Glossary
179 terms. Each one points at the page the fact came from.
Contact
One interaction: a call, chat, task, or email. A transfer usually creates another contact linked by PreviousContactId and NextContactId.
Source: Flow language concepts
Instance
The Connect container in one Region. It holds users, flows, queues, and numbers. A new account starts at two instances per Region.
Source: Service quotas
Contact flow
The visual program a contact runs. The JSON form is the flow language.
Source: Flow language
Flow module
A published, reusable piece of a flow. Invoke module runs it. Return ends it. Default quota is 200 modules.
Source: Flow block definitions
Contact attribute
A string key and value stored on the contact. Lambda, Lex, and Set contact attributes write them. Screen pop reads them.
Source: Contact attributes
Customer queue flow
The interruptible flow that runs while the customer waits, before an agent joins.
Source: Flow types
Whisper flow
Audio played to one party immediately before the customer and agent are joined.
Source: Flow types
Working queue
The queue selected by Set working queue. Transfer to queue uses it.
Source: Transfer to queue
Routing profile
The list of queues an agent can receive, with channel concurrency, priority, and delay.
Source: Routing profiles
Priority
A number on a queue inside a routing profile. A lower number is served first.
Source: Routing profiles
Delay
Seconds a contact must wait before an agent with that profile can receive it.
Source: Routing profiles
Routing criteria
Ordered steps that tighten or relax who can take the contact. The successor idea to precision-queue steps.
Source: Set routing criteria
Proficiency
A level on a predefined attribute for an agent. Default quota is 10 proficiencies per agent.
Source: Service quotas
Queue
Where a contact waits. Standard queues hold customers. Agent queues hold transfers to a specific user, 10 contacts each by default.
Source: Queues
Hours of operation
The weekly schedule and time zone attached to a queue. Check hours of operation reads it. Overrides cover holidays.
Source: Hours of operation
Quick connect
A one-click transfer target: a user, a queue, or an external number.
Source: Quick connects
DID
A direct inward dial number. In the US it is carried by one carrier and priced per day plus per minute.
Source: Voice channel
Toll-free number
A number the caller does not pay long-distance to dial. US toll-free numbers are registered with SOMOS and can use more than one carrier.
Source: Voice channel
UIFN
Universal International Freephone number. One of the four number types Connect sells, with DID, toll-free, and shared cost.
Source: Pricing appendix
Porting
Moving a number from another carrier onto Connect. The quota page points you at the same Support form used for quota increases.
Source: Service quotas
CCP
Contact Control Panel. The browser phone and contact UI the agent uses.
Source: Set up your network
Agent workspace
The fuller desktop around the CCP: profiles, cases, step-by-step views, and third-party apps.
Source: Agent workspace
Streams API
The amazon-connect-streams library. It embeds or replaces the CCP and listens to agent and contact events.
Source: amazon-connect-streams
Softphone media
The WebRTC audio path. It needs outbound UDP 3478 to the Regional TurnNlb domain.
Source: How CCP uses WebRTC
TURN
The relay used when the browser cannot send media directly. The error text names turn:TurnNlb-....elb.region.amazonaws.com:3478.
Source: CCP issues
Lex V2
The bot service Get customer input calls. Connect stores intent and slots on the contact.
Source: Amazon Lex
Intent
What Lex thinks the caller wants. The flow branches on it.
Source: Amazon Lex
Slot
A value Lex fills, such as an order id. The flow copies it into an attribute.
Source: Amazon Lex
Agent assist
The 4 Aug 2026 name for the feature previously called Amazon Q in Connect, which itself included Wisdom.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Amazon Q in Connect
The 2023 name for generative assistance. The admin guide renamed it agent assist on 4 Aug 2026. IAM still shows the wisdom prefix.
Source: Connect assistant block
Wisdom
The 2020 preview name for agent search and recommendations. Folded into Amazon Q in Connect on 28 Nov 2023.
Source: AWS News Blog, 1 Dec 2020
Connect assistant block
Associates an AI agents domain with the contact so recommendations can run.
