Understand agent states

Publisher

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center)

URL

https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nvg4gu6/Understand-agent-states

Published

2026-07-17

Updated

unknown

Accessed

2026-09-04

HTTP status

200

License

Cisco proprietary documentation, all rights reserved; no-redistribution; short excerpts and locators only

Source notes citing this source

• The agent states article does not discuss call recording; the word record appears twice and both occurrences mean a customer or case record rather than a recording. in context
• A campaign agent on a reservation call is displayed as Reserved rather than moving to Engaged. in context
• Supervisor monitoring surfaces 2 states, Monitoring and Monitoring Paused, and the article states they are not supported within Desktop. in context
• The agent states article never uses the word transfer and names no transfer state; it defines consult-specific call control states instead, among them Consult Requested, Consulting, Consult on Hold and Conference. in context
• An agent on chat, email or social messaging can move directly to Not Ready while still engaged, bypassing Pending Idle, and an agent on voice cannot. in context
• In Webex Contact Center, the Available state means an agent can accept contact requests as they arrive. in context
• In Webex Contact Center, Engaged Other means the agent is busy on a different channel and their multimedia profile prevents accepting new requests on the current channel. in context
• Webex Contact Center agents start in the Idle state when they sign in. in context
• In Webex Contact Center, Reserved is the temporary state in which the system has selected an agent and offered an inbound or outbound request, before the agent accepts or rejects it. in context
• Webex Contact Center places an agent in the system-assigned Idle code RONA when a delivered call is not answered before the configured RONA timer expires. in context
• In Webex Contact Center, Wrap-Up is the state in which an agent does post-interaction tasks such as notes or record updates, after which the agent returns to Available. in context
• Agent Desktop has no agent-selected next state inside wrap-up equivalent to the Finesse UCCE WORK and WORK_READY distinction: the agent returns to Available after wrap-up unless they chose an Idle state, which then shows as Pending Idle. inferred in context
• For an agent the Finesse Ready and Not Ready states correspond to Webex Contact Center Available and Idle, and Finesse Not Ready reason codes correspond to Webex Contact Center idle reasons. inferred in context
• Where Auto Answer is enabled, calls offered to the agent are answered automatically even when the agent is in Idle state. in context
• The Available state indicates that the agent can accept contact requests as they come in, and an agent must be Available to receive a call. in context
• Idle is the default Webex Contact Center agent state on sign-in and an agent in Idle does not receive new contacts. in context
• The idle reasons and wrap-up reasons an agent can choose are set by the administrator through the agent's desktop profile. in context
• If an agent selects an Idle status while Engaged or in Wrap-Up the system places them in Pending Idle and moves them to the chosen Idle state once the final interaction and wrap-up are finished. in context
• RONA is the state an agent is placed in when they did not respond to a delivered call before the configured RONA timer expired. in context
• An agent changes state by selecting it from the drop-down menu or by typing at least 3 characters in its search bar, and the availability state sits in the Agent Desktop horizontal header. in context
• The system can set an agent Idle with system codes including Agent_Busy, Agent_Declined, Agent_Unavailable, Channel_Failure and Invalid_Number, the last meaning the agent's dial number is invalid. in context
• After finishing wrap-up tasks the agent automatically transitions back to Available, provided they are not still handling another interaction in the same channel. in context
• Webex Contact Center agents can set themselves available across all channels at once or on specific channels only, using separate toggles for voice, chat, email and social. in context
• Webex Contact Center shows the state Engaged Other when an agent is busy with an interaction on a different channel and the multimedia profile prevents new requests on this channel. in context
• In Webex Contact Center a missed telephony request changes only the telephony channel state to idle; the agent stays available on other channels such as chat or email. in context
• When RONA triggers, a popover offers the agent Go To Idle or Go To Available, which lets the agent choose their next state. disputed in context
• The agent-states article gives 18 seconds for a voice request and 30 seconds for a digital-channel request as the time an agent has to accept before RONA (Redirection on No Answer) triggers. in context
