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

# Automatic assignment methods for requests

> Assignment methods for requests

For a request to be your responsibility, your name must appear in the request's **Owner** field. This can be set manually, for example when the [request is created][2]. But it may also be the result of automatic assignment of requests. Such assignment depends on the category the request belongs to, and the assignment method specified for this category.

## Assignment methods

| Method                            | Description                                                                                                |
| --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Even assignment                   | Assigns requests evenly among the members of the category.                                                 |
| Weighted assignment               | Assigns requests based on the [weightings][3] specified for members of the category.                       |
| To user with fewest open requests | Assigns new requests to the category members who has the fewest active requests.                           |
| Do not assign                     | Does not assign requests to specific request handlers, but puts all requests in a queue as **Unassigned**. |

Let us illustrate these assignment methods with three users and three incoming requests.

![Request assignment methods -screenshot][img1]

### Even

Assigns requests evenly among category members in a round-robin fashion.

![Request assignment methods, even -screenshot][img2]

### Weighted

Assigns requests based on specified weightings for each category member. For example, if member A has a weight of 1, member B has 2, and member C has 5, over 8 requests, they will be assigned proportionally.

Requests are assigned probabilistically based on their weights.

![Request assignment methods, weighted][img3]

| Request        | Random value | Assigned to |
| -------------- | :----------: | ----------- |
| First request  |       7      | Member C    |
| Second request |       2      | Member B    |
| Third request  |       5      | Member C    |

![Request assignment methods, weighted -screenshot][img4]

### User with fewest open requests

Assigns new requests to the member with the fewest active requests.

| Request        | Condition                                    | Assigned to |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| First request  | Members B and C have the fewest requests     | Member C    |
| Second request | Member B has the fewest requests             | Member B    |
| Third request  | All members have the same number of requests | Member B    |

![Request assignment methods, user with fewest open requests -screenshot][img5]

### Do not assign

Does not assign requests to specific members. All requests are placed in a queue by default.

![Request assignment methods, do not assign -screenshot][img6]

**Get next request in queue**: If the queue system is set up for your company, you can click this option to get the next unassigned request in the queue for the category you belong to.

## Specify assignment method for category

A request handler with category administration rights can specify the assignment method for categories:

1. Go to **Settings and maintenance**.
2. Select **Requests** > **Categories**.
3. Select the required category.
4. Select the **Assignment method** tab.
5. Select the appropriate options.
6. Click **OK**.

## Example

Imagine that your company has created a category for each department in the company: User support, Sales, Accounts, and so on. And you have also specified that all emails sent to [support@company.com](mailto:support@company.com) should be automatically assigned to the "User support" category. All the staff in the user support department are members of this category. For this category they have set the **Even assignment** method. This means that all the members of the category will get the same number of requests, and each of the members will continuously receive new requests in their **Own open requests** screen. If, alternatively, they had selected the **Do not assign** method, the members would have had to go into the **Unassigned requests** screen themselves to [take ownership of new requests][4].

[2]: ./create

[4]: ./accept

[3]: ../admin/category/create

[img1]: /media/loc/en/request/assign-requests.png

[img2]: /media/loc/en/request/assign-requests-even.png

[img3]: /media/loc/en/request/assign-requests-weighted-diagram.png

[img4]: /media/loc/en/request/assign-requests-weighted.png

[img5]: /media/loc/en/request/assign-requests-fewest.png

[img6]: /media/loc/en/request/assign-requests-not.png


## Related topics

- [Process a request](/en/request/learn/index.md)
- [Create a request](/en/request/learn/create.md)
- [Accept a request](/en/request/learn/accept.md)
- [Ask another request handler for help (transfer)](/en/request/learn/transfer.md)
- [How to set up Get next request in queue](/en/request/admin/next-in-queue.md)
- [Availability status](/en/request/learn/index#available.md)