# Skillsets and skills-based routing

Define routing skills and visitor conditions, assign skills to operators and match conversations to eligible operators.

*Release 3.3 · admin, operator, supervisor*

**Settings › Account › Skillsets** · **Settings › Account › Operators** · **Transfer › Skills**

## What it is

**Skillsets** defines the skills INSIDE uses to match visitors and conversations to suitable operators. Required matching rules decide who is eligible. Skill priorities can then help rank the operators who qualify.

## Who uses it and why

- As an operator, you receive matching work and can choose a skill when transferring a conversation.
- As a supervisor, you review skill coverage and assign skills to operators when you have permission.
- As an administrator with the **Settings** role, you maintain skills, visitor conditions and matching rules.

## Where to find it

Open **Settings › Account › Skillsets** to view the catalogue. Select a skill's **Operators Count** to open its **Operators List**. You can also assign skills through an operator's website-specific **Skills** selection in **Settings › Account › Operators**.

During a transfer, use **Skills** in the transfer window to see skill destinations.

The **Settings** role needs the **Skillsets** permission for catalogue access. Delegated managers can access **Skillsets** and change operator assignments with **Edit Operator Skills**. **View Only** restricts editing.

## How it works

1. Visitor conditions and any timed conditions determine which skills apply to a visitor.
2. INSIDE compares the visitor's required skills with the operator's assigned skills. **Operators Must Have Same Skills as Visitors** requires a matching operator skill. **Visitors Must Have Same Skills as Operators** requires a matching visitor skill for an operator who holds that required skill.
3. One shared skill can satisfy a required category. Different required categories can impose separate requirements.
4. INSIDE applies the website's assignment policy to eligible operators. The priorities of shared skills add to a matching score, which can influence the assignment order.

As an operator, you can use the transfer **Skills** list to see available counts and operator names for a skill. Platform, subsite, availability and capacity rules still apply. A matching skill alone does not mean an operator can take the conversation.

As a supervisor, review the operators assigned to each skill to identify gaps in coverage. A timed condition can remove a skill from a visitor while an operator still holds it. If **Visitors Must Have Same Skills as Operators** is on, that visitor may stop matching the operator.

## Configure it

1. With the **Settings** role and **Skillsets** permission, open **Settings › Account › Skillsets** and choose **New**.
2. Enter **Name** and, if useful, **Category**. A category affects matching as well as how skills are grouped.
3. Set both matching-direction switches deliberately. Both default to off for a new skill. Set **Priority** to a whole number of zero or greater; a new skill starts at 1.
4. Add visitor conditions in the condition area. You must provide at least one condition to save.
5. For a schedule, use **Add** beside **Dates** under **Additional filters**. Each row can contain date limits, **Day of the week**, and daily **From** and **To** times. These use the website timezone shown on the screen, set in **Settings › General Settings › Regional Settings**. No timed conditions are set initially, and leaving weekdays unselected adds no weekday restriction. Remove an unused empty row before saving. When you set both daily times, **To** must be later than **From**.
6. Choose **Save**, then assign the skill to the intended operators through their website-specific **Skills** selection. You can also add or remove operators in the skill's **Operators List** with **Edit Operator Skills**, provided **View Only** does not restrict editing. A new skill has no operator assignments.

**Controlled by Salesforce Omni Channel Status** defaults to off and appears only when Salesforce is enabled for the website. Turning it on makes the skill available for Salesforce Omni-Channel status mapping. Ask Powerfront to configure the Salesforce connection and mapping before using it.

Powerfront can change **Operator Assignment Priority** for you. Its default is **Most Available**. **Most Skills Matched** gives the matching score an earlier place in the assignment order. Both policies still apply other routing and availability checks.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operators Must Have Same Skills as Visitors | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | Off in the new-skill editor | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Requires an operator skill match when the visitor has this required skill; one shared skill per required category can suffice. |
| Visitors Must Have Same Skills as Operators | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | Off in the new-skill editor | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Requires a visitor skill match when the operator has this required skill; one shared skill per required category can suffice. |
| Priority | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | 1 in the new-skill editor | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Sets the non-negative score added for this skill when it matches, used to rank eligible operators. |
| Controlled by Salesforce Omni Channel Status | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | Off in the new-skill editor | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Makes the skill available for Salesforce Omni-Channel status mapping when Salesforce is enabled for the website. |
| Operators Count | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | No operators assigned to a new skill | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Opens the skill's operator list to review assignments and, with permission, add or remove operators. |
| Dates | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | Not set | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Adds timed conditions to the skill through Additional filters. |
| From | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | Not set | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Sets the start date or daily start time in a timed condition under Dates. |
| To | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | Not set | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Sets the end date or daily end time in a timed condition under Dates. |
| Day of the week | Settings › Account › Skillsets | website | Not set: no weekday restriction | Settings role, Edit Operator Skills role | Selects the weekdays on which a timed condition under Dates applies. |
| Operator Assignment Priority | Settings › General Settings › Admin | website | Most Available | Powerfront, on request | Selects how availability and matched skill scores influence the order of eligible operators; Most Skills Matched gives the score an earlier place in that order. |