Source: Flow block definitions
Agentic CX
A block that hands the contact to an Agentic CX Designer application and routes on the exit condition.
Source: Flow block definitions
Live Sync
The 4 Aug 2026 name for Voice+. Priced at 0.01 USD per minute on top of the channel. Trial through 30 Nov 2026 is not billed.
Source: Pricing appendix
Conversational analytics
The 4 Aug 2026 name for Contact Lens: transcripts, sentiment, redaction, summaries, and categories.
Source: Contact Lens GA, 23 Jul 2020
Contact Lens
The former name of conversational analytics. The product page says the function remains.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Real-time analytics
Rules on a live contact, announced 1 Dec 2020. Default quota is 300 concurrent real-time analytics calls.
Source: AWS News Blog, 1 Dec 2020
Post-contact summary
A generated summary after the contact. Preview 28 Nov 2023, generally available 25 Mar 2024.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Evaluation form
A quality scorecard. Preview 29 Nov 2022, generally available 26 Apr 2023. Now part of performance evaluations.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
CTR
Contact trace record. The JSON document for a finished contact, streamed to Kinesis or Firehose.
Source: re:Post, Kinesis integration
Agent event stream
Near real-time Kinesis stream of login, logout, status, and contact join. This is the WFM adherence feed.
Source: Agent event streams
Flow log
A CloudWatch log of each block. Set logging behavior turns it on. The log group is under the instance.
Source: re:Post, flow errors
Lambda synchronous timeout
At most 8 seconds. The function's own timeout can be longer. The flow still takes the Error or Timeout branch at 8 seconds.
Source: Lambda block
Lambda asynchronous mode
The flow continues without waiting. You can wait up to 60 seconds with a Wait block. A sequence of Lambda calls must finish within 20 seconds.
Source: Lambda block
String map
A flat object of string keys and string values. One of the two Lambda response shapes.
Source: re:Post, flow errors
Customer Profiles
The profile store. Connect-generated profiles are priced differently from profiles that contain imported data.
Source: Pricing appendix
Identity resolution
The rules that merge profile records from CRM, orders, and contacts into one customer.
Source: Customer Profiles
Case
A durable issue that can span many contacts. Cases became generally available on 3 Oct 2022.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Task
A unit of work with no live media. Default concurrent quota is 2500. Tasks can be scheduled up to 90 days ahead.
Source: Service quotas
Security profile
What a user may do in the admin site and the CCP. Different from an IAM policy.
Source: Security profiles
IAM policy
What an AWS principal may call. Connect, Profiles, Cases, and agent assist use different IAM prefixes.
Source: Service authorization, connect
Service-linked role
The role AWS creates so Connect can write to S3, CloudWatch, and other services you name.
Source: Service-linked role
KMS key policy
The key's own allow list. Recordings stay unreadable if the key does not trust the Connect role.
Source: Encryption at rest
SAML
The federated sign-in option. The assertion must carry the routing profile, security profile, and role.
Source: Configure SAML
IAM Identity Center
A common identity provider in front of Connect. It still speaks SAML to the instance.
Source: Configure SAML
Global Resiliency
The supported multi-Region design. Pairs are us-east-1 with us-west-2, eu-central-1 with eu-west-2, and ap-northeast-1 with ap-northeast-3.
Source: Set up Global Resiliency
Traffic distribution group
The object that splits telephony and agent sign-in across the two Regions in 10 percent steps.
Source: Set up Global Resiliency
Replica instance
The linked instance created by ReplicateInstance. Flows, users, queues, and profiles are copied. S3 prompts are not.
Source: Create a replica
Connect Customer
The name used from 28 Apr 2026 for the contact center product previously called Amazon Connect.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Connect Customer Basic
The form of the product that does not include every Connect Customer feature. Voice on this form is listed at 0.018 USD per minute plus telephony.
Source: Pricing appendix
Voice ID
Caller authentication and a fraudster watchlist. New customers stopped 20 May 2025. Support ended 20 May 2026.
