---
schema_version: "1"
id: 63639add26e5ccb9647363793ee242e00a258314a91762956fad7a680a83ef91
title: Chat Routing 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_routing_options.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.live_agent_chat_routing_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: fe64e9678aec3ca7cfbdca53c160a67d6d3f3475ceab76cf9bca4d005ef0049c
description: 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.
products:
  - Service Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Chat Routing Options

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.

### 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>

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

Example

![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).

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
      <colgroup>
        <col style="width:25%">
        <col style="width:75%">
      </colgroup>
      <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
        <tr class="">
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d24860e79">Routing Option</th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d24860e82">Description</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e79 ">
            <samp class="parmname">Omni-Channel</samp>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e82 ">Incoming chats are routed to agents using Omni-Channel queues. To configure
            dynamic skill requirements, select the Omni-Channel routing type and configure
            skills-based routing rules. </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e79 ">
            <samp class="parmname">Button Skills</samp>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e82 ">
            <p>Incoming chats are routed to agents using skills associated with the button.
            </p>
            <div class="slds-box slds-box_x-small slds-theme_shade slds-m-top_medium slds-m-bottom_medium">
              <div class="slds-media slds-media_responsive">
                <div class="slds-media__figure"><span class="slds-icon_container slds-icon_container_circle slds-icon-note-note"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_legacy-264-0-0-production-enus/081af4ec-6c06-4d4b-9443-cb3516bbc46d/images/icon_note.png" alt="Note"></span></div>
                <div class="slds-media__body" style="padding-top:.5rem;padding-bottom:.5rem;"><span class="slds-text-title_caps">Note</span> You can't transfer a chat conference if it’s routed using button skills. To
                  transfer chat conferences, change the routing type to Omni-Channel. </div>
              </div>
            </div>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e79 ">
            <samp class="parmname">Choice</samp>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e82 ">Incoming chat requests are added to the queue in Chat in the Salesforce console
            and are available to any agent with the required skill. Not supported in Lightning
            Experience.</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e79 ">
            <samp class="parmname">Least Active</samp>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e82 ">
            <p>Incoming chats are routed to the agent with the required skill who has the fewest
              active chats.</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">This option is a push option, which means that incoming chats are
              routed, or “pushed,” to agents. You can specify the amount of time that an agent has
              to answer a chat request before it’s routed to the next available, qualified agent.
              Not supported in Lightning Experience.</p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Routing Option" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e79 ">
            <samp class="parmname">Most Available</samp>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d24860e82 ">
            <p>Incoming chats are routed to the agent with the required skill and the greatest
              difference between chat capacity and active chat sessions. For example: Agent A has a
              capacity of eight and Agent B has a capacity of two. If Agent A has two active chat
              sessions while Agent B has one, incoming chats are routed to Agent A.</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">This option is
              a push option, which means that incoming chats are routed, or “pushed,” to agents.
              You can specify the amount of time that an agent has to answer a chat request before
              it’s routed to the next available, qualified agent. Not supported in Lightning
              Experience.</p>
          </td>

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