Configuring Channel Routing
SkillCommunicationSets up message routing rules for new Salesforce service channels so they activate correctly.
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Then ask your AI: use the Configuring Channel Routing skill
About this skill
Configure routing on a newly-inserted Enhanced `MessagingChannel` so activation will accept it. Given a `{CHANNEL_ID}`, walks through picking a routing type (Omni-Channel Queue, Omni-Flow, Agentforce Service Agent, Digital Worker, or direct User), locates or provisions the target, then PATCHes `Sess
What this skill tells your AI
The instructions your AI receives, as published by forcedotcom/sf-skills in skills/service-de-channel-routing-configure/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.
What this skill does
Ensures a MessagingChannel has valid routing configured before activation. The channel's SessionHandler field is a polymorphic foreign key (verified against MessagingChannel.entity.xml, domain="Queue, FlowDefinition, User, BotDefinition, AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition") — it names who the channel routes incoming sessions to. Some targets additionally require a FallbackQueue (an Omni-Channel Queue that catches sessions the primary target can't take).
These skills create Enhanced channels (PlatformType=Enhanced, SCRT2). All five SessionHandler domains are writable on Enhanced channels. (A Standard/SCRT1 channel would only accept a Flow as SessionHandler — the server rejects any other domain with "Only flows of type Omni-Channel are supported". These skills never create Standard channels, so that path isn't handled here.)
Where this fits: the channel is inserted by service-de-channel-create (or a per-type leaf); this skill sets routing; service-de-channel-settings-configure sets consent; then service-de-channel-activate flips it live — activation requires both routing and consent. The service-de-headless-channel-configure orchestrator runs all four in sequence.
Supported routing types — all set SessionHandlerId, some also set FallbackQueueId:
| Type | SessionHandler target | Id prefix | FallbackQueue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omni-Channel Queue | Group (Type=Queue) | 00G | must be null |
| Omni-Flow | FlowDefinition (ProcessType=RoutingFlow) | 300 | required |
| Agentforce Service Agent (ASA) | BotDefinition (Type=ExternalCopilot) | 0Xx | required |
| Digital Worker | AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition | 1iE | required |
| User | User (with a RoutingConfiguration) | 005 | must be null |
Provisioning behavior:
- Queue — pick an existing
MessagingSession-capable Queue, or create a new Queue + QueueRoutingConfig via Metadata API. - Flow / ASA / Digital Worker / User — locate an existing eligible target and PATCH it. These skills do not create Flows, bots, digital workers, or users — if none eligible exist, the skill reports the precondition and points the user at Setup.
Reference File Index
| Reference file | Load when |
|---|---|
references/queue-creation.md | The user picked "create a new queue" on the Queue routing path — full Metadata API scaffold → deploy → ID lookup → optional member add. |
references/target-locate.md | You need the per-domain SOQL to locate and validate an eligible target (Queue, Flow, ASA, Digital Worker, User) and the FallbackQueue requirement matrix. |
references/asa-routing.md | The user picked ASA (Agentforce Service Agent) routing — precondition check, enumerating live ASAs, and selection. |
references/gotchas.md | Troubleshooting an unexpected result, or before modifying this skill — the known gotchas. |
references/worked-examples.md | You want a reference run of the reuse-existing-queue, create-new-queue, Flow, or ASA paths. |
When NOT to use this skill
- The channel already has
SessionHandlerIdorFallbackQueueIdset. This skill revalidates the existing target before no-op. An ASA must still have a BotUser and an Active BotVersion; otherwise it reportsasa-target-inactiveand does not claim readiness. - The channel doesn't exist yet. Run the insertion skill first; this skill expects a real
MessagingChannel.Id. - You want to replace existing routing. Safer to clear
SessionHandlerIdmanually in the UI, then re-run this skill. The no-op check is a guardrail, not a limitation worth bypassing automatically.
Inputs (from caller)
{CHANNEL_ID}— a 15- or 18-charMessagingChannel.Id(prefix0Mj). The channel must already exist.{ORG_ALIAS}— optional; thesfCLI target-org alias. Default: whateversf config get target-orgreturns. All SOQL, PATCH, and Metadata deploys run against this org.