Source: Voice ID end of support
Outbound campaign
Proactive voice, SMS, or email. The name replaced high-volume outbound communications on 20 Jun 2022. Voice minutes are 0.045 USD on Connect Customer.
Source: Pricing appendix
Check call progress
The block that branches on answering-machine detection. Campaign flows only.
Source: Flow block definitions
Persistent chat
A chat that can go quiet without holding a concurrent-chat slot the way an abandoned idle chat does.
Source: Service quotas
WhatsApp
A third-party messaging channel counted inside the concurrent chat quota. Connect Customer prices the message at 0.014 USD before delivery fees.
Source: Service quotas
Email thread
Replies within 90 days stay on the same thread. Later replies start a new one.
Source: Service quotas
Data table
Rows the Data Table block can read or write inside a flow. Defaults: 100 tables, 5 primary attributes, 1000 values.
Source: Service quotas
Show view
Renders a step-by-step view in the agent workspace.
Source: Flow block definitions
External Tool
Invokes a tool through an Amazon Bedrock AgentCore gateway.
Source: Flow block definitions
Start media streaming
Sends live customer audio to Kinesis Video Streams for a third-party recorder or bot.
Source: Flow block definitions
Screen recording
Records the agent desktop. On the Basic price list it is 0.006 USD per minute.
Source: Pricing appendix
Forecasting and agent scheduling
The 4 Aug 2026 name for native WFM: forecast, capacity, schedules, and adherence.
Source: Forecasting and scheduling
Schedule adherence
How closely an agent's actual status matched the published schedule. Native metrics appear after schedules are published. Third-party WFM reads agent events.
Source: Forecasting and scheduling
Shrinkage
The fraction of paid time that is not handling contacts. Erlang staffing divides raw agents by one minus shrinkage.
Source: Forecasting and scheduling
Service level
The share of contacts answered inside a target wait. Queue.Duration on the CTR is the usual clock.
Source: Metrics
Occupancy
Handle time plus ACW, divided by signed-in time that was available for work. Agent events supply the clocks.
Source: Agent event streams
ACW
After contact work. The agent is still busy after the customer leaves. It counts in occupancy and in the concurrent task and email quotas.
Source: Agent event streams
E911
US enhanced 911. For a US agent, Connect can send a validated civic address with a direct 911 call from the CCP.
Source: US emergency calling
933
The test number that reads back the originating number and the address. Use it instead of a real 911 test. A non-emergency 911 call is described as a 100 USD penalty.
Source: US emergency calling
CivicAddress
The contact attribute that carries the E911 address as a JSON string. Keys include country, A1, A3, HNO, RD, STS, and PC.
Source: E911 address format
ValidateE911Address
The Amazon Chime API that checks an address against the Master Street Address Guide before you store it.
Source: Store an agent address
Salesforce CTI Adapter
A managed package plus a serverless app that embeds the CCP in Salesforce.
Source: Embed the CCP in Salesforce
SCC-AC
Salesforce Contact Center with Amazon Connect. Voice stays on Connect. Messaging can be Connect or Salesforce.
Source: SCC-AC blog
ServiceNow Voice
The ServiceNow integration that imports flows, maps queues to Advanced Work Assignment, and can attach AI voice agents.
Source: ServiceNow Voice
Teams chat bridge
A published pattern: a Teams app, Azure Bot Service, API Gateway, Lambda, and StartChatContact. It is chat, not a phone trunk.
Source: Teams integration blog
External voice connector
Analytics on audio that stays on another platform. The appendix lists 0.032 USD per minute and 100 USD per connector per day.
Source: Pricing appendix
CloudWatch
Metrics and flow logs. Alarm at 80 percent of a quota, which is the operations guidance in the email quota note.
Source: Service quotas
Kinesis Data Streams
The durable stream for CTRs and agent events when more than one consumer must read them.
Source: re:Post, Kinesis integration
Kinesis Data Firehose
The delivery path into S3. It buffers. Silence for five minutes is the point to check the error prefix.
