Queue timings

Queue timings

Overview

The Queue Timings feature is available only in the New Client Experience. This page describes the Queue timings configuration, with features available from version 3.46.0.

If your server was installed before July 27, 2023 or if you have a release version prior to 3.22.0, run the following script to update the NGINX configuration (standalone or all-in-one installations only - if you have HA, DR, reverse proxy etc you need to contact our support team):

curl -u 'public:bs4#)W]h8+VK),RV' --silent --location https://repository.xcally.com/repository/provisioning/Scripts/motionV3_nginx_update_for_x_client | bash

To avoid issues, we recommend launching the script while agents and users are not logged in to the system. Consider that, by running the script, a new NGINX configuration file will be installed while the old client configuration file will be saved as a backup at the path indicated in the script. Any custom changes made by the user will not be automatically carried over.

NGINX Best Practice

Our configuration files should not be modified, so if you need to customise the nginx conf file, it is strongly recommended to not modify our file, but create a copy and customise your own.

We overwrite the configuration file each time we update it. For example when a script is launched, the nginx file is modified. In any case the script saves a backup copy of modified nginx and highlighted on the screen the differences between versions when the script is run.

NGINX Best Practice

Our configuration files should not be modified, so if you need to customise the nginx conf file, it is strongly recommended to not modify our file, but create a copy and customise your own.

We overwrite the configuration file each time we update it. For example when a script is launched, the nginx file is modified. In any case the script saves a backup copy of modified nginx and highlighted on the screen the differences between versions when the script is run.

The Queue Timings feature in XCALLY allows administrators and supervisors to control agent availability on specific queues based on custom schedules. This functionality is particularly useful during peak times (because more calls are expected on certain days/times, e.g., Black Friday), enabling you to temporarily prioritize certain channels (like voice) while putting others on standby.

By applying a timing rule, agents will only be active on selected queues during the specified period. Other queue assignments will be temporarily disabled (set to standby) for that agent.

To correctly display the queue in the list of queues that can be selected for the queue timings, the agent must be associated with an agent profile.

 

Scenario

 

 

Agent1 is assigned to two queues under Profile1:

  • Voice Queue: "Talk Now"

  • Mail Queue: "Assistance"

On November 24th (Black Friday), if higher call volume is expected on the "Talk Now" queue, a timing rule can be created to activate Agent1 only for that voice queue during a defined time window.
During this period, the "Assistance" mail queue will be put on standby for that agent.

Video Tutorial

This video tutorial shows you the setup process step-by-step.

Benefits

XCALLY’s Timings functionality offers precise agent scheduling, helping contact centers optimize operations and deliver a better customer experience.
This ensures your contact center operates at peak performance when it matters most, delivering exceptional service to your customers.

Key Advantages:

  • Targeted Efficiency: Align agent availability with business priorities and peak periods.

  • Improved Customer Service: Ensure fast responses during high-traffic periods by prioritizing critical queues.

  • Simplified Administration: Automate queue assignments, reducing manual intervention and errors.

Creating a Queue Timing

Timing must be created for a single agent.
You have to navigate to Staff → Queue Timings and click on Add

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Fill in the configuration fields:

  • Enable/Disable Timing: Toggle the activation state

  • Select Agent: Use the search box for a specific agent or browse the list

  • Timing Name and Description

  • Timezone

  • Start Date / End Date

  • Start Time / End Time

This defines a daily window. E.g., setting 01/02/2025 – 01/03/2025 from 10:00 – 13:00 will apply the timing every day within that date range during those hours.

Night Time Example: to define a timing from 22:00 – 03:00, use the same date for both start and end. Do not use the following day as the end date—this would apply the rule again that night.

Week Days: By default, all days are selected. Uncheck any day you don’t want the rule to apply.

Click Add to save the timing.

 

Once the timing rule is created, you can see it in the list. Click the three dots (⋮) menu next to the rule to define Queues per each channel.

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By default, all queues are enabled. You can use checkboxes to set specific queues on Standby

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  • Queues assigned to personal profiles are not affected by timings.

  • If you want to leave only one queue active, you can:

    1. quickly use the multi-select checkbox

    2. deselect the desired active queue

    3. click on the button “Standby selected”
      All queues on standby except the deselected one, AA_PROGRESSIVE in the example below

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Moreover, for voice queues, you can view and manage the penalty levels for both the base profile and the timing-specific configuration:

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Queue Timings List View

This visualization is available from XCALLY version 3.46.0

 

In the Queue Timings section, you can view all existing timing rules, along with:

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  • Enable/Disable state

  • Status: Active / Inactive

  • Start and End Dates

  • Start and End Times

  • Selected Week Days

From version 3.48.1

You can disable an Active timing directly. Click the three dots (⋮) menu → Select Disable → Confirm the action in the modal

This changes the status to Inactive and restores the agent’s queue associations based on their original profile. Timings remain editable and reactivatable.

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If a timing is Active, it cannot be edited directly and the system displays a warning.
Alternatives:

  • Remove the agent from queues via the Realtime page

  • Disable the timing first, then make edits

rom version 3.47.0

XCALLY supports timing status recalculation across multi-node environments to reschedule all jobs correctly.

To Enable Automatic Restore, set the following environment variable:

# timings restore enable on startup XC_TIMINGS_RESTORE_ENABLED=true

With this flag set to true, timing status is recalculated and restored automatically when the motion server restarts.

Alternatively, you can enable it manually through the API timing/restore.

 

Agent View

Agents will see only the active queues (based on their assigned timing) on their dashboard during the specified time window.