The agent's status is used to determine whether an agent can make and receive calls. It has a direct impact on call routing and greetings played.
By default, Talkdesk allows agents to choose from the following statuses:
Available
This status indicates that the agent is signed into Talkdesk and is available to take calls.
After Call Work
When a call ends, typically the agent’s status will automatically change to “After Call Work”. If call dispositions are enabled, during the time the disposition code window is open, the status of the agent is “After Call Work”.
It is also possible to enable an "After Call Work" rule so that after each call agents are automatically set to After Call Work for a predefined amount of time (or until they explicitly change the status). This time will allow agents to perform a set of tasks associated with the end of a call, without receiving new calls.
On a Call
This status indicates that the agent is signed into Talkdesk and is on a call. When an agent answers a call or makes an outbound call, the agent's status is automatically changed to “On a Call”.
Agents in this status are unable to receive calls. If no other agents are available, the call is then sent to the waiting queue.
Away
This status indicates that the agent is signed into Talkdesk but is away from the computer and unable to take calls. Away agents might be on breaks, training sessions or other tasks that keep them away from their phones. The away status will still allow agents to receive call transfers though, should they wish to accept these.
Offline
This status indicates that the agent is not signed into Talkdesk and is unable to receive calls. Offline agents are typically not at work. When an agent signs out of Talkdesk, the agent's status changes automatically to offline.
Account Statuses and Status Management
In addition to the default statuses, Talkdesk allows you to define new options like Break, Lunch, or Technical Training. This helps teams stay on the same page using familiar terms and provides visibility into why an agent is away.
The Status & Presence App
The Status & Presence app is a centralized hub within the Admin section that replaces the old preferences tab and provides an intuitive environment for managing all default and account statuses.
Team Scoping (RBAC)
Through Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), admins are able to scope account statuses to specific teams. This ensures that agents only see the statuses relevant to their department.
To create or edit a status, follow these steps:
- Log into your Talkdesk account as an Administrator.
- Select the Admin [1] section and open the Status & presence app [2].
- Click in Account statuses [3] and Add status [4] to add a new status.
- Choose the status presence (Away/Busy) and enter the “Status name” [5].
- Under the “Teams” section [6], select which teams should have access to this status. You can choose from “All”, “Specific Team”, “Child Teams”, or “Team + Child Teams”.
- Click Save to apply the changes [7].
- To edit an account status, click on the pencil icon [8] and update the details.
Note: While you can rename a default status, its underlying behavior remains the same. For example, if you rename Available to Away, the system will still route calls to agents in that status because the presence and logic associated with Available have not changed.
Status Widget Display
When using the status management widget, statuses are organized to ensure a clean and relevant experience for the agent in the following way:
- Grouping: Statuses are automatically grouped by their underlying Presence (e.g., Available, Away, Busy).
- Sorting: Within each presence group, statuses are listed chronologically based on their date of creation.
- Visibility: The widget only displays valid statuses that match the agent’s specific Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and team-scoped permissions. If an agent does not have permission for a specific status, it will not appear in their list.
Understanding Status Visibility vs. Application
It is important to distinguish between status visibility and status application:
- Status Visibility: Limits the statuses an agent sees and selects within their own workspace.
- Status Application: Supervisors with the "Change Status" permission in Talkdesk Live can still view and apply the full list of account-level statuses to any agent, regardless of team mappings.
Note: This behavior is expected under the current Role-based Access Control (RBAC) design. Visibility is restricted for agents to simplify their experience, but the application remains broad for supervisors to ensure operational flexibility.
Configuring Team-to-Status Mapping
Before diving into team-specific rules, identify a set of "Universal Statuses" that every agent in the organization must have (e.g., Available, Offline, Break). This ensures these baseline statuses are mapped to all teams and prevents a supervisor from moving an agent into a state that is completely foreign to that agent’s workspace.
Aligning Visibility with Application
The current Role-based Access Control (RBAC) design means visibility is restricted for agents, but the application is not strictly limited to supervisors.
-
Mapping Logic: Only map statuses to a team if those statuses are relevant to their specific workflows.
Managing "Unmapped" Status Impact
When a supervisor applies an unmapped status, it may not display clearly to the agent. This lack of visibility often leads to confusion regarding the agent's current state and can cause reporting errors. To prevent these issues, Admins should regularly audit Talkdesk Live usage to verify if supervisors frequently apply statuses that are not mapped to specific teams.
Note: If an agent is placed in an unmapped status by a supervisor or an automation, they may not be able to see that status name in their interface, which can lead to "stuck" states or incorrect "Away" time in your Interaction Analytics.