Creating a Service Channel is a quick Setup workflow. Pick the sObject, choose the Routing Configuration, set the routing type. The work happens once per channel.
- Enable Omni-Channel first
Setup, Omni-Channel Settings, Enable. Service Channels cannot be created until Omni-Channel itself is enabled at the org level.
- Open Service Channels in Setup
Setup, Quick Find Service Channels, click the link. The page shows existing channels (Cases, Chats, etc.). Click New.
- Pick the Salesforce Object Type
Dropdown lists every sObject available for routing: Case, LiveChatTranscript, MessagingSession, custom objects. Pick the object whose records should be routed.
- Set the Routing Type
Choose Most Available (matches by capacity), Least Active (matches by current item count), or External Routing (hands off to a third-party system).
- Link the Routing Configuration
Pick a Routing Configuration that defines Push Time Out and Auto-Accept. The configuration was created earlier in the Omni-Channel rollout.
- Save and confirm in Presence Configuration
Save the Service Channel. Open the relevant Presence Configurations and add the new channel to the Service Channel section with the appropriate Capacity Weight.
Display name shown in routing dashboards and agent UI. Should describe the work type plainly (Cases, Customer Chats, Refund Approvals).
API name used in SOQL and Apex references. Defaults from the Service Channel Name but cannot contain spaces or special characters.
The sObject whose records get routed. Standard objects (Case, LiveChatTranscript) or custom objects (Custom_Request__c) are supported.
Most Available, Least Active, or External Routing. Determines the algorithm used to pick the matching agent.
Reference to a Routing Configuration record that holds Push Time Out, Auto-Accept, and reroute behavior.
- A Service Channel can only reference one Routing Configuration. To route the same object type with different rules, create multiple Service Channels.
- Custom Service Channels require the custom object to support routing. Some custom objects lack the necessary lifecycle hooks. Test the routing in a sandbox before enabling in production.
- Service Channels for Chat and Messaging require the related products (Live Agent or Messaging) to be licensed and enabled before the standard channel records appear.
- External Routing requires a Connected App with the right OAuth scopes and a partner adapter. The Service Channel is just the entry point; the heavy lifting is the integration.
- Disabling a Service Channel in production stops all routing for that work type immediately. Plan the change carefully; agents will see no new work until re-enabled.