• In the Available state, an agent can accept contact requests as they arrive. in context
• The agent changes state by selecting one from the state drop-down menu in the header, or by typing at least 3 characters in its search bar, and the state timer then restarts at 00:00. in context
• Idle is the agent's default state after signing in, and it can carry an administrator-configured idle reason such as lunch or break. in context
• Agent states include channel-specific availability controls, so voice, chat, email and social availability can be managed separately. in context
• When Auto Answer is enabled it applies to all call types, including consults, transfers, conferences and outdials, even when the agent is Idle. in context
• The desktop profile setting Agent available after outdial controls whether an agent returns to Available or Idle after an outdial call ends. in context
• On a Channel_Failure (a temporary network or unknown error) the system retries up to three more times and then sets the agent to Idle. in context
• Engaged Other means the agent is busy on another channel and their multimedia profile blocks new requests on this channel; Exclusive profiles allow one media channel at a time. in context
• Agents can set availability per channel with All, Voice, and Chat/Email/Social toggles, and changes take effect after selecting Apply. in context
• The agent-states article says a Control Hub administrator toggle governs the granular agent state feature and is available from April 30, 2026 for six months. in context
• Agents start in the Idle state after signing in to Agent Desktop. in context
• If an agent chooses an idle state while engaged or in wrap-up, the state becomes Pending Idle: new routing on that channel stops immediately and Idle takes effect after the last interaction and its wrap-up. in context
• A RONA affects only the channel where it occurred; for example, a missed call changes only the telephony state. in context
• Agents cannot select RONA as a state themselves, and after a RONA they must set Available to receive new requests; the RONA popover offers Go To Idle or Go To Available. in context
• When an agent does not accept an offered request within the configured time limit, the request returns to the queue and the agent's state on that channel changes from Available to Idle. in context
• The agent-states article expands the acronym RONA as Ring No Answer. disputed in context
• The state timer runs for Available, RONA and configured idle states and resets to 00:00 whenever the state changes; switching between idle states shows current and total idle time. in context
• The system can set an agent to Idle automatically with one of these codes: Agent_Busy, Agent_Declined, Agent_Unavailable, RONA, Channel_Failure or Invalid_Number. in context
• After a voice interaction ends, the agent must enter a wrap-up code; on completion the agent returns to Available if no other interaction is active on that channel. in context
• If WebRTC fails or disconnects while the agent is signed in, the Voice channel is set to Idle, and the Voice toggle and Set as Available (all channels) stay disabled until WebRTC reconnects. in context
• Agents start in an idle state after signing in to Agent Desktop and must set themselves Available, across all channels or per channel, before contacts are routed. in context
• Once wrap-up is complete and a wrap code is selected, the agent returns to available status on telephony. in context
• Agents can set Available on all channels at once, which resets each channel's timer, or toggle voice, chat, email and social individually and confirm with an Apply button. in context
• When Auto Answer is enabled, calls offered to the agent, including consults, transfers and conferences, are answered automatically even when the agent is Idle. in context
• The Agent_Unavailable system idle code indicates that the agent's associated device is offline or unreachable. in context
• The Channel_Failure system idle code indicates that network issues prevented contact delivery to the agent, and the system retries delivery up to three times. in context
• The Invalid_Number system idle code means the agent's dial number is invalid and the agent must update it in their profile before calls can be delivered. in context
• Webex Contact Center routes voice calls, chats, emails, social conversations and campaign contacts to an agent only while the agent's state is Available. in context
• If an agent selects Idle while engaged or in wrap-up, Agent Desktop enters Pending Idle, which stops new routing immediately while the agent finishes current work. in context
• If an agent reloads Agent Desktop while Available, the Idle state is displayed briefly before Available is restored. in context
• The agent-state article says RONA occurs when an agent does not accept a voice call within 18 seconds or a digital request within 30 seconds, with the timeouts configurable by administrators. disputed in context
