# Understanding Agent Availability (Web & Android)

Agent Availability helps you control **when you want to receive new chats**.

Sometimes agents step away for a break, are in a meeting, or have completed their shift. Earlier, chats could still get assigned to them. Now, with Agent Availability, the system checks whether an agent is Online before assigning a new conversation.

This helps avoid missed chats and improves response time.

***

<figure><img src="https://2303112206-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F53n17VnOICC1LtDqlENV%2Fuploads%2FRkFjoNkodcFV6GJh3Pcw%2Fimage%20(44).png?alt=media&#x26;token=87ff16ff-1d3b-4934-9b7d-e2cb230557a1" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**What Is Agent Availability?**</mark>

Agent Availability lets every agent choose their working status:

* **Online** → Ready to receive new chats
* **Offline** → Do not assign new chats

When you mark yourself as Offline, the system understands that you are not available for new assignments.

***

#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**How Chat Assignment Works Now**</mark>

#### 1. Round Robin Distribution

If you are using round-robin assignment:

* The system will **only assign chats to agents who are Online**
* Offline agents are automatically skipped
* Distribution remains fair among active agents

This ensures that no chat goes to someone who is unavailable.

***

#### 2. Bot Assignments

If your bot is assigning chats:

* The bot will check agent availability
* It will skip Offline agents
* If the bot tries to assign a specific Offline agent, the system will show an error

This keeps automated workflows accurate.

***

#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**Are There Any Exceptions?**</mark>

Yes. There are two special cases where availability is not restricted:

#### 1. Excel Import

If chats are assigned through Excel upload, the system will not check availability.

#### 2. Manual Agent Reply

If an agent manually replies to a conversation, the chat becomes associated with them — even if they are Offline.

These exceptions allow flexibility when needed.

***

#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**How Agent Availability Works on Android**</mark>

Available on Android version **v0.0.392 and above**.\
Please update your app to use this feature.

#### Mark Yourself Online or Offline

You can change your availability inside the app anytime.

#### See Your Status Clearly

Your current status is visible in:

* The **Home Screen Toolbar**
* The **Navigation Bar**

So you always know whether you are Online or Offline.

#### Assign Chats Easily

When manually assigning chats:

* Only Online agents appear in the “Assign to" dropdown list
* This makes selection faster and avoids mistakes

***

#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**How Agent Availability Works on Web**</mark>

On the Web platform, agents can also control and view their availability easily.

#### Mark Availability

Agents can switch between Online and Offline directly from the web interface.

#### Real-Time Visibility

Your availability status is clearly displayed, helping everyone stay aligned.

#### Smarter Assignments

On Web:

* Round-robin skips Offline agents
* Bot assignments respect availability
* Assigning a specific Offline agent will show an error

This ensures chats are only routed to active agents.

***

#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**Who Can Use This Feature?**</mark>

Agent Availability is available on the **Enterprise Plan**.

If you are on the Pro Plan, you will need to upgrade to Enterprise to use this feature.

***

#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**Why This Feature Is Important**</mark>

Agent Availability helps you:

* Avoid getting chats when you are unavailable
* Improve response time
* Prevent missed conversations
* Maintain fair distribution among active agents
* Reduce manual reassignment

In short, it makes chat assignment smarter and more reliable across both Web and Android.