Setting up Salesforce CRM Call Center connects a third-party phone system to Salesforce through Open CTI. The actual call queue is configured in the phone vendor's platform; these steps register that system in Salesforce so agents get a softphone. For new projects, evaluate Service Cloud Voice first, since Open CTI retires on February 28, 2028.
- Get the call center definition file
Obtain the XML call center definition file from your CTI partner or AppExchange package. It specifies the fields and values that define the call center for that softphone, including the compatibility mode for Classic or Lightning Experience.
- Import or clone the call center
In Setup, open Call Centers and import the definition file to create the first call center. To run more call centers on the same softphone, clone the existing one rather than importing the file again.
- Assign users to the call center
A user must be associated with a call center to see the softphone. Add the relevant agents to the call center so the phone interface appears in their console.
- Customize the softphone layout
Configure the softphone layout to control which related records and fields appear during inbound and outbound calls, then add the softphone utility to the Service Console app.
The XML file that registers the softphone in Salesforce. reqInternalName is mandatory and reqSalesforceCompatibilityMode sets Classic, Lightning, or both.
Controls the screen pop and the record fields shown to the agent for inbound, outbound, and internal calls.
Determines which users see the softphone; without assignment the agent cannot take queued calls.
- The queue, routing rules, hold music, and overflow logic live in the telephony vendor's platform, not in Salesforce. Setting up the call center alone does not configure queuing.
- Open CTI is in maintenance mode and retires on February 28, 2028, and is unavailable for newly created Agentforce Service orgs. Plan migrations rather than building net-new on it.
- A Call Center queue is not a standard Salesforce Queue. You cannot query call wait times with SOQL; reporting usually comes from the phone vendor.