How to Add and Manage Call Center Agents
Add extension-based agents, manage availability, ringing, retry delays and wrap-up time, and assign agents to Call Center queues.
Manage the people who answer your queues
An agent links an extension to Call Center availability and ringing settings. The agent, the queue and queue membership are separate: creating an agent alone does not send queue calls to that extension.
1. Open Agents
In Settings → Phone Numbers, open Call Flow for the correct location, select Call Centers, then Agents. The list shows each agent's extension, name, status and queue memberships. Use the pencil to edit an existing agent.
2. Add an agent and configure availability
From the queue list, click Agents → Add Agent, search for an extension and select it. Extensions already registered as agents are excluded from this picker. Configure the agent and click Save.
One agent can answer several queues. Agent settings and status apply across all of those queues, not only the queue currently being edited.
- Status: Available allows queue offers when the agent can take a call; On break temporarily stops offers; Logged out removes the agent from queue availability. Available alone does not prove the phone is connected or free.
- Ring for: maximum ringing time for an offer to this agent.
- Wait after no answer: delay before another offer after an unanswered call.
- Put on a break after: missed-call threshold for an automatic break. Never disables that threshold; it does not guarantee the agent will answer.
- Break after each call: wrap-up time for notes or other work after a call.
- Wait after a reject / Wait when busy: retry delays for rejected or busy attempts.
- Record calls: review the agent's recording option together with the queue's setting. Follow your organization's recording and notice requirements.
Check the actual values rather than assuming the defaults suit your team. For example, a 15–30 second ring time may be easier to test than a long ring attempt.
3. Assign the agent to a queue
- Return to Call Queues and edit a saved queue. For a new queue, save it first.
- Click Add Agent and select the extension. An extension already in that queue is excluded from the picker.
- Choose Level and Position. Level groups agents into tiers; Position orders them within a tier for applicable strategies. Lower values come first. Use the same level for a simple team.
- Save and reopen the queue to verify membership. Review the global agent status separately.
For distribution strategies, level rules, hold music, waiting limits and incoming routing, see How to Set Up Call Center Queues.
4. Pause or resume queue calls
Open the agent's editor, choose On break to pause offers or Logged out to remove availability, and save. Choose Available and save when the agent is ready again. These changes affect all queues the agent answers. Do not delete an agent just to take a temporary break.
5. Test and troubleshoot
- First confirm a direct call to the extension rings and has two-way audio. Check phone registration, connectivity and Do Not Disturb.
- Call a queue containing this agent and confirm it offers the call. A saved status is not proof of successful delivery.
- Test answered, unanswered, rejected and busy offers; confirm retry delays, wrap-up time and any automatic break threshold.
- Repeat with two agents to test distribution. Check membership, status, timers, strategy and level rules if an agent is skipped.
- If the issue persists, give support the queue name/extension, affected agent extension, test time, called number and observed result.
Related guide
How to Set Up Call Center Queues
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