Automatic chat re-routing (also called auto-route) makes sure a visitor is never left waiting on an agent who stepped away. If an agent accepts a chat but does not respond within a set amount of time, Velaro moves the chat to the next available agent.

When it applies

Auto-route runs only when all of the following are true:

• The group is in auto-route mode (not queue mode).
• A Re-route timeout is configured for the group or site (a value greater than zero turns the feature on; zero turns it off).
• The chat is in an active Chatting stage with exactly one assigned agent.

How it works

1. An agent is assigned a chat and joins it.
2. If the agent has not sent any message by the time the re-route timeout is close, the agent sees a one-minute warning that the chat will be routed to an available agent.
3. If the agent still has not responded when the timeout is reached, Velaro routes the chat to the next available agent and adds a brief system note to the conversation.

What keeps a chat with you

If you send any message after joining the chat, it will not auto-route — no matter how long the chat lasts. Sending a reply tells Velaro you are actively handling the conversation. Auto-route only acts on chats where the assigned agent never responded.

What happens if no one else is available

If there is no other available agent to take the chat, the chat stays with the current agent. Velaro does not drop or close the conversation just because the timeout passed.

Configuring the re-route timeout

The Re-route timeout is set per group (and a site-wide default applies where a group does not override it):

• Set it to the number of seconds an agent has to respond before the chat re-routes.
• Set it to 0 to turn auto-route off for that group.

Choose a value that gives agents enough time to read and reply, but short enough that a visitor is not left waiting on an unresponsive agent. A common starting point is two to three minutes.

Tips

• If agents report being warned even though they replied, confirm they are sending messages after joining the chat — replies sent before a transfer or re-queue start a fresh routing window.
• Use a longer timeout for groups that handle complex questions, and a shorter one for high-volume sales or front-line groups.