• RONA is channel-specific: if an agent misses a telephony call, only the telephony channel state changes to RONA (idle) while the agent's other channels remain available. in context
• When RONA occurs, Agent Desktop shows a popover with Go To Idle and Go To Available options, and the contact request returns to the queue. in context
• Besides administrator-configured idle codes, Webex Contact Center can automatically assign the system idle auxiliary codes Agent_Busy, Agent_Declined, Agent_Unavailable, Channel_Failure and Invalid_Number. in context
• While WebRTC is disconnected, Agent Desktop shows a warning icon on the profile avatar and disables both Set as Available (all channels) and the individual Voice toggle until reconnection succeeds. in context
• If the WebRTC service fails after an agent signs in, the system automatically changes the agent's state to Idle so that calls are not routed to an unreachable agent. in context
• After completing wrap-up, an agent automatically transitions back to Available unless the agent is still handling another interaction in the same channel. in context
• When an agent does not respond to an offered contact within the RONA time, the contact returns to the queue and the agent's state for that channel changes from Available to Idle. in context
• If WebRTC disconnects after an agent signs in, Agent Desktop moves the voice channel to Idle and disables the Available options for voice until WebRTC reconnects, so voice calls that cannot connect are not routed. in context
• Contacts (voice, chat, email, social or campaign) are routed to an agent only while the agent's state is Available. in context
• After RONA, the agent's state changes automatically from Available to Idle. The agent receives no new contacts until they manually set themselves back to Available. in context
• When RONA occurs, the contact is returned to the queue. in context
• While WebRTC is disconnected, Set as Available (all channels) and the individual Voice toggle are disabled and are restored only after WebRTC reconnects. in context
• If WebRTC disconnects after sign-in, a warning icon or message appears on the agent's profile avatar. in context
• When WebRTC disconnects while the agent is Available on the voice channel, the system switches the voice state to Idle so calls are not routed to an unreachable agent. in context
• Contacts of any channel are routed to an agent only when the agent's state is Available; agents start in an idle state. in context
• An Agent Available After Outdial setting controls the agent's state when an outdial call ends: set to Yes the agent becomes Available even if they placed the call while Idle, and set to No the agent becomes Idle. in context
• When RONA fires the agent's status automatically changes from Available to Idle. in context
• After a RONA the agent must change their state back to Available manually before any further voice, chat, email or social request will be offered to them. in context
• Cisco's agent-states article states that the maximum time to accept a voice call request is 18 seconds and 30 seconds for a digital channel request, naming chat, email and social messaging together. disputed in context
• Cisco's worked example shows a RONA firing on the email channel while the agent is actively engaged on a voice call, with the RONA popover displayed and the state timer resetting when the agent chooses Go To Idle or Go To Available. in context
• An agent cannot change their own state to RONA; it is only ever assigned by the system. in context
• The system-assigned idle auxiliary code Channel_Failure covers temporary network failures or unknown errors preventing call delivery; in that case the system tries up to 3 more times to deliver the call and only sets the agent to Idle if all attempts fail. in context
• Engaged Other means the agent is busy on a different channel and their multimedia profile prevents accepting a new request on this 1; under an exclusive profile the agent is marked Engaged on the active channel and Engaged Other on all others, while a blended real-time profile restricts only 1 real-time channel at a time. in context
• Cisco states that the enhanced sign-in process with input validation reduces RONA occurrences by preventing sign-ins with invalid or unassigned dial numbers or extensions. in context
• RONA occurs when an agent does not accept a voice call, chat, email or social messaging conversation request within the time frame the administrator has configured. in context
• Cisco states that from 30 April 2026, for a 6-month period ending 29 October 2026, Control Hub offers a tenant-level administrative toggle to enable or disable the granular agent state control feature, after which per-channel state control becomes generally available. in context
• Cisco states that keeping the granular agent state control toggle off is what allows continued use of Webex Workforce Optimization. in context