Output (to caller)
One of:
Success — no change needed:
{"ok": true, "noop": true, "routingType": "queue|flow|asa|digital_worker|user", "sessionHandlerId": "00G...|300...|0Xx...|1iE...|005...", "fallbackQueueId": "00G...|null", "targetName": "...", "message": "Routing already configured"}
Success — Queue routing configured:
{"ok": true, "routingType": "queue", "sessionHandlerId": "00G...", "fallbackQueueId": null, "queueName": "...", "queueDeveloperName": "...", "created": true|false}
Success — Flow routing configured:
{"ok": true, "routingType": "flow", "sessionHandlerId": "300...", "fallbackQueueId": "00G...", "flowName": "...", "flowDeveloperName": "...", "created": false}
Success — ASA routing configured:
{"ok": true, "routingType": "asa", "sessionHandlerId": "0Xx...", "fallbackQueueId": "00G...", "asaName": "...", "asaDeveloperName": "...", "botUserId": "005...", "botVersionId": "0X9...", "created": false}
Success — Digital Worker routing configured:
{"ok": true, "routingType": "digital_worker", "sessionHandlerId": "1iE...", "fallbackQueueId": "00G...", "workerName": "...", "created": false}
Success — User routing configured:
{"ok": true, "routingType": "user", "sessionHandlerId": "005...", "fallbackQueueId": null, "userName": "...", "created": false}
Precondition not met:
{"ok": false, "kind": "no-eligible-target", "routingType": "flow|asa|digital_worker|user", "hint": "no eligible <target> found on this org — <how to create one in Setup>, then re-run this skill"}
{"ok": false, "kind": "no-fallback-queue", "hint": "Flow/ASA/Digital Worker routing requires a FallbackQueue but no MessagingSession-capable queue exists — create one (Queue routing path) first"}
{"ok": false, "kind": "asa-not-supported", "hint": "this org doesn't have BotDefinition (Agentforce not licensed); use Queue routing instead"}
{"ok": false, "kind": "standard-channel", "hint": "this is a Standard (SCRT1) channel — only Flow routing is supported; these skills only create Enhanced channels, so this is unexpected"}
Failure:
{"ok": false, "kind": "metadata-deploy-failed", "message": "..."}
{"ok": false, "kind": "patch-failed", "message": "..."}
{"ok": false, "kind": "verify-failed", "hint": "PATCH returned success but re-read shows SessionHandlerId still null — permission or trigger issue"}
The PATCH failure message often carries the server-side validation error verbatim (from MessagingChannelFunctionsHelper.validateSessionHandler). Surface it — it tells the user exactly which linking rule failed. Common ones: MissingFallbackQueueForFlowRouting / ...ForAsaRouting / ...ForDigitalWorkerRouting (FallbackQueue required but null), UnsupportedFallbackQueue (FallbackQueue set on a Queue/User path where it must be null), InvalidSessionHandlerFlowType (Flow isn't ProcessType=RoutingFlow, or the channel is Standard/SCRT1), NoRoutingConfigDefined (User has no RoutingConfiguration).
Stage 1: Read current routing state
Query the channel. If it already has SessionHandlerId OR FallbackQueueId, no-op. Otherwise, continue.
sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' \
--query "SELECT Id, DeveloperName, SessionHandlerId, FallbackQueueId FROM MessagingChannel WHERE Id = '{CHANNEL_ID}'" \
--json > /tmp/ccr-channel.json
Parse with node -e or jq. If the record is missing — halt with Error: Channel {CHANNEL_ID} not found — check the id, or run the insertion skill first.
If SessionHandlerId is non-null, branch on the Id prefix to figure out what the existing routing target is, then no-op with the right envelope. The prefix maps 1:1 to the SessionHandler domain (verified against MessagingChannel.entity.xml). Existing routing is not automatically healthy: the target lookup must return exactly one eligible row before reporting a successful no-op.