Source: re:Post, Kinesis integration
Kinesis Video Streams
Live audio for third-party recorders. Start media streaming opens it. Customer and agent audio are separate tracks.
Source: Live media streaming
EventBridge
The bus for contact events if you want a rule, not a stream consumer.
Source: Contact events
S3 recording object
The WAV Connect writes when recording is on. Third-party QM tools often import this object plus the CTR.
Source: Recording behavior
Erlang
The unit of traffic. One Erlang is one hour of call time in one hour. Calls per hour times AHT in hours.
Source: Forecasting and scheduling
Erlang C
The probability a contact waits when there are N agents and A Erlangs, assuming infinite queue and random arrivals.
Source: Forecasting and scheduling
AHT
Average handle time. Talk plus hold plus ACW, unless your report defines it more narrowly. Say which one you used.
Source: Metrics
Region pair
The only Regions Global Resiliency links. Osaka is a replica Region for Tokyo, and inbound delivery there can take up to 20 seconds.
Source: Create a replica
Option 1 network allow list
Domains instead of the whole EC2 and CloudFront IP ranges. Recommended. Test more than 200 calls. An error rate above 2 percent means the proxy may be the problem.
Source: Set up your network
Stateless firewall
Must allow the browser's ephemeral UDP range back in, or media fails even when 3478 is allowed outbound.
Source: Set up your network
my.connect.aws
The current instance domain. awsapps.com is the old domain the docs say is going away.
Source: Set up your network
Concurrent calls quota
Default 10 active PSTN and WebRTC calls. This is the first capacity gate on a new instance.
Source: Service quotas
Quota lead time
Small raises can be hours. Large ones can take up to three weeks. A worldwide raise can take months.
Source: Service quotas
Cloud Practitioner
The foundational AWS Certification. It covers the shared vocabulary of accounts, Regions, and billing. It is not a Connect exam.
Source: AWS Certification
Solutions Architect - Associate
The associate exam that best matches the AWS services a Connect design uses.
Source: AWS Certification
Communications Specialist badge
A Skill Builder and Credly badge. Pass mark is 80 percent. It is not an AWS Certification exam.
Source: Learning plans and badges
Advanced Networking - Specialty
The networking specialty exam. Last day to take it is 31 December 2026.
Source: Advanced Networking - Specialty
Calling search space
CUCM's list of partitions a phone may dial. The Connect cousin is a routing profile, and they do not configure each other.
Source: Routing profiles
CSQ
A UCCX contact service queue. Map it to a Connect queue, not to a routing profile.
Source: Queues
Precision queue
A UCCE queue with attribute steps. Map the steps to routing criteria, not to one flat skill group.
Source: Set routing criteria
Finesse
The Cisco agent desktop. The Connect cousins are the CCP, the agent workspace, and a Streams application.
Source: amazon-connect-streams
CUIC
Cisco Unified Intelligence Center. The Connect cousins are real-time metrics, historical metrics, and the CTR.
Source: Metrics
VDN
An Avaya vector directory number. Map it to a phone number plus the flow that number starts.
Source: Voice channel
Partition
CUCM's dial-plan bucket. Connect has no partitions. Numbers are claimed, ported, or reached with Transfer to phone number.
Source: Voice channel
Shared responsibility
AWS runs the Region, the softphone service, and the multi-tenant platform. You run flows, IAM, keys, numbers, quotas, and the agent network.
Source: Security in Connect
Flow language action
One JSON step. Types are contact, participant, interaction, or flow control.
Source: Flow language concepts
Error branch
The path a block takes when it fails. An unconnected error branch ends the contact.
Source: re:Post, flow errors
Screen pop
Opening the customer record when the contact arrives. Connect does this with attributes, Profiles, and a workspace app. It is not a CTI cable.
Source: Salesforce integration
AppIntegrations
The account-level service that attaches data and event integrations. Default is 20 data integrations per Region.
Source: Service quotas
Hook
A supported place to attach the next system: a stream, an event, a block, or a workspace view. Build on a hook instead of scraping the CCP.
Source: Contact events
Mind map
The one-page picture of which system owns telephony, the agent, the record, the score, and the emergency call.
