---
title: Agent assignment methods
description: Depending on your settings in the SM application's configuration screen, you can assign agents manually or using auto-assignment.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/service-management-for-the-enterprise/c\_AgentAssignment.html
release: australia
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-03-12"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Request Management in a Service Management application, Service Management]
---

# Agent assignment methods

Depending on your settings in the SM application's configuration screen, you can assign agents manually or using auto-assignment.

-   **[Manually assign agents to active requests](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/service-management-for-the-enterprise/t_ManAssignAgtToActSMReq.md)**  
Use this procedure to assign agents to active requests in service management \(SM\) applications.
-   **[Agent auto assignment](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/service-management-for-the-enterprise/c_AgentAutoAssignment.md)**  
When auto assignment is enabled and a task is qualified or marked as **Ready for Work**, an appropriate agent is automatically assigned to the task and it is moved to the **Assigned** state. If the task cannot be auto-assigned, a user with the dispatcher role must adjust the values in the request or task form and then save the record.

**Parent Topic:**[Request Management in a Service Management application](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/service-management-for-the-enterprise/rm-sm-application.md)