Auto-assignment rules in BoldDesk automatically assign tickets to the appropriate group or agent based on predefined conditions. These rules help reduce manual ticket routing, improve response times, and ensure that tickets are directed to the right team members.

When a ticket is created or updated, BoldDesk evaluates the configured auto-assignment rules in the order they appear. If a ticket meets the conditions defined in a rule, it is automatically assigned according to the configured assignment mode.

Watch the video below to learn more about auto-assignment in BoldDesk:

Key Benefits of Auto-assignment rules

• Assigns tickets to the most qualified agent, ensuring customer issues are handled by someone with the right expertise.
• Balances workloads across teams, preventing some agents from becoming overloaded while others remain underutilized.
• Reduces manual ticket assignment, saving time and minimizing administrative effort.
• Improves response and resolution times by routing tickets to available agents automatically.
• Enhances customer satisfaction through faster and more accurate support.
• Increases agent productivity by streamlining ticket distribution and reducing assignment delays.
• Promotes operational efficiency with consistent and automated ticket routing.
• Supports business growth by scaling ticket management as support volumes increase.

Plan Availability and Rule Limits

Available Assignment Modes

BoldDesk supports multiple auto-assignment modes for different ticket-routing requirements.

1. Round Robin (Even Distribution)

Even Distribution distributes tickets evenly among eligible agents in the selected group. Each new ticket is assigned to the next eligible agent in sequence, helping ensure fair workload distribution.

2. Round Robin (Load-Based)

Load-Based assigns tickets based on the current workload of eligible agents. Agents with fewer assigned tickets are prioritized to help maintain balanced workloads across the team. Learn more on Setting Up Load-Based Assignments Using an Auto-Assignment Trigger.

3. Round Robin (Skill-Based)

Skill-Based assigns tickets to the most suitable available agent based on the skills associated with the ticket and the skills assigned to agents in the selected group. This helps route tickets to agents with the appropriate expertise. Learn more on How to Configure Skill-Based Ticket Assignment in BoldDesk.

How Round Robin (Even Distribution) Works

Round Robin (Even Distribution) assigns tickets equally among eligible agents within a selected group.
In this article, an eligible agent means an agent who belongs to the selected group, is active, is available for ticket assignment, has access to the ticket’s brand, and meets any other requirements defined by the ticket and rule configuration.

When a ticket is created or updated:

• BoldDesk evaluates auto-assignment rules from top to bottom.
• The first rule whose conditions match the ticket is selected.
• The configured Round Robin (Even Distribution) mode is executed.
• BoldDesk identifies the next eligible agent in the selected group.
• The ticket is assigned to that agent.
• Future tickets continue through the rotation, helping distribute assignments evenly across the group.

If no eligible agent is available, the ticket remains assigned to the selected group without an individual assignee.

Steps to Create Even Distribution Rule

1. Navigate to Admin → Automation → Ticket Automation → Auto Assignments.

2. Click Add Rule.
   

   
   
   

3. Enter the following details:

   • Rule Name (mandatory)
   • Description (optional)

4. Define the rule conditions.

   • Select the ticket fields that determine when the rule should apply.

   • Click Add New Condition to include multiple conditions.
     

     
     
     

5. Click Next.

6. Under Associate Agent, select the assignment mode:

   • Round Robin (Even Distribution)

7. Choose the Group eligible for auto-assignment.
   

   
   
   

8. Optionally, add watchers.

   • You can add up to 48 watchers.

9. Click Add to save the rule.

Behavior When Agents Are Unavailable

Round Robin (Even Distribution) considers only eligible agents during assignment.

Key Behaviors

• Only active and available agents are considered for assignment.
• Unavailable or inactive agents are skipped.
• Tickets continue to be distributed evenly among the remaining eligible agents.
• Agents who become available again are included in future assignment cycles.
• If no eligible agent is available, the ticket remains assigned to the selected group.
• Notification emails can still be sent to group members based on your notification settings.

Example Use Case

Consider a support group with four agents:

• Agent A
• Agent B
• Agent C
• Agent D

Incoming tickets are assigned in the following sequence:

Troubleshooting Common Round Robin (Even Distribution) Issues

Tickets are not assigned automatically

Verify that:

• The auto-assignment rule is active.
• The ticket matches the configured rule conditions.
• The rule is positioned correctly in the execution order.
• The ticket does not already have an assigned group or agent.
• The selected group contains eligible agents.
• Tickets remain assigned only to the group.

This typically occurs when:

• No agents in the group are currently available.
• Agents do not have access to the ticket’s brand.
• Agents are inactive.
• Agents have been removed from the selected group.
• Some agents never receive tickets.

Check whether:

• The agent belongs to the selected group.
• The agent is active.
• The agent is available.
• The agent has brand access.
• The ticket and rule conditions permit assignment to that agent.

An unexpected rule is applied

BoldDesk evaluates rules from top to bottom. If multiple rules match the same ticket, the first matching rule is executed. Reorder your rules to ensure more specific rules take precedence.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I create multiple Round Robin auto-assignment rules?
   Yes. You can create multiple auto-assignment rules with different conditions for brands, groups, priorities, categories, or ticket types. The maximum number of rules depends on your plan.

2. What happens if no agent is available?
   If no eligible agent is available, the ticket remains assigned to the group without an individual assignee. Group notifications may still be sent based on your email notification configuration.

3. Does Round Robin consider the current ticket count of each agent?
   No. Round Robin (Even Distribution) assigns tickets sequentially among eligible agents, regardless of their existing workload. If workload balancing is required, use Round Robin (Load-Based) assignment.

4. Will Round Robin work for both ticket creation and ticket updates?
   Yes. Auto-assignment rules are evaluated when a ticket is created or updated and satisfies the configured rule conditions.

5. Can a ticket be auto-assigned if it already has an agent or group assigned?
   No. The auto-assignment rule does not execute if the ticket already has an assigned agent or group.

Related Articles

1. How to Configure Skill-Based Ticket Assignment in BoldDesk
2. Troubleshooting Auto-assignment Issues for Agents in BoldDesk
3. Setting Up Load-Based Assignments Using an Auto-Assignment Trigger