### Fields

| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Settings › Account › Skillsets | Yes | Names the routing skill, with a 50-character editor limit. |
| Category | Settings › Account › Skillsets | No | Groups skills for matching as well as display, with a 50-character editor limit. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Access skill catalogue administration when the Skillsets permission is allowed, subject to View Only. |
| Skillsets | Allows the Skillsets section for the Settings role. |
| Manager | Access operator administration; Edit Operator Skills allows delegated skill assignment changes, subject to View Only. |
| Edit Operator Skills | Allows delegated managers to access Skillsets and edit operator skill assignments. |
| View Only | Restricts editing under the Settings or Manager role when enabled. |

## Limits and good to know

- **Name** is required. **Name** and **Category** each have a 50-character editor limit.
- New skills are checked for an existing name and category combination without regard to case.
- Skill priority and conversation priority serve different purposes. Raising a skill's **Priority** does not bypass required matching rules or other routing restrictions.
- Deletion is blocked while a skill is assigned to active operators or used by live visitors or conversations, including transfer requirements. Remove those uses before trying again.
- Routing **Skillsets** and reusable AI skills are separate catalogues.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** Website accounts (managed by Powerfront): The routing skill catalogue belongs to a website.
- **Configured in** [Website and regional settings](ADM-004.md): Timed skill conditions use the website timezone set in Regional Settings.
- **Configured in** Admin settings and feature switches (managed by Powerfront): Powerfront sets how matched skills influence operator assignment priority.
- **Configured in** [Roles and permissions](ADM-008.md): Role permissions control skill catalogue access and delegated operator skill editing.
- **Configured in** [Website, channel and subsite access](ADM-009.md): Each operator's website-specific Skills selection controls their routing skill assignments and other access restrictions.
- **Configured in** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Channel routing controls where skill-matched conversations can be assigned.
- **Configured in** [Chat limits and wind-down](CHAT-008.md): Matching a skill does not bypass capacity or availability checks.
- **Configured in** [Salesforce connection and operator setup](CRM-010.md): Salesforce Omni-Channel mapping can control skills marked for external status control.
- **Configured in** [Visitor event targeting conditions](ENG-002.md): Visitor conditions determine which skills match a visitor.
- **Configured in** [Visitor event and bot schedules](ENG-003.md): Skill time filters can add or remove eligibility as schedules change.

### Used by

- **Configures** [Operator availability status](CON-002.md): Omnichannel status choices change the skills used to route work.
- **Configures** [Chat queue](CHAT-005.md): Mandatory skill matching affects queue lanes and eligible operators.
- **Configures** [Broadcast for acceptance](CHAT-009.md): Skill matching restricts eligible recipients.
- **Configures** [Virtual Assistant task actions](ENG-016.md): Skill rules determine routing recalculations after task actions change departments or tags.
- **Configures** [Voice queue and call offers](RTC-003.md): Operator eligibility also follows routing and skill rules.
- **Configures** [Team comparison reports](REP-005.md): Skillsets supply skill groups.
- **Configures** [Service Overview dashboard](REP-016.md): Skill definitions determine the groups available in the Skills dashboard.
- **Configures** [Website, channel and subsite access](ADM-009.md): Skillsets defines available skills and provides an Allowed Operators list for maintaining assignments.
- **Configures** [Operator templates](ADM-011.md): Template skill assignments must refer to skills in the selected website.
- **Configures** [Importing and exporting operators](ADM-012.md): Imported skill assignments must match skills available in the website.
- **Enhances** [Visitor flags and custom scores](VIS-008.md): Skill routing lets permitted integration flag changes recalculate the skills used for assignment.
- **Enhances** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Optional skill rules further restrict and rank operators eligible for routing.
- **Enhances** [Transferring conversations](CHAT-010.md): Skills provide additional handover destinations.
- **Enhances** [Visitor event targeting conditions](ENG-002.md): Visitor skills can be used in filters.
- **Enhances** [Telephone call transfers](RTC-007.md): The transfer picker can find recipients by skill.
- **Enhances** [Availability Log for routing investigations](REP-023.md): Skill and routing information helps explain which operators could receive work.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why does an operator with the right skill receive no work?

Check both matching-direction switches, required categories, visitor conditions and timed conditions. Then check the operator's platform and subsite access, channel routing, availability and conversation capacity.

### Does the operator need every skill in a category?

One shared skill can satisfy that required category. Separate required categories can still impose separate matching requirements.

### Why can I not save a skill?

Enter a name, a whole-number **Priority** of zero or greater and at least one visitor condition. For a new skill, check for a duplicate name and category. Remove empty **Dates** rows and make sure any daily **To** time is later than **From**.

### Why can I not delete a skill?

It may still be assigned to an active operator or used by a live visitor or conversation, including as a transfer requirement. The deletion message identifies the type of remaining use.

### Why is the Salesforce option missing?

**Controlled by Salesforce Omni Channel Status** appears only when Salesforce is enabled for the website. Ask Powerfront to enable and configure the integration.

### Why can I view skills but not change operator assignments?

Check **Edit Operator Skills** and **View Only** in the **Manager** permissions. The skill's **Operators List** requires the delegated editing permission. You can also manage assignments through the operator's website-specific **Skills** selection with the appropriate operator editing permissions.

### Why does the list still show an old entry?

Reopen **Skillsets** to reload the catalogue.