> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getthread.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tiered dispatch

> Hand tickets from a first-line team to a second tier on the same PSA board with two Auto-assign profiles that dispatch from different statuses, linked by a fallback status.

Some service desks work every ticket on one PSA board but in tiers: a first-line team gets the first pass, and anything they can't take moves to a second team. You can run this in Thread with two **Auto-assign** profiles on the same board. Each profile dispatches from its own status, and the first profile's fallback status hands the ticket to the second.

[Tiered auto-dispatch on a shared board, video walkthrough](https://www.loom.com/embed/ef68f050c1f74514a58ba2eaaf76c181)

## How the handoff works

This example uses a board with two statuses for the tiers: **Pre Process** for new tickets and **Awaiting Secondary Resource** for tickets the first tier couldn't take.

| Profile | Dispatches from | Assigns to | When no tech is eligible |
| - | - | - | - |
| Tier 1 | Pre Process | Tier 1 team | Move the ticket to **Awaiting Secondary Resource** |
| Tier 2 | Awaiting Secondary Resource | Tier 2 team | Retry assignment |

1. A new ticket lands in **Pre Process**. Tier 1 owns that status, so Tier 1 assigns it to an available first-line tech.
2. If no Tier 1 tech is eligible, Tier 1 moves the ticket to its fallback status, **Awaiting Secondary Resource**.
3. Tier 2 owns that status, so it picks the ticket up and assigns it to the second tier.

The ticket's status decides which profile handles it. Two Auto-assign profiles can't dispatch from the same status on the same board, so every ticket has exactly one owner.

## Before you start

* Your board has a separate status for each tier, and the statuses are mapped in Thread. See [Status mapping](https://docs.getthread.com/get-started/status-mapping-in-thread.md).
* Each tier has its own Inbox Team. A team can belong to only one auto-dispatch profile.
* You know how to create and save a profile. See [Auto-dispatch profiles](https://docs.getthread.com/inbox/auto-dispatch-profiles.md).

## Set up the tiers

**1. Create the Tier 1 profile**

Create a profile in **Auto-assign** mode. In **Dispatch scope**, select the board under **Dispatch from**, set its dispatch status to **Pre Process**, and choose the Tier 1 team under **Dispatch to**.

**2. Send unassigned tickets to the second tier**

Under **Action when no tech is eligible**, choose **Apply a status change** and set the board's fallback status to **Awaiting Secondary Resource**. Save the profile.

**3. Create the Tier 2 profile**

Create a second **Auto-assign** profile on the same board. Set its dispatch status to **Awaiting Secondary Resource** and choose the Tier 2 team. Leave **Action when no tech is eligible** on **Retry assignment**, or pick a fallback status that doesn't lead back to Tier 1 (see the next section). Save the profile.

In the Tier 2 profile, **Pre Process** shows as locked in the status picker. Hover it to see which profile already dispatches from it.

## Rules for shared boards

Thread checks these when you save an Auto-assign profile:

* **No shared dispatch statuses.** A status another Auto-assign profile dispatches from on the same board is locked in the picker, and save fails if the statuses overlap. Disabled profiles keep their statuses, so turning one back on never creates a clash. **Next thread** profiles don't count toward this check.
* **No fallback loops.** A fallback status can't lead back to the profile's own dispatch statuses through other profiles on the board. In the example, if Tier 2's fallback were **Pre Process**, a ticket nobody can take would bounce between the two profiles forever, so save fails.

Each profile also keeps its own per-board settings, such as active statuses and the fallback status. See [Configure Auto-assign](https://docs.getthread.com/inbox/auto-dispatch-profiles.md#configure-auto-assign).


## Related topics

- [Auto-dispatch profiles](https://docs.getthread.com/inbox/auto-dispatch-profiles.md)
- [Set Up Thread Inbox by Service Team Structure](https://docs.getthread.com/inbox/service-team-structure.md)
- [Why dispatch is different in Thread](https://docs.getthread.com/start-here/roles/dispatcher/why-dispatch-in-thread.md)