Setting up capacity is a sequence: Service Channels first, Routing Configurations next, Presence Configurations after that, and Presence Statuses last. Skipping the order forces you to double back because Routing Configurations need a Service Channel and Presence Configurations reference Routing Configurations. Plan the weights on a whiteboard with the service ops lead before you touch Setup.
- Enable Omni-Channel and pick the queue model
Setup, Omni-Channel Settings, Enable Omni-Channel. Decide whether you use Queue-Based, Skills-Based, or External routing. The choice gates which Routing Configuration fields are required.
- Create Service Channels for each work type
One Service Channel per work object: Case Service Channel, Chat Service Channel, Voice Call Service Channel, Messaging Session Service Channel. The object pick determines which records the channel can route.
- Define Routing Configurations and per-item weights
For each Service Channel, create at least one Routing Configuration. Set Units of Capacity to the weight for that work type. Choose Routing Priority (lower runs first), Routing Model (Most Available, Least Active), and Push Time-Out.
- Assign Routing Configurations to Queues
Open each Queue that should feed Omni-Channel work. Set the Routing Configuration on the queue. Without this, the queue's items sit untouched.
- Create Presence Configurations with agent capacity
Setup, Presence Configurations, New. Set the Capacity field to the agent's total budget. Pick which Service Channels this configuration applies to. Toggle Decline Reasons, Allow Agents to Accept Requests, and the Time-Out behaviors.
- Create Presence Statuses and tie them to Service Channels
Setup, Presence Statuses, New. Statuses like "Available All", "Available Chat Only", "Busy", "Away". Each Status is bound to one or more Service Channels. Agents pick a Status to start receiving work.
- Assign Presence Configurations and Statuses via Permission Sets
Create a Permission Set per agent role. Assign the Permission Set the right Service Presence Status Access and Presence Configuration Access. Assign the Permission Set to agents.
- Validate with a test agent in sandbox
Log in as a test agent, set Status, push three test work items at it, watch the Omni-Channel widget count down available capacity. Switch statuses, push more, verify routing stops at the cap.
Total capacity available to an agent under this configuration. An integer with no enforced upper bound, but most orgs stay under 20 to keep weight math simple.
Weight a single work item of this channel consumes. Drives the cognitive-load math.
Most Available, Least Active, External, or Omni-Channel Flow. Determines how the engine picks between qualified agents with free capacity.
Seconds an agent has to accept a pushed work item before it returns to the queue. Default is 0 (no timeout).
Optional list of reasons agents must pick when declining a work item. Captures data for capacity tuning rather than enforcing behavior.
- A work item weight higher than any agent capacity routes nowhere. The item sits in the queue forever. Watch queue depth after capacity cuts.
- Weight is per work item, not per channel. Two open chats with weight 2 each consume 4 capacity, not 2.
- Presence Configuration capacity does not roll up across overlapping configurations. The agent uses the configuration tied to their currently active Status.
- Voice Calls on hold still consume capacity. If your team mass-holds, the supervisor view shows accurate cognitive load, not a routing bug.
- Capacity changes via API (OmniChannel.changeStatus) do not retroactively re-evaluate already-routed work. The new cap only governs new pushes.