| Prefix | Domain / Target | Lookup query | routingType |
|---|---|---|---|
00G | Group (Type=Queue) | SELECT Id, Name, DeveloperName FROM Group WHERE Id='<sh>' AND Type='Queue' | queue |
300 | FlowDefinition | SELECT DurableId, Label, ApiName FROM FlowDefinitionView WHERE DurableId='<sh>' | flow |
0Xx | BotDefinition (ASA) | SELECT Id, DeveloperName, MasterLabel, AgentType, BotUserId, (SELECT Id, Status FROM BotVersions WHERE Status='Active' LIMIT 1) FROM BotDefinition WHERE Id='<sh>' | asa |
1iE | AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition (Digital Worker) | SELECT Id, DeveloperName, MasterLabel FROM AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition WHERE Id='<sh>' | digital_worker |
005 | User | SELECT Id, Name FROM User WHERE Id='<sh>' | user |
SESSION_HANDLER_ID="$(node -e 'console.log(JSON.parse(require("fs").readFileSync("/tmp/ccr-channel.json","utf8")).result.records[0].SessionHandlerId)')"
PREFIX="${SESSION_HANDLER_ID:0:3}"
case "$PREFIX" in
00G) sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' --query "SELECT Id, Name, DeveloperName FROM Group WHERE Id = '$SESSION_HANDLER_ID' AND Type = 'Queue'" --json > /tmp/ccr-noop-target.json ;;
300) sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' --query "SELECT DurableId, Label, ApiName FROM FlowDefinitionView WHERE DurableId = '$SESSION_HANDLER_ID'" --json > /tmp/ccr-noop-target.json ;;
0Xx) sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' --query "SELECT Id, DeveloperName, MasterLabel, AgentType, BotUserId, (SELECT Id, Status FROM BotVersions WHERE Status='Active' LIMIT 1) FROM BotDefinition WHERE Id = '$SESSION_HANDLER_ID'" --json > /tmp/ccr-noop-target.json ;;
1iE) sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' --query "SELECT Id, DeveloperName, MasterLabel FROM AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition WHERE Id = '$SESSION_HANDLER_ID'" --json > /tmp/ccr-noop-target.json ;;
005) sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM User WHERE Id = '$SESSION_HANDLER_ID'" --json > /tmp/ccr-noop-target.json ;;
*) echo "{\"records\":[{\"Id\":\"$SESSION_HANDLER_ID\"}]}" > /tmp/ccr-noop-target.json ;;
esac
For an existing ASA (0Xx), require a non-null BotUserId and one returned BotVersions row with Status='Active'. If either is missing, return the following failure instead of a successful no-op. Do not clear or replace the channel routing automatically:
{"ok":false,"kind":"asa-target-inactive","routingType":"asa","sessionHandlerId":"0Xx...","hint":"The configured Agentforce Service Agent has no BotUser or active BotVersion. Activate the agent in Setup, then re-run routing validation."}
For other prefixes, require exactly one target lookup row. Report the success-noop envelope (include the existing FallbackQueueId from the Stage 1 read) only after the target-specific eligibility check succeeds, then return.
If FallbackQueueId is non-null but SessionHandlerId is null — still no-op. That's a partially-configured Flow/ASA state; don't touch it, but flag it in the envelope message ("FallbackQueue set but SessionHandler null — incomplete routing, review in Setup") since activation will still fail readiness without a SessionHandler.
Stage 2: Confirm the channel is Enhanced, then choose routing type
First confirm PlatformType. The Stage 1 read didn't include it — add it, or re-query:
sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' \
--query "SELECT Id, PlatformType FROM MessagingChannel WHERE Id = '{CHANNEL_ID}'" --json > /tmp/ccr-platform.json
If PlatformType != 'Enhanced' (i.e. Standard/SCRT1), only Flow routing is writable. These skills only create Enhanced channels, so a Standard channel here is unexpected — emit {ok:false, kind:"standard-channel", ...} and stop rather than guessing.
Then ask the user (via a prompt — do NOT auto-pick):
The MessagingChannel '{developerName}' ({CHANNEL_ID}) has no routing configured.
Which routing type do you want?
1) queue — Omni-Channel queue routing
2) flow — Omni-Flow (RoutingFlow) + fallback queue
3) asa — Agentforce Service Agent (requires Agentforce license) + fallback queue
4) digital_worker — Digital Worker (Agentic) + fallback queue
5) user — Direct to a specific user (requires a RoutingConfiguration on the user)
Pick [1-5]:
Branch on the user's pick. For every non-queue path, load references/target-locate.md — it holds the per-domain locate SOQL, eligibility filters, FallbackQueue rules, and exact PATCH shape:
- 1 (queue) — continue to Stage 3-Queue below.
- 2 (flow) — locate an eligible
FlowDefinition(ProcessType=RoutingFlow, active version) + a FallbackQueue, then Stage 5. - 3 (asa) — continue to Stage 3-ASA; ASA requires a FallbackQueue too.
- 4 (digital_worker) — locate an eligible
AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition+ a FallbackQueue, then Stage 5. - 5 (user) — locate a
Userthat has a RoutingConfiguration, then Stage 5.
If a path finds no eligible target, emit {ok:false, kind:"no-eligible-target", routingType, hint} (see references/target-locate.md for the per-domain Setup pointer) and return — do not fabricate an id.
Stage 3-Queue: Pick an existing queue, or create a new one
(This stage runs only on the Queue path. ASA path: see Stage 3-ASA below.)
Enumerate eligible queues. The UI's routing dropdown (MessagingRoutingMethodDataProviderController.getOmniQueues) lists Groups where QueueRoutingConfigId != null — i.e. Omni-Channel-enabled queues. For a MessagingChannel we additionally want the queue to accept MessagingSession. Query the intersection: enumerate MessagingSession-capable queues, then keep only those with a QueueRoutingConfig.
# MessagingSession-capable queues that are also Omni-enabled (QueueRoutingConfigId != null)
sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' \
--query "SELECT Id, Name, DeveloperName FROM Group WHERE Type = 'Queue' AND QueueRoutingConfigId != null AND Id IN (SELECT QueueId FROM QueueSobject WHERE SobjectType = 'MessagingSession') ORDER BY Name" \
--json > /tmp/ccr-queues.json
Each row's Id is the 00G Group.Id — that is what gets written to SessionHandlerId. (If the semi-join subquery errors on an org, fall back to two queries: list QueueSobject WHERE SobjectType='MessagingSession', then filter to those whose Group.QueueRoutingConfigId != null.)
Present the user with a numbered list plus a final "create new" option:
Omni-enabled MessagingSession queues on {ORG_ALIAS}:
1) Messaging Queue (Messaging_Queue) — 00GSG0000000LSf2AM
2) MyQueue (MyQueue) — 00GSG000000144n2AA
...
N) Create a new queue
Pick [1-N]:
- If the user picks an existing queue: record its
Idas{QUEUE_ID}(this is theGroup.Id). Skip to Stage 5. - If the user picks "create new": go to Stage 4.
If the list is empty AND the user picks (1) "Create a new queue" implicitly, skip directly to Stage 4.
Stage 3-Queue, continued: Create a new Queue via Metadata API
(Continuation of the Queue path. Skip if the user picked an existing queue above.)
We deploy a Queue + QueueRoutingConfig pair using a minimal scratch sfdx project (the help-agent-accelerator pattern), then look up the new Queue's Id and optionally add the current user as a member.
To create a new Queue via the Metadata API (sfdx project scaffold → deploy → ID lookup → optional member add), load references/queue-creation.md and follow it — it is the complete guide for this flow.
After that stage, jump to Stage 5 (PATCH).
Stage 3-ASA: Pick an existing ASA
(This stage runs only on the ASA path. Queue path: skip to Stage 5.)
ASA routing points SessionHandlerId at an existing, live Agentforce Service Agent (BotDefinition). This skill never creates a new ASA — it verifies the org supports one (Agentforce licensed), enumerates the live/routable ones, and lets the user pick.
For ASA precondition checks, enumeration, and selection, load references/asa-routing.md. After selection, continue to Stage 5 (PATCH).
Stage 5: PATCH MessagingChannel.SessionHandlerId (+ FallbackQueueId)
By this point we have a routing target id in {TARGET_ID} and know its {ROUTING_TYPE}:
| routingType | {TARGET_ID} | FallbackQueue write |
|---|---|---|
queue | 00G Group.Id | none (must stay null) |
flow | 300 FlowDefinition id | set FallbackQueueId={FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID} |
asa | 0Xx BotDefinition.Id | set FallbackQueueId={FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID} |
digital_worker | 1iE AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition.Id | set FallbackQueueId={FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID} |
user | 005 User.Id | none (must stay null) |
SessionHandler is a polymorphic FK spanning [Group, FlowDefinition, User, BotDefinition, AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition] (per MessagingChannel.entity.xml; the BotDefinition/AgenticCtxtDecorDefinition targets only materialize on Agentforce-licensed orgs). The standard REST sObject PATCH accepts whichever Id type fits. The FallbackQueue rule is enforced server-side (validateSessionHandler): Flow/ASA/Digital Worker reject a null FallbackQueue; Queue/User reject a non-null one.
For the FallbackQueue paths, write both fields in one PATCH so the record never passes through an invalid intermediate state:
# queue / user — SessionHandler only
sf data update record --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' --sobject MessagingChannel \
--record-id '{CHANNEL_ID}' \
--values 'SessionHandlerId={TARGET_ID}' --json > /tmp/ccr-patch.json
# flow / asa / digital_worker — SessionHandler + FallbackQueue together
sf data update record --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' --sobject MessagingChannel \
--record-id '{CHANNEL_ID}' \
--values 'SessionHandlerId={TARGET_ID} FallbackQueueId={FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID}' --json > /tmp/ccr-patch.json
If status !== 0: emit {ok:false, kind:"patch-failed", message: ...} and return. Surface the server message verbatim — it names the exact linking rule that failed (see the failure-envelope note under "Output (to caller)").
Stage 6: Verify
Re-read the channel:
sf data query --target-org '{ORG_ALIAS}' \
--query "SELECT Id, SessionHandlerId, FallbackQueueId FROM MessagingChannel WHERE Id = '{CHANNEL_ID}'" \
--json
If the freshly-read SessionHandlerId doesn't equal {TARGET_ID} — or (for flow/asa/digital_worker) FallbackQueueId doesn't equal {FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID}:
{"ok": false, "kind": "verify-failed", "hint": "PATCH returned success but re-read shows SessionHandlerId/FallbackQueueId not persisted — check user permissions or field-level security on MessagingChannel"}
Otherwise, emit the path-appropriate success envelope (see "Output (to caller)" at the top of this file — one shape per routingType, each carrying fallbackQueueId).
Stage 7: Report to caller
Report the JSON envelope. If this skill is the leaf (user invoked it directly), render:
Queue path:
Success — Routing configured — channel {CHANNEL_ID} now routes to Queue '{QUEUE_LABEL}' ({QUEUE_ID}).{'' if created else ' (reused existing queue)'}Info: Routing already configured — Queue '{name}' ({QUEUE_ID}). No changes.(no-op path)
Flow path:
Success — Routing configured — channel {CHANNEL_ID} now routes to Omni-Flow '{FLOW_LABEL}' ({TARGET_ID}), fallback Queue {FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID}.
ASA path:
Success — Routing configured — channel {CHANNEL_ID} now routes to Agentforce Service Agent '{ASA_LABEL}' ({ASA_ID}), fallback Queue {FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID}. Bot user: {BOT_USER_ID}. Active version: {BOT_VERSION_ID}.Info: Routing already configured — ASA '{MasterLabel}' ({ASA_ID}). No changes.(no-op path)
Digital Worker path:
Success — Routing configured — channel {CHANNEL_ID} now routes to Digital Worker '{WORKER_LABEL}' ({TARGET_ID}), fallback Queue {FALLBACK_QUEUE_ID}.
User path:
Success — Routing configured — channel {CHANNEL_ID} now routes directly to User '{USER_NAME}' ({TARGET_ID}).
Failure / precondition:
Warning: No eligible {routingType} target found. {per-domain Setup pointer from references/target-locate.md}. Then re-run this skill.(no-eligible-target)Warning: {routingType} routing needs a fallback queue but none exists. Create a MessagingSession queue first (queue path), then re-run.(no-fallback-queue)Warning: This org doesn't have Agentforce licensed (no BotDefinition entity). Use Queue routing instead.(asa-not-supported)Warning: This is a Standard (SCRT1) channel — only Flow routing is supported. These skills only create Enhanced channels, so this is unexpected; check the channel.(standard-channel)Error: {kind}: {message}(other failures — the message names the server-side validation rule that failed)
Worked examples
For reference runs of both the reuse-an-existing-queue fast path (validated on test1) and the create-a-new-queue-via-Metadata-API path, see references/worked-examples.md.
Gotchas
Known gotchas — Group.Type filtering, DeveloperName uniqueness, QueueRoutingConfig naming, empty-queue caveats, Metadata-API-only queue creation, the per-domain FallbackQueue requirement matrix, the server-side nullQueueId / readiness enforcement point, the Standard-vs-Enhanced SessionHandler write restriction, and SessionHandler polymorphism across org shapes.
When troubleshooting an unexpected result, or before modifying this skill, load references/gotchas.md and follow it — it is the complete list.
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- Sep 2026
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service-de-channel-routing-configure- Source
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