Agent Status Guide – When to Use Each Zendesk Status

This article explains when support agents should select each Zendesk status to ensure accurate availability reporting, proper workload routing, and clear communication across the team.

1. 🟢 Online

Use when:

• You are actively working and available to take new tickets, transfers, and customer interactions.

• You are fully ready to respond to incoming volume.

Do NOT use when:

• You are unable to respond promptly.

 

2. 🟠 Away

Use when:

• You will be temporarily unavailable for a short period (ex: quick step away, momentary unavailability).

• You can monitor Slack/Zendesk but may not respond immediately.

Do NOT use when:

• You are taking a scheduled break, lunch, or extended offline time.

• You are fully unavailable — use Offline or On Break instead.

3. ⚪ Offline

Use when:

• You are not working, off shift, or done for the day.

• You are in training, meetings, or unavailable for any support activity.

Do NOT use when:

• You are available to help or monitor tickets.

• You are stepping away briefly (use On Break).

4. 🔵 On Break

(Email Transfers Only)

Use when:

• You are on a scheduled break/lunch or short personal time.

• You are not expected to work on new tickets or chat/voice interactions.

• You can accept email transfers only in case of urgent need.

Do NOT use when:

• You are actively working — use Online.

• You are off shift — use Offline.

5. 🔵 On P0 Call

(Email Transfers Only)

Use when:

• You are participating in a P0 bridge call.

• You are actively working on a major incident and cannot take new tickets.

• You can only handle urgent email-based transfers that relate to the ongoing incident.

Do NOT use when:

• You are not engaged in a P0/P1 escalation.

• You are available for general ticket handling.

Best Practices

• Always update your status immediately when your availability changes.

• Notify the team in Slack if you expect extended unavailability.

• Ensure proper handoff before switching to Offline or On Break during active engagements.

• During a P0/P1, use the correct status to avoid misrouting of tickets.