Conversation assignment rules
Role-based access and visibility plus automatic distribution of new conversations. Conversation scope, contact scope, section list and the three assignment rules.
Last updated: September 30, 2026
Loading…
Role-based access and visibility plus automatic distribution of new conversations. Conversation scope, contact scope, section list and the three assignment rules.
Last updated: September 30, 2026
With five agents two problems appear: who takes the incoming conversation, and should everyone see everyone else's messages? The Portfolio settings › Conversation assignment rules screen solves both. The upper section decides what each role sees; the lower one decides who new conversations go to. The rules apply across every account in the portfolio.
⚠️ This screen is open to those who can assign conversations: the portfolio owner and its admins. The settings belong to the portfolio; you cannot set different rules per account.
It does two jobs and they are independent of each other:
The screen has two collapsible sections: Access and visibility and Assignment of new conversations.
The section's description reads: "Here you choose which conversations, which contacts and which sections each role sees. Owners and admins always see everything."
That last sentence matters: only three roles enter the policy — Editor, Agent and Viewer. Owners and admins always see everything and that cannot be changed.
The section has a separate block for each of those three roles. Each block starts with a one-line reminder of what the role does:
For each role you pick three things.
Which conversations the role sees in the inbox. Three options:
The middle option is right for most teams: the agent can pick up new work but cannot read someone else's exchange with their customer.
Whom the role sees in the contact list. Two options:
The hint under the field states the reach of the rule: "When restricted, the contact list, the contact card, bulk tagging and CSV all apply the same rule." So the restriction doesn't merely filter a list; opening a contact card, bulk tagging and CSV export obey the same limit. An agent cannot reach a contact they can't see by exporting a CSV.
Which sections the role sees in the left menu. Six checkboxes:
The hint says: "A closed section doesn't show in the menu; typing its address won't open it either. The inbox is always open."
Note two things. First, closing a section is a real gate: it isn't merely hidden from the menu, the page won't open from the address bar. Second, the inbox is not in the list because it cannot be closed — the inbox is an agent's reason to exist.
💡 The section checkboxes are a filter on top of a role's own permissions, not underneath them. The agent role cannot edit automations anyway; leaving Automations ticked doesn't grant editing, it only lets them see the flows.
The Save button under the section writes all three roles at once. That is deliberate: there is no such thing as a half-saved policy. Change one role and save, and the other two keep their settings exactly as they were.
The second section. Its description: "An incoming conversation is assigned to an agent automatically; nobody is asked. You can change it by hand afterwards."
A dropdown with three options:
Pick the third and a Fixed person field appears below, where you choose a team member. That suits a one-person support desk, or a "I triage first, then hand out" arrangement.
A number field. Its purpose is to stop unlimited work piling onto one agent.
The rules:
A concrete example: a shop with four agents sets the cap to 10. On a busy campaign day all four reach it, so new conversations pile up unassigned and the manager sees the pool and steps in. With no cap, conversations would keep being handed out, nobody would keep up, and it wouldn't show on this screen.
The assignment decision doesn't come from this screen alone. Three more things are involved:
When these stack up the result can be this: even with "distribute evenly" set, the conversation stays unassigned because nobody was eligible. Nothing is broken on the screen; the rules worked.
The second section has its own Save button and writes only the assignment settings.
Mistaking a closed section for "hidden from the menu". A closed section doesn't exist as a page either.
Restricting contact scope and expecting to leave CSV open. They are one rule; they don't separate.
Trying to restrict visibility for an owner or an admin. The policy doesn't touch those two roles.
Thinking of the cap per account. The count spans every account in the portfolio.
Setting the cap to 1 and being surprised conversations pile up. If each agent fills at one conversation, the rest wait unassigned.
Saying assignment doesn't work without checking the business-hours setting. With "Don't assign outside business hours" on, the rule is deliberately off duty.
For what each role can do see Team and invitations, for after-hours behaviour see Business hours, and for personal availability see Profile.
Was this article helpful?