• There is a system-assigned idle auxiliary code named RONA, described as indicating that the agent did not respond when a call was delivered and it timed out after the configured RONA timer expired. in context
• RONA is a timed agent state in its own right: the desktop's state timers run for available, RONA and any administrator-configured idle states, and the state transition table records a transition from Engaged to RONA when a contact request is not accepted within the specified time. in context
• RONA handling is isolated to the channel on which the no-answer occurred: if an agent misses a telephony call without setting themselves idle, only the telephony channel state changes to idle and the agent remains available on other channels such as chat or email. in context
• Contacts are routed to an agent only when the agent's state is Available: voice, chat, email, social and campaign contacts all require it. in context
• Alongside RONA and Channel_Failure, the system-assigned idle auxiliary codes are Agent_Busy, meaning the device was busy and prevented call delivery; Agent_Declined, meaning the agent declined a contact while occupied with another activity; Agent_Unavailable, meaning the device for the agent's dial number is offline or unreachable; and Invalid_Number, meaning the dial number the agent signed in with is invalid. in context
• Selecting an idle state while Engaged or in Wrap-Up puts the agent in Pending Idle: the system stops routing new interactions on that channel immediately and moves the agent to the chosen idle state once the final interaction and any wrap-up work conclude. in context
• When RONA occurs a popover offers 2 options: Go To Idle, which sets the agent to the default idle reason configured by the administrator, and Go To Available, which returns the agent to accepting contacts. in context
• Reserved is a temporary state in which the system has selected the agent for an interaction and is offering the request; it lasts only until the agent accepts, rejects, or the offer times out, and when a telephony call connects the agent moves from Reserved to Engaged. in context
• A supervisor can sign an agent out when that agent is in the Available or Idle state with no active conversations. in context
• If WebRTC disconnects during an active session while the agent is available on voice, the system switches the voice state to Idle and disables both the set-as-available-all-channels option and the individual voice toggle until WebRTC reconnects. in context
• After sign-in the system monitors the WebRTC service, and if that service fails the agent's state is changed to Idle automatically so calls are not routed to an unreachable agent. in context
• Agents see a synchronized agent state only if the administrator has set up the Microsoft Teams connector and turned on presence sync, and the agent's user profile displays the connector and presence sync status. in context
• When presence sync changes an agent's state, the Desktop notifies the agent that the state changed to the named state due to state sync with the collaboration tool. in context
• The Agent_Busy state indicates the agent's device was busy, which prevented call delivery. in context
• The Agent_Unavailable state indicates the device associated with the agent's dial number was offline or unreachable when the call was delivered. in context
• The Channel_Failure state indicates a temporary problem such as a network failure or unknown error prevented call delivery to the agent. in context
• The RONA state indicates the agent did not respond when a call was delivered, so the offer timed out. in context
• When the WebRTC connection of a Desktop-option agent disconnects, the system disables Set as Available (all channels) to stop voice calls routing to that agent. in context
• Webex Contact Center agent states include Available Idle with administrator-defined idle codes Reserved Engaged Wrap-Up and RONA plus system idle codes such as Agent_Busy and Agent_Declined. in context
• With granular agent states an agent can be available on one channel such as telephony while idle on chat email and social channels. in context
• From April 30, 2026 the tenant-level admin toggle for granular agent state control is available in Control Hub for six months, until October 29, 2026, after which granular state control goes to general availability for all agents. in context
• The Webex CC agent states article instructs tenants to keep the granular agent state admin toggle off in Control Hub to continue using Webex WFO. in context

Cite this source record

APA

WarmTransfer. (2026, July 17). Understand agent states. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/sources/cisco-help-nvg4gu6-wxcc-understand-agent-states

BibTeX

@misc{warmtransfer-cisco-help-nvg4gu6-wxcc-understand-agent-states,
  title  = {Understand agent states},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/sources/cisco-help-nvg4gu6-wxcc-understand-agent-states},
  note   = {Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center), accessed 2026-09-04}
}