Source: Security in Connect
Quality management
Scoring contacts against a form, coaching from the score, and keeping the recording that proves it.
Source: Evaluation forms
Redaction
Removing sensitive data from a transcript or recording. Conversational analytics can redact. Confirm the rule before you promise a regulator it is on.
Source: Contact Lens GA
Category
A rules match on words, sentiment, or silence. Supervisors subscribe to categories. They are not intents.
Source: AWS News Blog, 1 Dec 2020
Intraday forecast
A rest-of-day volume prediction. Native forecasting updates it every 15 minutes.
Source: Forecasting product page
Capacity plan
How many agents you need for a service level, a handle time, and a shrinkage assumption.
Source: Forecasting and scheduling
Time-off rule
The constraint native scheduling uses when an agent requests leave. It is not the same object as hours of operation.
Source: Forecasting and scheduling
Origination number
The caller ID sent with an outbound or 911 call. Responders can call it back only if that number accepts inbound calls.
Source: US emergency calling
Master Street Address Guide
The address database ValidateE911Address checks. A free-typed address is not enough.
Source: Store an agent address
On-site notification
The task the 911 whisper flow creates so security or HR knows a 911 call was placed.
Source: US emergency calling
Dual-run
Keeping the old platform and Connect both able to receive the number while you compare flows, reports, and failover.
Source: Global Resiliency
Rollback
The tested path back to the old platform or the other Region. A port without a rollback date is not a plan.
Source: Service quotas
Get metrics block
Reads real-time queue and agent metrics into attributes so a flow can branch on them.
Source: Flow block definitions
Interrupt agent
Offers a contact to a named agent even if that agent is at maximum concurrency or in a custom status.
Source: Flow block definitions
Touchtone buffer
Lets the caller type ahead. Set Touchtone Buffer Behavior controls it.
Source: Flow block definitions
Distribute by percentage
Sends a share of contacts down each branch. Use it for a measured pilot, not for skills.
Source: Flow block definitions
Analytics data lake
Zero-ETL contact data that Athena or QuickSight can query. Previewed 28 Nov 2023.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
GetMetricDataV2
The metrics API you want for new dashboards. It is the current metrics call, as opposed to the older GetMetricData.
Source: GetMetricDataV2
Historical metrics
Interval reports: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, daily, or total. They are not the real-time board.
Source: Metrics
Real-time metrics
The live agent, queue, and routing-profile board. It is eventually consistent. Do not use it as a per-call audit.
Source: Real-time metrics
CloudFormation AWS::Connect::ContactFlow
A stack resource whose content is flow-language JSON. Use it to move a flow between instances.
Source: Flow language
Terraform aws_connect_bot_association
Attaches a Lex V2 alias to the instance. The flow still has to select that alias.
Source: Terraform bot association
Resource policy
A policy on the resource, such as Lambda, that allows connect.amazonaws.com to invoke it. An identity policy on a user is not enough.
Source: re:Post, Lambda failures
32 KB response
The practical ceiling called out for a Lambda payload Connect will consume. Larger or nested payloads take the error branch when the block expects a string map.
Source: re:Post, flow errors
Claimed number
A number Connect hosts. The default quota is 10 per instance, and the first claim can still fail until Support clears it.
Source: Service quotas
Shared cost number
A number type where the caller pays a local share. Sold per day, like DID, toll-free, and UIFN.
Source: Pricing appendix
In-app calling
Voice from a web or mobile widget. Audio is an extra 0.010 USD per minute on top of the voice service charge.
Source: Pricing appendix
Video connection
0.015 USD per minute per participant in the appendix, plus the voice charge. Video calling does not support VDI.
Source: Video networking
Apple Messages for Business
Counted in the concurrent chat quota with SMS and WhatsApp.
Source: Service quotas
Campaign concurrent calls
Default quota is 0. Until you raise it, campaign calls hear a fast busy.
Source: Service quotas
User hierarchy
Up to five levels of groups for reporting lines. The quota is 500 groups across all levels.
