Round Robin spreads new conversations evenly across your team. Instead of waiting for someone to claim a conversation, Heymarket assigns it to the next inbox member in line, so no one gets overloaded and nothing sits unowned.
How Round Robin works
When Round Robin is on for an inbox, new and reopened unassigned conversations are assigned to inbox members one at a time, in order. After the last member gets a conversation, assignment starts again from the top.
A few things to know:
- Only new and reopened conversations are assigned. Conversations that are already in the inbox when you turn on Round Robin aren't affected.
- User groups are included. If a user group is a member of the inbox, everyone in that group is part of the rotation.
- Members don't need to be online. Conversations are assigned in order whether or not the member is currently active.
- Assignments stick. Follow-up messages on an assigned conversation stay with the same teammate.
Turn on Round Robin
Only admins can change auto assign settings.
- Go to Admin > Inboxes.
- Find the inbox you want to set up and click Settings.
- Next to Auto assign, click the current setting to open the Auto assign window.
- Turn on Auto assign new conversations.
- Select Round Robin. Next in line is selected by default.
- Click Save.
Round Robin applies only to the inbox you set it up on. Your other inboxes keep their current settings.
What your team sees
When Round Robin assigns a conversation, the assignee's name appears at the top of the chat, and a note in the conversation shows that Round Robin made the assignment. Only the assigned teammate gets notifications for that conversation.
Choose the right auto assign method
Each inbox can use one auto assign method at a time:
| Method | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Assign on reply (First to reply) | Small teams that claim work as it comes in | The first teammate to reply is assigned. Later replies don't change it. |
| AI Agent | Inboxes where an AI Agent handles the first response | New conversations go to the AI Agent you choose. |
| Round Robin (Next in line) | Teams that want an even split of new conversations | New and reopened conversations go to inbox members one at a time, in order. |
Change who's in the rotation
The rotation is made up of the inbox's members. To add or remove someone, open the inbox, go to the Members tab, and add or remove them there. Changes apply to the next conversation that's assigned.
Reassign a conversation
You can still reassign any conversation by hand from the Assignee dropdown at the top of the chat. A manual reassignment always overrides the automatic one.
Turn off Round Robin
- Go to Admin > Inboxes and open the inbox's Settings.
- Open Auto assign.
- Turn off Auto assign new conversations, or pick a different method.
- Click Save.
Conversations that were already assigned keep their assignee.
FAQ
What happens if a member is away or offline? They still receive conversations in their turn. If someone is out for an extended period, remove them from the inbox members until they're back.
Who gets notified about a Round Robin conversation? Only the assigned teammate.
Does Round Robin affect outgoing messages, lists, or campaigns? No. Round Robin only assigns incoming conversations.
Can I use Round Robin and an AI Agent on the same inbox? Not at the same time. Each inbox uses one auto assign method.