--- sourceDocument: Australia Customer Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/customer-service-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Customer Service Management ft:clusterId : - csm bundleId : - csm workflow : - Customer and Industry --- # Configure Email # Configure Email channel {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read Configure Email Interaction so incoming customer emails create traceable interactions, route to the right agent group, and stay linked to open cases. Here's an example of a customer service journey consolidating Email support with omnichannel.{#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-whatsapp-channel-para-1} Sophia is a support operations manager at a healthcare software company. Her team was overwhelmed with email volume, managing interactions across email clients, case systems, and chat systems. Case records often had missing or incomplete email history, replies to closed cases created duplicate work, and handling time was hard to predict.{#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-para-2} After setting up Email Interaction for CSM, the system creates an interaction (not a case) for new emails. Watermarks thread customer replies to the open interaction. If an agent closes the interaction, replies route to the original linked case instead of creating a new case or interaction.{#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-para-3} Sophia's team reduced case volume and eliminated lost emails through reply linking. AI-powered summaries and contextual matching reduced average email handling time.{#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-para-4} The following diagram shows the Email configuration workflow for administrators, agents, and customers. Figure 1. Email configuration workflow ## Common configuration steps (required for email) {#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-common-config} Every channel (chat, email, WhatsApp) requires the following foundational setup.{#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-para-6} {#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-table-1__entry__3} | Configuration Step | Description | Who does this | |-|-|-| | 1. [Create service channel](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/5iuOztfUhUg~UJ_vq5egZg "Set up an Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) service channel that you can use to assign case tasks to available users.") | Service channel is created automatically during plugin installation for each channel (chat, email, WhatsApp). This is the container that routes customer interactions. | System (automatic) | | 2. [Create a queue](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=awa-create-queue&version=australia&pubname=australia-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US) | Create a queue under each service channel in Omnichannel \> Administration \> Queues. The queue holds interactions waiting for an available agent. Each queue has a name, description, and optional schedule for availability windows. | CSM Admin | | 3. [Configure AWA routing](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=awa-create-assignment-rule&version=australia&pubname=australia-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US) | Create an assignment rule in Advanced Work Assignment that determines how interactions are routed to agents. Examples: Most Capacity (assigns to agent with most free time), Least Busy, Round Robin. Create an assignment group with agents who have the required roles (sn_customerservice_agent, sn_customerservice.consumer_agent, awa_agent). Link the rules and group to the queue. | CSM Admin | | 4. [Set agent presence state](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=agent-experience&version=australia&pubname=australia-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US) | Add the channel to the Available presence state, so agents are eligible to receive interactions from that channel. Without this step, the queue has no target agents. | CSM Admin | | 5. [Activate channel in workspace](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dI5xpCgW5_hU5pL289B1ww "Set up CRM Workspace for your agents so they can engage with customers, answer questions, create cases, and resolve issues.") | Verify the channel appears in the CRM Workspace. Agents must see the channel in their workspace interface to receive and manage interactions. | CSM Admin | | 6. [Configure wrap-up codes](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/pF21S~54s~ZI4jY~QcCehQ "Associate wrap-up codes with the email interaction wrap-up configuration so that agents can select them when closing an interaction.") | Navigate to Interaction \> Wrap Up Codes to create categorization codes for interactions. Then navigate to Interaction \> Wrap-up configuration to assign these codes so agents can categorize interactions for reporting. | CSM Admin | [Table 1. Common configuration steps] {#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-table-1} ## Email-specific configuration steps {#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-specific-config} {#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-table-2__entry__3} | Configuration Step | Description | Who does this | |-|-|-| | 1. [Install Plugin](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/izDWzpWbQh7GGPUkBLPK7w "Activate the Email Interaction for CSM plugin (sn_eaai_csm) for new or existing CSM customers. This plugin includes demo data and activates related plugins if they aren’t already active.") | Install the Email Interaction for CSM plugin (sn_eaai_csm) from System Definition \> Plugins. This plugin includes optional demo data and preconfigured Email service channel. For new CSM customers, related flows are enabled automatically. Existing CSM customers must manually activate the Create Interaction from Email, Update Interaction from Email, and Update Case via Reply for EaaI flows in Workflow Studio. | CSM Admin | | 2. [Activate Email flows](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/nE6qFfluxrYHsBHi~1M0Zg "Activate flows for customers who have the Email Interaction for CSM application configured, enabling efficient workflow automation.") | Manually activate three flows in Workflow Studio. Create Interaction from Email creates a new interaction for each inbound email. Update Interaction from Email updates the interaction when a customer replies. Update Case via Reply for EaaI creates a new linked interaction instead of reopening a closed one. When activating each flow, set the filter to "To contains \[your support email address\]". This ensures the flow only triggers for the actual support inbox. | CSM Admin | | 3. [Set system properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Ub9hSeMGizbfyL~dWptuBw "You can configure system properties to manage Email Interaction workflows, such as interaction creation, closure, rerouting, and reminder or notification settings.") | Navigate to System Properties \> All Properties and configure: sn_eaai_csm.email_addresses (comma-separated support addresses), sn_eaai_csm.period_of_customer_inactivity_to_close_interaction (days before auto-close, default 5), sn_eaai_csm.email.reroute.enabled (reroute if assigned agent unavailable, default false), sn_eaai_csm.notify_agent_on_email_linked_to_case (notify when reply links to open case, default true). | CSM Admin | | 4. [Enable AI assistance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/MnxcBH3aPcELZ8LTbZzFSw "Activate the Email Interaction Summarization skill in AI Skill Kit to generate AI-powered summaries of email interactions for CSM agents, reducing the time spent reviewing full email conversation histories.") (optional) | Check your entitlements to determine whether you have access to Now Assist for CSM. Two Now Assist skills apply and are inactive by default: Email Interaction Summarization (auto-generates email summaries) and Contextual Email Matching (auto-matches incoming emails to open cases). Found under Now Assist Admin \> Now Assist Skills \> Customer \> CSM. These skills are part of ServiceNow's broader Now Assist and Otto AI experience. For more information, see [Activate contextual email matching for CSM](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/nQTYZDb1gl8ZYzUTbfEmcw "Activate the Contextual Email Matching skill in AI Skill Kit to link emails received on closed interactions by analyzing open cases linked to the closed interaction, enabling downstream flows to associate interactions with cases."). | CSM Admin | | 5. [Configure wrap-up codes](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/pF21S~54s~ZI4jY~QcCehQ "Associate wrap-up codes with the email interaction wrap-up configuration so that agents can select them when closing an interaction.") | Navigate to Interaction \> Wrap Up Codes, select New, fill in required fields, select Active, then submit. Then navigate to Interaction \> Wrap-up configuration to assign wrap-up codes to email interactions for categorization and reporting. For more information, see [Use AI to generate wrap up code and notes summary](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/nL3yw5158sad8VW7knC7tw "ServiceNow Otto automatically analyzes customer interaction transcripts to suggest wrap up codes and generate wrap up note summaries during the Interaction wrap up process. This capability reduces post call tasks while improving documentation quality and consistency."). | CSM Admin | [Table 2. Email-specific configuration steps] {#c_CustomerServiceEmailCommunication__configure-email-channel-table-2}