SLA policies and response targets

Service Level Agreements define response and resolution time targets for your team.

Updated September 30, 2026Also available in: Deutsch, Português

SLA policies set hard targets for first response, next response, and resolution time. Conversations that cross a threshold get flagged as breached so you can intervene. Each policy attaches to one or more inboxes; you can also opt the policy into business-hours mode, in which case the timers only burn during the inbox's configured open hours. Available on Enterprise.

What Are SLA Policies?

SLA policies in Deskwoot are response and resolution time targets you set for your team, measured against 3 metrics: first response time, every-reply response time, and resolution time, so you hold the team accountable to clear customer commitments. By setting clear expectations, SLA policies help you measure support performance, hold your team accountable, and ensure customers receive timely assistance across every channel in your Deskwoot inbox.

SLA policies typically track three key metrics: first response time (how quickly a customer hears back after reaching out), next response time (the gap between subsequent replies), and resolution time (how long it takes to fully resolve a conversation).

Creating an SLA Policy

Navigate to Settings > SLA Policies.
Click "Add Policy".
Give your policy a descriptive name (e.g., Premium Support – 1 Hour First Response).
Set thresholds for first response, next response, and resolution time. Choose values that align with the commitments you've made to your customers.
Save the policy and assign it to the relevant conversations or channels as needed.

Best-Practice Tips

Start realistic. Set targets your team can consistently meet before tightening them. Overly aggressive SLAs lead to constant breaches and alert fatigue.
Differentiate by priority. If possible, create separate policies for high-priority and standard conversations so urgent issues are addressed first.
Monitor regularly. Review SLA compliance reports on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to spot trends, identify bottlenecks, and adjust staffing or workflows accordingly.
Communicate targets internally. Make sure every agent knows the active SLA thresholds so they can prioritize their queue effectively.
Account for business hours. If your team doesn't operate 24/7, ensure your SLA timers reflect actual working hours to avoid misleading breach notifications.

Common Pitfalls & Troubleshooting

SLA breaches seem too frequent: Double-check that your thresholds are realistic for your team size and ticket volume. Also verify that business hours are configured correctly so off-hours aren't counted against agents.
Targets not applying to certain conversations: Confirm that the policy is assigned to the correct channels or conversation categories. A policy that isn't linked to a channel won't track anything.
Conflicting policies: If multiple SLA policies could apply to the same conversation, review the priority order of your policies to ensure the correct one takes effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have multiple SLA policies at the same time?

Yes. You can create different policies for different channels, customer tiers, or conversation priorities. This lets you offer faster response commitments for high-value customers while maintaining achievable targets elsewhere.

What happens when an SLA threshold is breached?

When a conversation exceeds the defined time target, it is flagged as breached. This visibility helps team leads quickly identify overdue conversations and reassign or escalate them as needed.

Should I set SLA targets based on calendar time or business hours?

If your support team operates within specific working hours, using business hours is recommended. This ensures agents are measured only against time they are actually available, giving you a more accurate picture of performance.

Frequently asked questions

What metrics can SLA target?

First response time (customer's first message to agent's first reply), next response time (between subsequent replies in a long thread), resolution time (conversation create to resolved). Each has its own threshold per policy.

Do SLA timers count weekends?

Depends on the policy. SLA policies have an onlyDuringBusinessHours flag. With it on (plus the inbox's business hours configured), a Friday-evening ticket's SLA pauses until Monday morning. With it off, the timer runs 24/7 regardless of business hours.

Can I have different SLAs for different priority levels?

Yes. Common pattern: Urgent priority = 30min first response, 4h resolution. Standard = 4h first response, 24h resolution. Set thresholds per priority within the same policy.

What happens when an SLA breaches?

Conversation gets flagged in the list view and on the conversation header with an 'SLA breached' indicator. There's no separate automation event for breach today; pair the breach signal with manual reassignment / escalation, or filter the list by 'breached' for triage.

Should I start with strict or loose SLAs?

Loose. Set thresholds you know you can hit, then tighten over time. Strict SLAs that breach constantly become noise and people start ignoring the banners. Better to nail 'within 4h' than to miss 'within 1h' all the time.

Can SLAs apply per inbox?

Yes. Each SLA policy attaches to one or more inboxes. Email might have 4h response targets; live chat might have 5min. Separate policies, separate metrics.

What's a 'reasonable' first response SLA?

Industry benchmarks: live chat 1-2 minutes, email 4-8 hours, social 1 hour. These are 90th percentile expectations, not floors. Customers really notice when you beat them.

Do bot replies count toward SLA?

No. The SLA timer is satisfied only by the first human agent reply (the firstReplyCreatedAt timestamp). The bot replying immediately doesn't stop the clock: the policy is set up to measure human responsiveness, not bot uptime. If you want the bot to count, that's a roadmap consideration but not the current behaviour.

How do I see SLA performance over time?

Reports → SLA report. Shows compliance percentage per policy, per inbox, per agent. Trend line by week or month surfaces whether you're getting better or worse.

Can I pause an SLA timer manually?

Setting the conversation status to Pending pauses both SLA and metric timers — the convention for 'waiting on customer'. Snoozed pauses too. Open conversation = SLA ticks.

Will SLA breaches affect CSAT?

Indirectly. Customers correlate slow response with worse experience, and breached SLAs usually mean slow responses. Tackling SLA breaches usually moves CSAT up over time.