# Routing Strategies

> The four contact-center routing strategies - round robin, longest idle, least occupied and skill based - and how each picks the next agent.

Source: https://edesy.in/docs/contact-center/routing/routing-strategies

Edesy Cloud Contact Center has four routing strategies, set per queue: round robin, longest idle, least occupied and skill based. Each strategy only considers members of the queue whose status is *Available*. The chosen agent's browser rings, and if they do not answer the call goes back to the queue for the next pick.

## The four strategies

| Strategy | API value | Who gets the next call |
|---|---|---|
| Round robin | `round_robin` | The next available member in turn, so calls spread evenly |
| Longest idle | `longest_idle` | The available member whose last call ended longest ago; members who have not taken a call yet come first |
| Least occupied | `least_occupied` | Meant for the least busy agent. Today it ranks available members by idle time, the same as longest idle |
| Skill based | `skill_based` | Available members with the queue's required skill at its minimum level, longest idle first; falls back to any available member |

The default is `round_robin`. An unknown value also falls back to round robin.

## How routing runs

1. **Callers wait in arrival order.** The oldest waiting caller is served first.
2. **The dispatcher runs every 2 seconds.** For each waiting caller it asks the queue's strategy for an agent.
3. **The agent is marked busy** (reason "ringing") so no other call is offered to them.
4. **Their browser rings for up to 20 seconds.**
5. **If they answer,** they go *On call*. **If not,** they go back to *Available*, the miss is counted against them in reports, and the call waits for the next pick.

## Which one to choose

| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Fair share of calls across a team | Round robin |
| Give rested agents the next call | Longest idle |
| Language or product routing | Skill based |

## FAQ

### Does routing look at agents outside the queue?
No. Only members of the queue are considered.

### Can a caller jump the line?
No. Callers are served in the order they entered the queue.

### Do agents on break get calls?
No. Only *Available* agents get calls. Agents on *Break*, *Busy*, *Wrap-up* or *Offline* are skipped.

### Can I change the strategy while calls are waiting?
Yes. The next dispatch uses the new strategy.

### Can I put an IVR menu before the queue?
Build menus in [IVR Studio](https://edesy.in/ivr) and transfer to the queue's number. IVR builder access is part of the Professional and Enterprise plans.

### Is there predictive or overflow routing?
No. There is no predictive routing and no automatic overflow to another queue.