Configuring and using agent presence in Contact Center (app)

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<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">Agent presence in Contact Center helps agents transfer contacts to the right person or queue by showing which agents are available. This article explains the prerequisites and setup for admins, then describes how agents use agent presence during transfers.</p>
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<p id="docs-ai-summary-toggle">Summary: <span id="up-triangle">◀</span><span id="down-triangle">▼</span></p>
<p id="docs-ai-summary-content">Agent presence helps you transfer calls to the right agent or queue by showing who is available, busy, or offline. You can search and filter agents, see real-time status and routing details, and use transfer controls for agents, queues, external numbers, or custom phone numbers. Admins must enable the feature, set up quick connects, and configure transfer rules to match your team’s routing needs.</p>
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<p class="p">Agent presence in Contact Center helps agents transfer contacts to the right
person or queue by showing which agents are available. This article explains the
prerequisites and setup for admins, then describes how agents use agent presence during
transfers.</p>
<p class="p">This article contains the following topics:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="rjs1__ul_y4v_c5n_pgc">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#setup">Prerequisites for agent presence</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#configure">Configuring agent presence</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#call-transfer">Transferring a call using agent presence</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#agent-list">Updating the agent list</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="setup">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Prerequisites for agent presence</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Before enabling agent presence in Contact Center, ensure the following prerequisites
are met:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="setup__ul_irh_ryw_qgc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">CloudFormation stack upgrade</strong>: Update your Contact Center instance to
version 5.99.2 or higher. Ensure that the latest CloudFormation stack is
deployed.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Feature flag activation:</strong> Contact <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408843597850" target="_blank">Zendesk Customer Support</a> to activate
agent presence on your required accounts.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Contact flow setup:</strong> Add the following two contact flows of type
<em class="ph i">Transfer To Queue</em> (<code class="ph codeph">queueTransfer</code>), to the Amazon
Connect instance, to route the contact to a given agent or queue:<ul class="ul" id="setup__ul_ys3_hwn_pgc">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ZD_cc_Direct_Queue_Transfer.json" target="_blank">Direct queue transfer</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ZD_cc_Direct_Agent_Transfer.json" target="_blank">Direct agent transfer</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul" id="setup__ul_j2c_kxg_pgc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Quick connects setup</strong>:<ul class="ul" id="setup__ul_k2c_kxg_pgc">
<li class="li">Create two <strong class="ph b">Quick connects</strong> of type <em class="ph i">Queue</em> in Amazon Connect
with the following names:<ul class="ul" id="setup__ul_l2c_kxg_pgc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Direct Queue Transfer</strong>: link to the direct queue transfer
contact flow.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Direct Agent Transfer</strong>: link to the direct agent transfer
contact flow.‍</li>
</ul>
<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> These quick connects don't need to be added to queues like
standard quick connects. Contact Center can still access and use
them even if agents don't have direct access to
them.</div>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="setup__image_kcr_3vv_sgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_ap_1.png" width="650"></p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="setup__image_qdb_kvv_sgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_ap_2.png" width="650"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Once the quick connects are created, configure them within the Contact
Center workflow settings to ensure proper routing. See <a class="xref" href="#configure">Configuring agent presence</a>.<p class="p"><img class="image" id="setup__image_w3t_mvv_sgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_ap_3.png" width="550"></p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="configure">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Configuring agent presence</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can update your agent presence settings from the Workflows tab.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To configure agent presence</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="configure__ol_afc_kxg_pgc">
<li class="li">In Contact Center, click the profile button (<img class="image" id="configure__image_zlg_mzw_xgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_settings_icon.png" width="20">), then click <strong class="ph b">Admin
settings</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Click the <strong class="ph b">Settings</strong> icon (<img class="image" id="configure__image_tx1_szb_vjc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_cog.png" width="16">), then click the
<strong class="ph b">Workflows</strong> tab.</li>
<li class="li">Select a workflow to edit and then scroll down to <strong class="ph b">Transfer
Targets</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Quick Connect</strong>, select the transfer types to activate:<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="configure__ul_wdp_q2c_vjc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Queues</strong>, <strong class="ph b">Agents</strong>, and <strong class="ph b">External</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">During call transfers, agents can access only the quick connects that you
select here.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Dialpad / Custom numbers</strong>, select <strong class="ph b">Enable External
Transfers to Custom Phone Numbers</strong> to allow agents to call
customers.</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Agent Search and Transfer</strong>, select <strong class="ph b">Enable Agent Search and
Transfer</strong> to allow agents to search for agents regardless of their
availability.<p class="p">Agents can now search for agents both online and offline.