Source: Service quotas
Agent status
Available, offline, or a custom status. The quota is 50 statuses and it is not adjustable.
Source: Service quotas
After contact work timeout
How long ACW may last. Per-channel auto-accept and ACW timeouts were called out in the February 2026 document history.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Step-by-step guide
A view that tells the agent the next click. Previewed in the workspace on 29 Nov 2022.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Knowledge base
The content agent assist searches. Default quota is 10 knowledge bases and 5000 content items each.
Source: Service quotas
Guardrail
The control that keeps a generated answer inside the knowledge you provided. If you cannot show the source article, do not treat the answer as a fact.
Source: Agent assist
Fallback intent
The Lex intent used when nothing else matches. Point it at a person, not at a loop.
Source: Amazon Lex
DTMF
Keypad tones. Get customer input and Store customer input read them. Lex can also consume them.
Source: Flow block definitions
SSML
Markup for text-to-speech. Set voice chooses the language and voice the prompt uses.
Source: Set voice
Prompt
A stored audio file or a TTS string. Default quota is 500 prompts.
Source: Service quotas
Disconnect flow
Runs after the contact ends. Use it for surveys. Do not use it to keep the caller on the line.
Source: Set disconnect flow
Hold flow
What the customer hears on hold. Loop prompts is the usual block.
Source: Flow types
Callback
Set callback number, then a queue callback, so the caller does not wait on the phone. The queue still needs agents.
Source: Set callback number
Queue callback
A contact that waits without an open media leg, then Connect dials the customer when an agent is free.
Source: Queue callbacks
Transfer to phone number
Sends the contact to the PSTN. This is how Connect reaches a CUCM route point or a Teams Phone number.
Source: Transfer to phone number
Side-by-side
CUCM or Webex keeps enterprise extensions. Connect keeps the public contact center number. They meet by transfer, not by a shared dial plan.
Source: Transfer to phone number
Webex Contact Center
A competing Cisco CCaaS. It is not a connector you install under Connect. During a move you dual-run numbers.
Source: Voice channel
Genesys Architect
The Genesys flow tool. Map each Architect task to a Connect block. Map in-queue audio to a customer queue flow.
Source: Flow types
Avaya vector
The Avaya step list. Announcements become Play prompt. Route-to becomes a transfer. Collect becomes Get customer input.
Source: Flow block definitions
Recording bucket policy
The S3 policy that lets the Connect role put objects. A private bucket with no policy produces a silent missing recording.
Source: Recording behavior
Cross-account KVS
A third-party recorder in another account needs the stream ARN from the contact event and an IAM role that can read the stream.
Source: Live media streaming
Adherence feed
Agent events in, schedule from WFM. The comparison is the adherence number. Without the stream, the WFM tool only has history.
Source: Agent event streams
Shard
A Kinesis capacity slice. One shard is a common starting point for agent events and is too small when a second consumer appears.
Source: Agent event streams
ContactId join
The key that ties the flow log, the CTR, the recording, the agent event, and the CRM activity. Lose it and the ecosystem cannot be audited.
Source: re:Post, Kinesis integration
Future hook
A supported extension point you can adopt later without rewriting the flow: EventBridge, streams, views, data tables, or External Tool.
Source: Contact events
NLX
The name on the 22 Jun 2026 preview of Agentic CX designer. Generally available 2 Sep 2026.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Nova Sonic
The speech model named in the 30 Nov 2025 agentic self-service announcement.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Manager assist
A preview assistant for supervisors asking operational questions in natural language. Announced in preview 10 Mar 2026.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Four solutions
As of the 28 Apr 2026 AWS News Blog, the Amazon Connect family is Customer, Health, Decisions, and Talent. This campus teaches Customer.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Health, Decisions, Talent
The other three solutions in the family. They are not settings inside a contact center instance.
Source: Connect timeline, 25 Sep 2026
Estimate
A price you computed from the public rate card on a named date. It is not an invoice. Taxes, surcharges, and country telephony rates still apply.
Source: Pricing appendix