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When direct routing is enabled, an interaction reaches the dedicated agent. However, when the agent is unavailable, a backup is necessary to handle the interaction. 

You can set up a backup in the following ways:

• Agent-level backup – Configure a backup for a direct routing agent
• Queue-level backup – Configure a backup for a direct routing queue

How direct routing backup works

Genesys Cloud routes an unanswered interaction to a backup agent or queue depending on the combination of the following three configurations:

• The backup setting
  • Agent-level backup
  • Queue-level backup (mandatory configuration)
• ACD routing logic
  
  • Routes the email, SMS, and voicemail interactions first to the direct agent.
  • Routes email, SMS, and voicemail interactions to the backup agent when the ‘Skip timeout and go to backup immediately’ is enabled.
  • Routes email, SMS, and voicemail interactions to the backup agent or queue when the ‘Skip timeout and go to backup immediately’ is not enabled.
• In-queue flows 
  • Routes email, SMS, and voicemail interactions to the backup queue when the ‘Skip timeout and go to backup immediately’ is enabled.
  • Plays voicemail and creates a callback for voice calls. 

Features

• When the agent-level backup is not set for individual agents, or when the target agent is not available, the system automatically routes the interaction to the backup queue. For direct routing to work as intended, it is mandatory to configure the queue-level backup.
• When the interaction reaches a backup queue, Genesys Cloud routes the interaction using the routing method that is set in the backup queue. The next available agent per the routing method set receives the interaction.
• When a direct routing agent whose status is Off-queue and Available does not answer an interaction, Genesys Cloud sets the status to Not Responding and does not route the future interactions until their presence status changes to Available. 
• When an email is routed to the backup agent or queue, or is transferred by the direct routing agent to another agent or queue, the email that the backup agent sends contains the email address of the original direct routing agent in the ‘From’ field.

Set up agent-level backup

Using the agent-level backup setting, you can configure another agent or a queue as a backup to a direct routing agent on 1:1 basis. When the direct routing agent does not answer the interaction or when the agent is not available, the backup agent or queue receives the interaction. You can set up the agent-level backup using the following methods:

• By direct routing agents themselves – If the agents have the required permissions (mentioned in the prerequisites section), they can configure their own backup agents or queues. For more information, see backup for direct routing agent.
• By administrators – If the agents do not have the required permissions to configure their backup agent or queue, you can set up the backup via the /api/v2/routing/users/{userId}/directroutingbackup/settings API. For an example, see Sample API to set up agent-level backup.

Set up queue-level backup

Configure the queue-level backup setting in addition to the agent-level backup. A queue-level backup configuration is necessary for direct routing to work as intended. When the target agent is not available, or when no agent-level backup option is available, Genesys Cloud routes the interaction to the backup queue set for the direct routing queue. Set up the backup option as follows:

1. Click  Menu > User Management > Queues. 
2. Select a queue and click the Direct routing tab.
3. Choose the backup queue from the Backup Queue drop-down list.
   Note: If you do not set up a backup queue, the current queue is the backup queue by default. In such a case, it is mandatory to set up the configuration in step 4 to ensure that the interaction is routed to the current queue after the duration specified.
4. Set the duration after which an unanswered interaction is routed to the backup in the Go To Back Up After field. To route immediately, select the Assign to backup immediately checkbox. 

The following examples describe how you can use in-queue flows to set up backup and route an unanswered interaction: