Agents

Agent status

The two statuses an agent can hold, what each one allows, and exactly what archiving does and does not stop.

An agent is either active or archived. Archiving is what the portal's Pause Agent button does, it is reversible, and it is the only way to retire an agent. This page lists what each status allows, what the portal calls the two statuses on each screen, and what archiving leaves running.

The two statuses

Value What it means
active The agent can be edited, tested and reached. This is the status a new agent is created with
archived The agent is read-only and cannot start a session from the portal. It still exists, with all of its configuration, and can be restored at any time

The portal uses different words for the same two values depending on where you are looking.

Screen Active reads Archived reads
Agents list, status column Active Archived
Agents list, section heading Active agents Archived
Agents list, row menu Archive Restore to active
Agent detail, header chip Live Archived
Agent detail, the button beside the chip Pause Agent Restore

The control above the agents list reads Show archived. Pressing it switches the list to the archived agents, and it then reads Viewing archived.

Pause Agent is the portal's word for archiving. Pausing an agent and archiving it are the same change.

What each status allows

Action Active Archived
Edit any field Yes No. The write is refused with Cannot edit archived agent. Restore via /status first.
Use the Settings, Persona, Voice, Knowledge and Tools controls Yes No. Every control on those tabs is disabled
Start a session from the portal Yes No. The start is refused with Cannot start a session on an archived agent
Press Test Yes No. The button is disabled, and the list row's tooltip reads Archived. Restore to test
Appear in the default agents list Yes No. The archived ones are behind Show archived
Count toward the plan's agent limit Yes No
Be offered as a bot on a Genesys Cloud connection Yes No
Be counted in the usage warning when you delete a tool or a knowledge source Yes No. The confirm dialog counts only the agents you can see
Keep its conversations, transcripts and analytics Yes Yes. Nothing recorded is removed

Changing the status

The status is the one field that can change while the agent is archived, because it is the only way back. Pause Agent and the row menu's Archive set it to archived; Restore and Restore to active set it back to active. There is no delete: every remove action archives, and the agent stays.

In the portal, the chip and the button beside it switch straight to the other status, with no confirmation step. A success toast reads Agent archived or Agent restored. On the list, the row flips first and reverts with Couldn't archive the agent. Try again. or Couldn't restore the agent. Try again. if the change fails.

Restoring is the one direction that can be refused. Moving an agent back to active counts the workspace's active agents first and checks the plan's agent limit, so a workspace already at its limit has to archive another agent or upgrade before it can restore this one.

What archiving does

  • The agent leaves the default list and moves behind Show archived.
  • A banner appears under the header reading This agent is archived. It can't take calls or start a session until you restore it. The banner refers to sessions started from the portal; channels bound to the agent are covered in the next section.
  • Editing is refused, and every editing control is disabled.
  • Sessions can no longer be started from the portal, so Test is disabled.
  • The plan's active-agent count drops by one, which frees a slot for another agent.

What archiving does not stop

Archiving stops the sessions you start from the portal. It does not stop a connected channel: a message or call on a channel bound to an archived agent is answered, and those turns are charged. Channels overview lists every channel and how each one is disconnected or moved.

Thing What archiving does to it
A session already running Nothing. It keeps going, keeps recording turns and keeps charging credits until it ends on its own or the caller hangs up
Channels bound to the agent Nothing. They stay bound and stay connected
An inbound message on a text channel It is answered and charged
An inbound or outbound telephone call It is answered and charged
Conversations, transcripts and analytics Kept in full
Knowledge, tools, secrets and connections Kept. Nothing is unlinked

Get it right

Taking an agent out of service is two steps, in this order: stop its channels, then archive it.

Recommended

  • Disconnect each connected channel, or bind it to the agent that takes over, then press Pause Agent. The agent can no longer be tested or edited, and its slot on the plan is freed.

Less effective

  • Pressing Pause Agent and leaving the channels bound. Customers still reach the agent, and the conversations are still charged.

Retiring an agent

Archiving is the only way to retire an agent, and it is reversible. An archived agent stays in the archived list with all of its configuration and history, does not count against the plan's agent limit, and cannot be started from the portal. To remove its conversations, open each one and press Delete; see Data retention.

Errors

Message When What to do
Cannot edit archived agent. Restore via /status first. Any write to an archived agent other than its status Restore the agent, then edit
Cannot start a session on an archived agent Starting a portal session on an archived agent Restore the agent, then press Test
Workspace has reached the maximum number of agents allowed by the current plan Restoring an agent, or creating one, while the workspace is at its plan limit Archive another agent or upgrade the plan
Couldn't change status The status change failed The toast carries the reason underneath. Try again
Your workspace is over the agents limit for the current plan. Archive some agents or upgrade your plan to create new ones. The agents list, when the workspace is over its limit Archive agents you are not using

FAQ

Does archiving stop my WhatsApp number or phone number?

No. A channel bound to an archived agent keeps answering and charging. Disconnect the channel or bind it to another agent first; the steps are on Connect WhatsApp and Voice with Twilio.

Does an archived agent cost anything?

Not by itself. It does not count against the plan's agent limit and starts no sessions from the portal. A channel still bound to it does start conversations, and those are charged.

Can I delete an agent permanently?

No. Archive it. The agent, its conversations and its analytics stay, and the agent can be restored at any time.

Why can't I restore an agent?

The workspace is at its plan's agent limit. Archive another agent or upgrade the plan, then restore.

Is pausing different from archiving?

No. Pause Agent sets the status to archived, and Restore sets it back to active.