Getting Started with Amazon Connect (Part 1): Setting Up Your Cloud Contact Center

Introduction

The first step is to create an Amazon Connect instance.  Before an agent can answer a customer call after the instance is available, a few configurations must be made. We require a phone number that clients can reach, a timetable that notifies Amazon Connect of the team’s working hours, and a queue where calls can wait when all agents are occupied.

Additionally, user accounts are required for those who will work in the contact center. Therefore, this essay begins with the basic setup rather than diving right into contact flows. When these components are prepared, they can be joined in Part 2.

Step 1: Create the Amazon Connect Instance

The Amazon Connect instance is where the contact center configuration lives. Users, phone numbers, queues, contact flows, and other settings are managed from this environment.

Start by opening Amazon Connect from the AWS Management Console.

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
2. Search for Amazon Connect.
3. Open the service and choose Create instance.
4. Select how users will be managed. For a simple setup, Amazon Connect’s own user management can be used. If the organization already has an identity provider, an appropriate identity integration can be selected instead.
5. Enter a unique Access URL.
6. Create the initial administrator account.
7. Select whether the instance will be used for incoming calls, outgoing calls, or both.
8. Configure the storage options presented during instance creation.
9. Review the settings and create the instance.

The instance may take a little time to become available.

Once it is ready, open the Access URL and sign in with the administrator account.

At this point, there is not much to see from a customer’s perspective. The environment exists, but we have not yet given customers a number to call or configured how those calls should be handled. That comes next.

Step 2: Get a Phone Number

A customer needs a number to call before we can test the contact center.

Amazon Connect supports claiming phone numbers from within the service. The exact numbers and number types available depend on the country and AWS region.

To claim a number:

1. Open the Amazon Connect instance.
2. Go to Channels.
3. Select Phone numbers.
4. Choose Claim a number.
5. Select the required country.
6. Select the available number type.
7. Choose a number from the list.
8. Associate a contact flow if the console requires one for the number configuration.
9. Save the configuration.

For the moment, the number is simply the entry point into the contact center. We will connect it to the actual inbound flow in Part 2.

It is worth keeping the number noted somewhere during the setup because it will be used repeatedly while testing the contact center.

Step 3: Set the Working Hours

A support team may not be available all day. Amazon Connect needs to know when the team is expected to handle contacts.

This is configured using Hours of operation. Suppose the support team works Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. That schedule can be created once and then used by the relevant queues and contact flows.

To create the schedule:

1. Open Routing.
2. Select Hours of operation.
3. Choose Add new hours.
4. Give the schedule a name, such as Weekday Support Hours.
5. Select the correct time zone.
6. Add the working days.
7. Enter the start and end time for each day.
8. Leave the remaining days closed.
9. Save the schedule.

The time zone is particularly important here. A schedule created with the wrong time zone can cause a flow to treat the support team as open or closed at the wrong time.

There is also no requirement to keep everything under one schedule. If different teams have different working hours, separate schedules can be created.

For example, Sales might operate until 6:00 PM while Technical Support remains available until 10:00 PM.

Step 4: Create a Queue

Now we need somewhere for incoming contacts to wait.

A queue is used when an agent is not immediately available to take a contact. In a simple support environment, we might create one queue called General Support. Larger teams may have separate queues for areas such as Sales, Billing, or Technical Support.

To create a queue:

1. Go to Routing.
2. Select Queues.
3. Choose Add new queue.
4. Enter a name for the queue.
5. Select the appropriate Hours of operation.
6. Configure the maximum number of contacts if there is a specific requirement for it.
7. Configure an outbound caller ID if agents will make outbound calls.
8. Save the queue.

There is no need to create a large number of queues during the initial setup.

For example, if five agents all handle general customer questions, a single General Support queue may be enough. More queues can be introduced later if the teams or routing requirements become more specialized.

Keeping the first setup simple also makes testing easier.

Step 5: Add Users and Configure Their Permissions

The next step is to create the people who will use Amazon Connect.

This is where security profiles come into the setup. A security profile controls what a user is allowed to do inside Amazon Connect. For example, an agent generally needs permissions to handle contacts, while a supervisor may need additional permissions to monitor agents or view reports. An administrator requires broader access to manage the environment.

Some commonly used roles include:

• Agent – handles customer interactions.
• Supervisor or Manager – requires additional access for monitoring and reporting.
• Administrator – manages the Amazon Connect configuration.

The actual permissions should be based on the responsibilities of the user. Giving every account administrator access is usually unnecessary.

Adding a User

To add a user:

1. Open Users.
2. Select User management.
3. Choose Add new users.
4. Enter the user’s name and login information.
5. Select the appropriate security profile.
6. Assign a routing profile.
7. Save the user.

If the contact center has many agents, users can also be added using the available bulk-import functionality rather than creating every account individually. One point to keep in mind is that a security profile and a routing profile are not the same thing. The security profile controls permissions within Amazon Connect. The routing profile determines which queues and contacts an agent can receive.

For now, the available/default routing profile can be used if the routing design has not been finalized. We will configure the routing side properly in Part 2.

Putting the Pieces Together

At this point, the main building blocks are available:

• An Amazon Connect instance
• A customer-facing phone number
• Working hours
• A support queue
• User accounts

But there is still a gap.

If someone calls the number right now, Amazon Connect needs to know what should happen to that call. Which message should play? What if the business is closed? Which queue should receive the call? Which agent should get it?

Those decisions are handled through contact flows and routing profiles.

That is why the setup in this article is only the foundation.

A Quick Check Before Moving On

Before starting Part 2, it is worth checking the configuration once.

Make sure:

• The Amazon Connect instance is active.
• The Access URL works.
• The claimed phone number is visible.
• The correct time zone is configured for the operating hours.
• The required working days and times are correct.
• The support queue exists.
• The required users have been created.
• Users have the appropriate security profiles.
• A routing profile is available for the users.

If these items are in place, the environment is ready for the next stage.

Conclusion

There is now a simple Amazon Connect environment. After setting up the Connect instance, we added the necessary components, including a phone number, working hours, a queue, and user accounts. At this point, the client call path is still incomplete. Routing and contact flows must be used to link the phone number, queue, and agents.In Part 2, we shall do it.

We will set up quick connects for transfers, establish routing profiles, construct an incoming contact flow, link that flow to the phone number, and examine Amazon Connect metrics. Lastly, a few tests will be conducted to ensure that the entire system operates as anticipated.