How to create and manage routing rules
Last updated October 12, 2026
Overview
Routing rules process, tag and assign incoming tickets automatically. Each rule checks conditions such as customer segment, channel, business hours and keywords in the subject or message, then sends the ticket to the right team or agent. This removes manual triage and gets tickets to the right people faster.
Every routing rule works on an all-or-nothing basis: a ticket must meet every condition in the rule before any action runs.
Key Features
- All-or-nothing matching: If even one condition doesn't match, such as the channel or business hours, the rule is skipped.
- First match wins: Atlas checks rules from top to bottom and applies only the first rule that matches. The remaining rules are skipped.
- Default fallback: If no rule matches, the ticket keeps your default settings.
- Keyword matching: Scan ticket subjects and messages with Python regular expressions.
- Shift-aware assignment: Distribute tickets by round robin or least busy, and only to agents who are on shift.
- Multiple actions in one rule: Route to a team, assign an agent, send an automatic reply, add tags, and set priority or status at the same time.
- Real-time evaluation: A new or updated rule starts evaluating new tickets immediately.
Conditions and actions
A rule applies only when a ticket meets every condition you set. Then Atlas runs all the actions in the rule.
How to create a routing rule
- Go to "App Configuration > Ticket Management > Routing" and click "Add rule".
- Enter a descriptive "Name".
- Set "Escalated by Zeus":
- Enabled: The rule is evaluated only after a Zeus Agent escalates a ticket.
- Disabled: The rule ignores tickets escalated by a Zeus Agent.
- Select the customer "Segment" the rule applies to. To create one, click "Add customer segment".
- Optionally, configure "Subject Contains". Enter a Python regular expression. The rule applies only when the ticket subject matches it.
- Optionally, configure "Message Contains". Enter a Python regular expression. The rule applies only when the ticket body matches it.
- Select the "Channels". Only tickets created through these channels are evaluated.
- In "Business hours", choose "During business hours", "Outside business hours" or "All hours". To set your hours, click "Set up business hours".
- Select one or more "Actions". Each action opens its own settings:
- Assign team: In "Select Team", choose the team that handles the ticket.
- Assign agent: Choose the "Distribution method": "Round robin", "Least busy" (fewest assigned open tickets) or "Specific Agent". Then select the "Agents to assign". Optionally, turn on "Restrict to on-shift" and "Enable maximum tickets per agent" (enter the maximum number of open tickets).
- Send response: Sends an automatic reply to the customer. Write the "Message". You can add formatting, canned responses, Help Center articles, mentions, variables
{{ }}and emojis. - Set priority: Select "Low", "Medium", "High" or "Urgent".
- Set tags: Select the tags to add to the ticket.
- Set status: Select "Open", "Closed" or "Pending".
- Click "Create routing rule". The rule starts evaluating new tickets immediately.
To remove an action from the rule, click "Remove" in its section.
Example: Route password issues to Technical Support
This rule sends email tickets from visitors about password problems to the Technical Support team during business hours, tags them and sets them to Pending.
| Setting | Value |
| Name | Password Support |
| Escalated by Zeus | Disabled |
| Segment | Visitors |
| Subject contains | (password reset|forgot password|account locked) |
| Message contains | (unable to log in|access denied|reset my password) |
| Channel | |
| Business hours | During business hours |
| Team (action) | Technical Support |
| Tags (action) | Account Login |
| Status (action) | Pending |
A visitor emails on Tuesday at 10:30 AM, during business hours, with the subject "Password reset needed" and the message "I forgot my password and I'm unable to log in to my account." The ticket matches every condition, so Atlas:
- Routes it to the Technical Support team.
- Adds the Account Login tag.
- Sets the status to Pending.
How to edit a routing rule
- Go to "App Configuration > Ticket Management > Routing" .
- Click the rule, or click the ellipsis icon on its row and select "Edit".
- Make your changes and click "Update routing rule".
How to change the order of routing rules
- Go to "App Configuration > Ticket Management > Routing" .
- Move a rule up or down in the list. Atlas evaluates rules in this order, from top to bottom.
How to delete a routing rule
- Go to "App Configuration > Ticket Management > Routing" .
- Click the ellipsis icon on the rule's row and select "Delete".
- Click "OK" to confirm.
FAQs & Troubleshooting
Why wasn't my routing rule applied?
A rule applies only when all of its conditions match. Check that the ticket:
- Belongs to the selected segment.
- Came through a selected channel.
- Arrived within the selected business hours.
- Matches the "Subject Contains" or "Message Contains" expression.
- Matches the "Escalated by Zeus" setting.
Also check the rule order. If a rule higher in the list matched first, the rules below it are skipped.
What happens when several routing rules match a ticket?
Atlas checks rules from top to bottom and applies only the first rule that matches. The rest are skipped.
What happens when no routing rule matches?
The ticket keeps your default settings.
Why isn't the ticket assigned when "Restrict to on-shift" is on?
Tickets go only to agents who are on shift right now. Check that the shift is set up in "App Configuration > Shifts > Scheduling" , that the agents are assigned to it, and that all of them share one shift.
Does a routing rule apply to existing tickets?
No. Rules evaluate only new tickets received after the rule is created or updated.
Can I deactivate a routing rule?
No. If you no longer need a rule, delete it.