---
schema_version: "1"
id: 91d5a1f391ff2afc2810289eb1094b599e9b19147f2dd01b69874f3c1e5bb664
title: Chat Queuing Options
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/live_agent_chat_queuing_options.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_chat_queuing_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 1fd09057a27ef4bd46808906edb90ddf5ef6652c684d869191d1b79593670b80
description: Queuing options in Chat let you control how incoming chat requests are handled when no agents are available.
products:
  - Service Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Chat Queuing Options

Queuing options in Chat let you control how incoming chat requests are handled when no agents are available.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.legacy_editions.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_legacy-264-0-0-production-enus/081af4ec-6c06-4d4b-9443-cb3516bbc46d/images/icon_important.png)

Important

Legacy Chat will be retired on February 14, 2026. To avoid service interruptions to your end users, switch to enhanced Chat (formerly Messaging for In-App and Web). Enhanced Chat offers many of the legacy Chat [features that you love](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_replacing_chat_considerations.htm&language=en_US) plus asynchronous conversations that can be picked back up at any time. Learn about migrating in [Help](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_replacing_chat_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) and [Trailhead](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/migrating-from-legacy-chat-to-enhanced-chat).

For each chat button or invitation that you create, you can enable queuing. Queuing puts incoming chat requests on hold if no qualified agents are available to accept the requests. You can also specify the maximum number of requests in a queue. By enabling queues and setting limits for them, you can control how incoming chat requests are handled, which helps agents manage chat backlogs.

If queuing is enabled, your company can accept incoming chat requests even when agents are at capacity. You can specify the maximum number of requests to accept. Queuing helps agents work effectively and limits the amount of time that customers spend waiting to chat.

Chat routing options determine the way that queuing works. Routing options are set through your chat button or automated invitation. See [Chat Routing Options](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_chat_routing_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Routing options in Chat enable you to specify how incoming chat requests are directed to agents. To use Chat in Lightning Experience, you must route chats with Omni-Channel. New chat buttons must use Omni-Channel routing—legacy Live Agent routing is no longer available.") to learn more about how you can route chats to the right agents.

Let’s look at how queuing and routing options work together.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d14191e102">Queuing Option</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d14191e105">With This Routing Option</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d14191e108">Results</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Queuing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e102 ">Queuing is not enabled</td>

            <td data-label="With This Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e105 ">
              <samp class="parmname">Choice</samp>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Results" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e108 ">
              <ul>
                <li>Customers see your chat button and can submit new requests unless there are no
                  qualified agents available or all online agents have reached capacity.</li>

                <li>Incoming chat requests are added to the Chat Requests list.</li>

                <li>When agents have capacity for new chat sessions, they can select incoming requests from
                  the list.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Queuing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e102 ">Queuing is not enabled</td>

            <td data-label="With This Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e105 "><samp class="parmname">Least Active</samp> or <samp class="parmname">Most Available</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Results" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e108 ">
              <ul>
                <li>Customers see your chat button and can submit new requests unless there are no
                  qualified agents available or all online agents have reached capacity.</li>

                <li>When agents have the capacity for new chat sessions, requests are routed to them.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Queuing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e102 ">Queuing is enabled without a per-agent or overall limit</td>

            <td data-label="With This Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e105 ">
              <samp class="parmname">Choice</samp>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Results" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e108 ">
              <ul>
                <li>Customers see your chat button and can submit new requests unless there are no
                  qualified agents available.</li>

                <li>Incoming chat requests are added to the Chat Requests list.</li>

                <li>When agents have capacity for new chat sessions, they can accept incoming requests from
                  the list.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Queuing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e102 ">Queuing is enabled without a per-agent or overall limit</td>

            <td data-label="With This Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e105 "><samp class="parmname">Least Active</samp> or <samp class="parmname">Most Available</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Results" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e108 ">
              <ul>
                <li>Customers see your chat button and can submit new requests unless there are no
                  qualified agents available.</li>

                <li>When agents have the capacity for new chat sessions, requests are routed to them.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Queuing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e102 ">Queuing is enabled with a per-agent or overall limit defined</td>

            <td data-label="With This Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e105 ">
              <samp class="parmname">Choice</samp>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Results" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e108 ">
              <ul>
                <li>Customers see your chat button and can submit new requests unless there are no
                  qualified agents available, or until the queue limit is reached. Then, customers see the
                  offline version of the button until older chat sessions have ended and an agent is
                  available.</li>

                <li>Incoming chat requests are added to the queue until the per-agent or overall limit is
                  reached. No new requests are accepted until older chat sessions have ended.</li>

                <li>When agents have capacity for new chat sessions, they can accept incoming requests from
                  the list.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Queuing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e102 ">Queuing is enabled with a per-agent or overall limit defined</td>

            <td data-label="With This Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e105 "><samp class="parmname">Least Active</samp> or <samp class="parmname">Most Available</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Results" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d14191e108 ">
              <ul>
                <li>Customers see your chat button and can submit new requests unless there aren’t any
                  qualified agents available, or until the queue limit is reached. Then, users see the
                  offline version of the button until older chat sessions have ended and an agent is
                  available.</li>

                <li>Incoming chat requests are added to the queue until the per-agent or overall limit is
                  reached. No new requests are accepted until older chat sessions have ended.</li>

                <li>When agents have capacity for new chat sessions, requests are routed to them.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

#### See Also

- [Chat Routing Options](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_chat_routing_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Routing options in Chat enable you to specify how incoming chat requests are directed to agents. To use Chat in Lightning Experience, you must route chats with Omni-Channel. New chat buttons must use Omni-Channel routing—legacy Live Agent routing is no longer available.")