# Chat Assignment

{% hint style="info" %}
Chat assignment includes the **Balanced** option for all subscription plans.

**Random** is available with the Lite plan or above.

**Round Robin** is available with the Pro plan or above.

**Voluntary** is available with with the Total or above.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Functioning as a live agent and receiving chat assignments requires the **View/Manage livechats assigned to them** permissions.
{% endhint %}

***

## Purpose

All chats begin between a person and an AI agent. If the AI has the [Human Handoff](/docs/modules/ai-agents/workflows-and-actions/human-handoff.md) action, it can transfer a chat to:

* A specific live agent
* Any live agent
* Any live agent on a specific [team](/docs/settings/workspace/teams.md)

If the latter two, there may be more than one live agent [online](/docs/settings/user-account/online-status.md) and able to receive the chat transfer. In this circumstance, the chat assignment rules (of the same [teamspace](/docs/settings/teamspaces.md) the AI agent belongs to) will determine who gets which chat.

***

## Configuration

In the [settings panel](/docs/settings/settings.md), select **Chat Assignment**.

The options are:

* **Assignment method**
  * **Balanced** — chats are assigned to live agents with the fewest open conversations.
  * **Random** — chats are randomly assigned to online live agents.
  * **Round robin** — chats are assigned sequentially to live agents in the order they appeared online.
  * **Voluntary** — live agents self-assign chats from the pending queue. Chats left in the queue are unattended.
* **Auto-assigned chats** — the maximum number of balanced, random, or round robin chats a live agents can be assigned. If all eligible live agents are maxed out, new chats will remain in queue until a slot opens up.

Press **Save** to confirm edits.

***

## Receive Chat Assignments

To ensure live agents can receive chat assignments:

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Configure AI Agents

Ensure one or more AI agents include a [Human Handoff](/docs/modules/ai-agents/workflows-and-actions/human-handoff.md) action.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Set Automatic Chat Assignment

In the configuration above, set **Chat assignment** to **Balanced**, **Random**, or **Round robin**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Add Live Agents

Receiving users require the **View/Manage livechats assigned to them** [permissions](/docs/settings/workspace/roles-and-permissions.md), to function as a live agent.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Configure Teams

Receiving users must be on the team(s) specified by the takeover action, if any.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Be Online

Receiving users must set themselves to [online](/docs/settings/user-account/online-status.md).
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://documentation.proto.cx/docs/settings/teamspaces/chat-assignment.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.