> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.serval.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Team routing & assignment

> How tickets get to the right team and the right person

Serval handles two levels of routing: getting tickets to the right **team**, and then assigning them to the right **person** within that team.

***

## Team routing

Most channels are tied to a single team, so tickets from that channel go directly to that team. Routing only comes into play when a channel is connected to multiple teams or when a ticket is submitted without a team specified. Org Admins can designate a default triage team under **Org Settings → Teams** as the fallback when routing can't confidently pick among the candidate teams.

<Info>Teams with **Team Visibility** off ([Team settings](/sections/documentation/platform/team-settings)) are omitted from automated routing and from requester team selectors. Single-team channels still route to their configured team.</Info>

### When routing happens

* **Multi-team channels**: If a channel serves multiple teams, Serval uses AI to analyze the ticket content and route it to the best-fit team based on team descriptions
* **Web app without a team selected**: When a requester submits via the web app without choosing a team, Serval routes based on content
* **Ambiguous routing**: If Serval can't confidently pick among the candidate teams, the ticket goes to your org's **default triage team** when one is set and included in that set; otherwise it goes to the oldest candidate team.

<Tip>
  Write detailed team descriptions so AI routing can accurately match requests. Include the types of issues your team handles and relevant keywords.
</Tip>

### Manual routing

Requesters can manually select a team when submitting via the web app, and team members can transfer tickets between teams at any time.

***

## Assignment

Once a ticket reaches a team, it's assigned to Serval AI by default. Serval works the ticket automatically until it either resolves it or escalates to a human.

### How assignment works

When a ticket is escalated to a human, either by the AI or manually, assignment is determined by your [assignment rules](/sections/documentation/ticketing/ticket-configuration/assignment). Assignment rules let you match on ticket category, priority, status, and schedule, then assign to users or an [assignment group](/sections/documentation/ticketing/ticket-configuration/assignment-groups).

When a rule or default assignment targets a group, the ticket gets that owning group. Depending on the team's **Group member assignment** setting, Serval either round-robins a member as the individual assignee or leaves the ticket for human triage.

If no assignment rules are configured and there is no default assignment, escalated tickets remain unassigned until someone manually claims them.

To preview which rule would match before going live, use [Simulate assignment](/sections/documentation/ticketing/ticket-configuration/assignment#simulate-assignment) on **Team Settings → Assignment**.

### Assignment reasons

Hover over a ticket's assignee to see the reasoning behind the assignment. Serval displays why a particular person was assigned, such as:

* **Workload balancing**: Assigned based on current ticket load
* **Expertise matching**: Assigned based on skills or category rules
* **Manual selection**: Assigned by a specific team member

This transparency helps teams understand routing decisions and identify when assignment rules need tuning.

### Manual assignment

Tickets can be manually assigned or reassigned at any time from the list view, detail view, or chat. See [Updating Ticket Properties](/sections/documentation/ticketing/manage-collaborate/update-ticket-properties) for details.

***

## Cross-team transfers

Transfer tickets to a different team when needed:

1. Open the ticket
2. Click **Transfer to Team**
3. Select the destination team

The ticket gets a new number in the destination team's numbering system. Redirects are created so references to the old ticket number still work.

<Warning>
  When you transfer a ticket, it leaves your team's queue. The new team becomes responsible for resolution.
</Warning>

***

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Assignment Rules" icon="route" href="/sections/documentation/ticketing/ticket-configuration/assignment">
    Configure assignment rules based on category, priority, status, and schedule
  </Card>

  <Card title="Assignment groups" icon="user-group" href="/sections/documentation/ticketing/ticket-configuration/assignment-groups">
    Own tickets by org group with round-robin or human triage
  </Card>

  <Card title="Update Ticket Properties" icon="sliders" href="/sections/documentation/ticketing/manage-collaborate/update-ticket-properties">
    How to manually assign and reassign tickets
  </Card>
</CardGroup>