---
sourceDocument: Brazil Conversational Interfaces
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/conversational-interfaces

 Release :

    - brazil

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Brazil Conversational Interfaces

ft:clusterId :

    - convint

bundleId :

    - convint

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Work item queues

# Work item queues {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Brazil  
Updated September 10, 2026  
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## Summary of Work item queues

Work item queues in Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) are designed to organize and manage specific types of work items within a service channel.
AWA administrators have the ability to create or modify these queues to align with customer requirements, defining key elements such as the associated service channel, eligible agent groups, availability schedules, and time limits for agent acceptance of work items.
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## Queue Configuration and Routing

Queues can be configured with routing conditions that determine which work items are directed to them. Routing conditions can be created using two methods:

* **Simple:** Utilizing a condition builder with fields relevant to the selected service channel.
* **Advanced:** Implementing JavaScript scripts for more complex routing logic.

Additionally, queues can exist without routing conditions, allowing manual or tool-based assignment of work items. When a work item is manually assigned and removed from the queue, its state is updated to **Canceled** with the reason marked as **Manually assigned**.

**Important:** Queues with more than 10,000 work items in the queued state may not accept new routed work items, so monitoring queue size is essential.

## Routing Rules with Chat Context Variables

For chat service channels, routing rules can leverage chat context variables to route work items based on user-provided information, such as department or product name collected from pre-chat surveys. These variables are accessible in the condition builder under **Context → Interaction Context fields**, enabling precise routing based on chat interaction details.

## Agent Eligibility and Assignment

Agent groups are assigned to queues via the **Eligibility Assignment** related list, making those groups eligible to receive work items from the queue. You can define an agent assignment rule and set eligibility time constraints, which control when subsequent agent groups become eligible, supporting prioritization and overflow handling. If no agent groups are assigned, work items may be routed to the queue but will not be assigned automatically by AWA.

## Work Item Sorting

Queues can have one or more sort conditions defined through the **Work Item Sort Order** related list. Sorting is based on specified fields from the service channel's table and can be ordered ascending or descending, influencing the order in which work items are assigned to agents.  
In Advanced Work Assignment, queues store a specific type of work item for
a service channel.
AWA administrators can create or modify queues based on
customer need. As part of creating or modifying a queue, the awa_admin identifies some
information about the queue, including the service channel to which the queue belongs and
which agent groups handle the incoming work items.

The awa_admin can select a schedule that defines when the queue is available and identify a
time limit within which an agent should accept a work item in the queue. If the selected
service channel is Chat, the awa_admin creates the chat messages that
are displayed to users.  
Routing conditions identify the work items that are routed to a queue. Create routing conditions in one of two ways:

* Simple: use a condition builder to select routing conditions. The fields available for selection are based on the selected service channel.
* Advanced: use a JavaScript script to identify routing conditions.
{#awa-queues__ul_d44_cyx_gfb}

The awa_admin can also create a queue without routing conditions so that work items are not routed to that queue automatically. Customers can manually assign work items to the queue or assign work items using assignment tools
such as matching rules or Workflow Studio.

When a case in a queue is assigned manually, the case is removed from the queue. The state
of the work item is set to Canceled and the cancellation reason is
set to Manually assigned.  
Note:  
New work items may not be assigned if they are routed to queues containing more than 10,000 work items in the queued state.

## Configure routing rules that use chat context variables {#awa-queues__section_iym_lpj_sjb}

You can specify queue routing rules that use chat context variables in the condition
builder. For details on creating chat context variables, see [Configure context variables for storing chat-related information](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/gQUwT6EIEDTAjEgJUIgo1g "Specify chat context variables, also called Live Agent chat variables, for storing chat-related information, such as pre-chat survey responses. These variables contain contextual information that can be used to determine topic intent or control how chats are routed to live agents. You can also define variables to capture contextual information passed in Virtual Agent topic scripts to share with live agents."). These
variables can store contextual information that can be used in routing conditions to control
where chat work items are routed.

For example, you can define chat context variables to store user responses from [pre-chat
surveys](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/YlMDWCGLNEdi67rgZYO4RQ "Use Survey Designer to build conversational questionnaires for gathering pre-chat information and post-chat feedback from end users. These questionnaires run in the chat client for Virtual Agent and Agent Chat.") that you create. If you store these responses in chat context variables,
such as a user's department or a product name, you can specify the context variables in
queue routing conditions to direct where the live chat is routed. When you specify a routing
condition using the condition builder, you can dot walk to the Context fields. In the fields
menu, select Show Related Fields and open the fields menu again to
select Context → Interaction Context fields.

You can then select from the available chat context variables in the condition
builder. For example, choosing csp_category becomes
Context.csp_category.

## Assign pools of agents eligible to work on a queue {#awa-queues__section_k1g_grd_hfb}

Assign one or more agent groups to a queue using the Eligibility Assignment related list. These groups are eligible to receive work items from
the queue, which allows work to get prioritized to eligible agents.

Select an agent assignment rule and any eligibility time constraints for each group. The
eligibility time constraints are used to determine when the next pool of agents is eligible
for assignment. For example, you can assign one group to handle work items immediately and a
second group to handle the overflow from the first group after work items sit in the queue
for a specified amount of time.  
Note:  
If no groups are assigned to a queue, work items can be routed to the queue but Advanced Work Assignment does not assign them.

## Create a sort order for a queue {#awa-queues__section_bpc_hrd_hfb}

Use the Work Item Sort Order related list to create one or more sort conditions for work
items in a queue. For each sort condition, specify a field from the selected service channel
table and the direction to sort, either ascending or descending. Items in the queue are
sorted and assigned to agents based on these conditions.