Automatic conversation assignment in Papo (https://papo.global/) uses the round-robin method to distribute each new conversation sequentially among the agents of a team associated with the inbox. This balances the workload and reduces response time, without a manager needing to assign each conversation manually.
How it works at a glance
| Concept | What it means in Papo |
|---|---|
| Round-robin rotation | Sequential, rotating assignment of new conversations to the members of a team. |
| Inbox | Central hub for messages (WhatsApp, Instagram, email, etc.) linked to a team. |
| Team | Group of agents created in the account settings, usually by department or role. |
| Default activation | Happens when a team is associated with the inbox instead of individual agents. |
| Deactivation | Removing the team from the inbox and switching to manual assignment or automation rules. |
How the rotation decides who gets each new conversation
When a new message arrives in an inbox configured for a team, Papo delivers the conversation to the next agent in the queue, following a fixed order. After the last agent, the cycle starts over from the first.
Example with the "Support Team" made up of Ana, Bruno, and Carla:
- First new conversation → Ana.
- Second new conversation → Bruno.
- Third new conversation → Carla.
- Fourth new conversation → Ana again.
The system only considers the agents associated with the team who are online and available. If an agent is offline when the conversation arrives, it goes to the next available member, keeping the customer from waiting for someone who is unavailable.
How to turn on automatic rotation
Activation doesn't require a specific button: you just associate a team with the inbox instead of selecting agents one by one. Papo then uses round-robin automatically in that scenario.
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Create your teams. Go to the account settings and find the team management area. Create groups such as "Sales," "Technical Support," or "Post-sale" and add the corresponding agents to each team.
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Open the inbox settings. In the Papo dashboard, go to Settings and click Inboxes.
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Associate the team with the inbox. Choose the desired inbox (for example, "WhatsApp Support") and, in the collaborator options, select the entire team instead of individual agents.
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Save your changes. From that moment on, every new conversation in that inbox will be distributed automatically in rotation among the team members.
How to turn off automatic rotation
To stop using automatic distribution, remove the team from the inbox and switch to another form of assignment:
- Manual assignment: add individual agents to the inbox and let them pick up or receive conversations manually.
- Automation rules: use automations to assign conversations based on tags, channels, or other triggers you define.
Deactivation does not delete history or conversations already assigned; it only prevents new conversations from being distributed automatically by round-robin.
When automatic rotation makes sense
Rotation is ideal for operations that:
- Have more than one agent handling the same inbox.
- Receive a high volume of new conversations throughout the day.
- Want to avoid overloading a single agent.
- Need fast service without constant manual triage.
- Already organize the team into specialized groups (sales, support, finance).
If the operation requires a specific specialist to handle certain topics, combine rotation with manual transfers or tag-based automation rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does the rotation analyze how many open conversations each agent already has?
No. The standard round-robin distributes only new conversations equally, without considering each agent's active workload in real time. To prioritize by workload, you can use automation rules or manual transfers.
What happens when an agent is offline?
Offline agents are skipped by the rotation. The conversation is routed to the next team member who is online and available, ensuring a faster response to the customer.
Can I transfer a conversation manually even with rotation active?
Yes. Supervisors and agents with permission can reassign a specific conversation at any time, including to an agent outside the team. The rotation only controls the initial assignment of new conversations.
Does the customer see when the conversation changes agents?
No. Automatic distribution and manual transfers are invisible to the customer. The conversation continues in the same history, with no external notice.
Does the rotation work for all channels?
Yes. The method is the same for any inbox configured with a team, regardless of the channel: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, email, Telegram, and others available in your account.
Do I need to configure anything else for the rotation to work?
No. As long as a team is associated with the inbox, Papo automatically activates round-robin for new conversations. Extra rules are optional for specific cases, such as routing by tag or channel.
Read also
- How to transfer a conversation to another agent during service
- How to set up rules to automatically assign conversations from a specific channel to a team
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