is in navigation and which page currently requires a direct URL.
Use the current direct-inbound ownership order
A test conversation matches the documented continuity/default-owner order or remains visibly unassigned.
Keep ownership explicit in the inbox
One person owns the next response and the conversation remains inside its permitted team scope.
Set and verify response targets
The live board and inbox are checked with a timed test conversation before the targets become an operating commitment.
Before you start
- An administrator for routing settings, plus at least one connected inbox and active agent
Steps
Open the available settings
SLA settings are available under Customer Service → Team → SLA Settings at /app/sla-settings. The automatic-assignment configuration page currently has no Workspace or left-sidebar entry; administrators can reach it only by opening /app/auto-assign directly.
Expected result: The administrator knows which page is in navigation and which page currently requires a direct URL.
Use the current direct-inbound ownership order
For a new conversation on the current direct inbound path, ownership is resolved in this order: the customer owner or previous active assignee for continuity, then the inbox default owner, otherwise unassigned. The order, least-busy and weighted controls saved on /app/auto-assign are not yet connected to this path; do not treat those controls as operational until the routing bug is fixed and verified.
Expected result: A test conversation matches the documented continuity/default-owner order or remains visibly unassigned.
Keep ownership explicit in the inbox
Administrators, supervisors and users granted the reassign permission can transfer a conversation from the inbox when manual handling is required. Ordinary agents may not see that action. Assignment identifies the current owner; team and inbox permissions still control who can see the conversation.
Expected result: One person owns the next response and the conversation remains inside its permitted team scope.
Set and verify response targets
Global default supplies the first-response targets used by the live board and inbox. Company overrides currently cover timezone, business hours, holidays, holiday country and automatic-reply content; they do not replace the global response thresholds. Automatic-reply delivery also depends on the channel delivery path, so saving a template does not by itself prove that a customer message was sent.
Expected result: The live board and inbox are checked with a timed test conversation before the targets become an operating commitment.