Additionally, configure:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="configure__ol_sl5_bfc_vjc">
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Agent Transfer Quick Connect</strong>, select the quick connect
that will be used for the transfer: <strong class="ph b">Direct Agent Transfer</strong>,
<strong class="ph b">Direct Queue Transfer</strong>, or any of your quick connects. For
agent presence, select <strong class="ph b">Direct Agent Transfer</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Restrict Results</strong>, to limit the search results within:
<strong class="ph b">All Agents</strong>, <strong class="ph b">Same Routing Profile</strong>, <strong class="ph b">Same Routing
Profile Group</strong>, or <strong class="ph b">Specific Routing Profile</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Queue Search and Transfer</strong>, select <strong class="ph b">Queue Agent Search and
Transfer</strong> to allow agents to search for any queue.<p class="p">Additionally,
configure:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="configure__ul_zj4_hhc_vjc">
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Queue Transfer Quick Connect</strong>, select the quick connect
that will be used for the transfer: <strong class="ph b">Direct Agent Transfer</strong>,
<strong class="ph b">Direct Queue Transfer</strong>, or any of your quick connects. For
agent presence, select <strong class="ph b">Direct Queue Transfer</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</li>
<li class="li">
<p class="p">Under <strong class="ph b">Common Settings</strong>, configure behavior for agents in a
non-available status or out-of-hours queues.</p>
<p class="p">This is applicable to all transfer types and can restrict search results.</p>
<p class="p">If an agent or queue is offline or unavailable, transfers can remain in a
queue indefinitely. You can avoid this by selecting the following
options:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="configure__ul_htv_g3c_vjc">
<li class="li">Select <strong class="ph b">Disable Offline Transfers</strong> to prevent transfers to
offline agents or out of hours queues.</li>
<li class="li">Select <strong class="ph b">Disable Unavailable for Channel Transfers</strong> to prevent
transfers to agents that are available but their agent routing
profile doesn't include the contact channel. For example, their
agent routing profile is only for chat.</li>
<li class="li">Select <strong class="ph b">Disable Custom Status Transfers</strong> to prevent transfers
to agents in non-routable status such as Break or Training.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save Workflow</strong> to apply the changes.</li>
</ol>
<p class="p">
<img class="image" id="configure__image_agn_qvv_sgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_admin_workflows_transfertargets.png" width="650"></p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested1" id="call-transfer">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title4">Transferring a call using agent presence</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When you're on a call, you can use agent presence to find an agent or queue for the
transfer.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To transfer a call</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="call-transfer__ol_s2c_kxg_pgc">
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Transfer</strong> to initiate the process.</li>
<li class="li">Select one of the following tabs:<ul class="ul" id="call-transfer__ul_pt1_zzv_sgc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Agents:</strong> Displays a list of quick connect agents.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Queues:</strong> Displays a list of quick connect queues.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">External:</strong> Shows a list of all the external numbers that have been
configured.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Number pad:</strong> Displays a number pad where you can manually enter a
contact number. </li>
</ul>
<p class="p">After you choose a tab, you can transfer the call to the destination you
select.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested2" id="agent-search">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title5">Searching and filtering agents</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The transfer page allows you to search for specific agents or filter the list
based on various criteria. Use the search bar to quickly find an agent by typing
their name. Apply filters to narrow results by agent availability (Available,
Busy, Offline) or any custom filters that have been set up in your system, for
example filtering by routing profiles:</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="agent-search__image_yqf_byj_vjc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_app_transfer_agents_searchfilter.png" width="350"></p>
<p class="p">Additionally, you can filter by queues to see which agents are assigned to
specific customer service queues (for example, Sales or Support). This can help
you transfer the contact to the most appropriate team member.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested2" id="agent-available">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title6">Viewing agent status and availability</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When you search for agents by name, you can see real-time status information next
to each agent's name and routing profile:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="agent-available__ul_v2c_kxg_pgc">
<li class="li">Availability: Displays the agent’s current status: <strong class="ph b">Available</strong> or
<strong class="ph b">Busy</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Active chats or calls: Shows how many active chats the agent is handling and
the duration of active calls.</li>
<li class="li">Offline or unavailable agents appear in the list only if your admin allows
these transfers.</li>
<li class="li">Agent status updates automatically when you switch tabs or click the refresh
icon in the bottom-right corner of the transfer tab.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="agent-available__image_exf_4vv_sgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_ap_4.png" width="450"></p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title7" class="topic nested2" id="call-transfer-end">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title7">Completing the transfer</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When transferring contacts, you can either stay on the call or disconnect after
the transfer.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To complete the contact transfer</strong><ol class="ol" id="call-transfer-end__ul_h55_shm_tgc">
<li class="li">Select the agent, queue, or external number you want to transfer the
contact to, then click <strong class="ph b">Transfer</strong>.<p class="p">The system routes the contact
to the destination you selected.</p>
If you are transferring a chat,
your interaction with the customer goes into the ACW workflow, and the
chat is transferred to the selected destination.<p class="p">If you are
transferring a call, you will have the option to join or disconnect
from the call.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">
<p class="p">Hover over the view call icon below the profile button (<img class="image" id="call-transfer-end__image_ixw_pcm_vjc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_settings_icon.png" width="20">), then do
one of the following:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="call-transfer-end__ol_acx_z3m_vjc">
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Join</strong> below the contact number, or click <strong class="ph b">On
hold</strong> to the right of the contact number.<p class="p">This will
create a conference call with all participants.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">
<p class="p">Click <strong class="ph b">X</strong> to the right of the contact number.</p>
<p class="p">You will disconnect from the call and transition into
ACW.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="call-transfer-end__image_whz_33m_vjc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_app_transfer_calldetails.png" width="500"></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title8" class="topic nested1" id="agent-list">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title8">Updating the agent list</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The agent list updates by clicking on the refresh icon, or by switching between tabs,
so you’ll always have the latest information on your colleagues' availability or
activity.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="agent-list__image_y1n_pvv_sgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cc_ap_5.png" width="650"></p>
</div>
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