Routing and assigning customer service cases

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Routing and assigning customer service cases

    The case routing feature in ServiceNow helps automatically identify and route customer service cases to the most appropriate agents. This is achieved by defining matching rules that specify the conditions a case must meet and assignment rules that determine which agents or groups receive those cases based on expertise and availability.

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    Matching Rules

    Matching rules consist of two sets of conditions:

    • Case Attributes: Define specific criteria that a case must satisfy, such as product type, account, or priority. These are created by selecting a relevant table (e.g., Case table) and building conditions.
    • Agent Resources: Identify suitable agents using one of the following methods:
      • Simple: Select users directly from a list.
      • Advanced: Filter agents based on roles, groups, skills, workload, or availability.
      • Scripted: Use custom scripts to determine agent suitability.

    Additionally, the Selection Criteria method can be used with the assignment workbench for customized matching.

    The MatchingRuleProcessor API can be invoked to execute matching rules and obtain lists of qualified agents.

    Assignment Rules

    Assignment rules automatically assign cases to users or groups once matching rule conditions are met. They are created via a related link on the Matching Rule form and apply only if the case is not already assigned.

    When creating an assignment rule, you specify:

    • The task table and conditions for assignment.
    • The user or group to receive the case.
    • Optional scripting for further customization.

    Note: Matching rules and assignment rules operate independently; changes in one do not automatically update the other.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Efficiently route cases to agents with the right skills and availability, improving resolution speed and customer satisfaction.
    • Customize routing logic using condition builders or scripts to fit complex business requirements.
    • Automate assignment workflows to reduce manual case handling.
    • Use APIs to integrate or extend routing capabilities.

    The case routing feature uses matching rules and assignment rules to identify customer service cases that meet certain conditions and then route those cases to customer service agents.

    Overview

    Create one or more matching rules that establish specific conditions that a case must meet before it can be routed to an agent. Then use an assignment rule to route those cases to agents based on product knowledge and availability. You can also invoke the MatchingRuleProcessor API to execute the matching rules and return a list of users (sys_ids).

    Matching Rules

    Matching rules are based on two defined sets of conditions, one that identifies specific case attributes and another that identifies the agent resources best suited to handle cases with these attributes. Matching rules are created using the Matching Rule form.

    To identify case attributes, select a table that stores the task type (for example, the Case table) and then use a condition builder to create one or more conditions that a case must meet before being routed. For example, you can build conditions for a specific account and product or for a specific product and priority level.

    To identify an agent resource, use one of the following resource matching methods:
    • Simple: Select the resource name from a list of users.
    • Advanced: Build conditions that filter the available agent resources. These conditions can be based on user role, agent group, specific skills, work load, or agent availability.
    • Scripted: Create a customized script to identify agent resources.
    Another resource matching method, Selection Criteria, can be used to create a matching rule with selected matching criteria for use with the assignment workbench.

    Assignment Rules

    Use assignment rules to automatically assign task to users and groups. Create an assignment rule for a matching rule by selecting the Create assignment rule related link on the Matching Rule form. When the matching rule conditions are met, a case can be routed to a user or a group using the assignment rule. The assignment rule is applied only if the task isn’t already assigned to another user or group.
    Note:
    Matching rules and assignment rules are independent records with no synchronization. If you change the Applies to component of the matching rule, it isn’t reflected in the assignment rule.
    When you create an assignment rule, you select the following:
    • The table for the task type and the conditions that must be met before the task is assigned.
    • The user or the group to which the task is assigned.
    Alternately, you can create a script to further customize the assignment rule.