# Case intake: Web-to-Case, Email-to-Case and portals

*Agentforce Service Consultant Study Guide · Intake and Interaction Channels · Last updated October 15, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-service-consultant/intake-and-interaction-channels/case-intake-web-to-case-email-to-case-and-portals*

How to pick and design the asynchronous intake channels that create cases: Web-to-Case forms (setup steps, 5,000-a-day limit, reCAPTCHA, default owner, no attachments), Email-to-Case routing addresses, limits and threading, and Experience Cloud self-service with contact requests and a Channel Menu.

- Certification: Salesforce Agentforce Service Consultant
- Exam section: Intake and Interaction Channels
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-service-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Given business process requirements, recommend the appropriate approach to intake channels and their design.

## What the exam expects

- Recommend an intake channel from the requirement: volume, whether the customer must log in, attachments, spam risk and the data reps need.
- Prepare and publish a Web-to-Case form: fields, response template, queues, an active assignment rule, a Default Case Owner, reCAPTCHA v2.
- Explain when Email-to-Case creates a case, how routing addresses and threading work, and its limits.
- Use an Experience Cloud self-service site as intake: Knowledge first, contact requests, a Channel Menu.
- Pick the Omni-Channel routing type that fits how reps are organized once work arrives.

Key terms: **Web-to-Case** (an HTML form generated in Setup that creates cases); **Email-to-Case** (turns emails sent to support addresses into cases); **routing address** (a support address that redirects mail to the Salesforce email services address); **Default Case Owner** (the user or queue that gets web and email cases no assignment rule entry matches); **contact request** (a site form asking support to get in touch).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Web-to-Case volume | Up to 5,000 cases per day, more on request | [Provide Web Forms with Web-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customize_casecapture.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Web-to-Case content | No attachments, no rich text fields | [Provide Web Forms with Web-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customize_casecapture.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| No active assignment rule | Every web case goes to the Default Case Owner | [Prepare for Web-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.setting_up_web-to-case_prereqs.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| reCAPTCHA | v2 only; unverified requests create no case; regenerate HTML after enabling | [Prevent Spam Cases with reCAPTCHA](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customizesupport_web_to_case_enable_recaptcha.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Testing the form | Add the hidden debug input, remove it before publishing | [Generate Your Web-to-Case Form](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.web_to_case_html.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Email-to-Case trigger | Routing address in To, CC or BCC | [Set Up Email-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.setting_up_email-to-case.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| On-demand service | Select it unless a custom solution keeps mail inside your firewall; the installed Email-to-Case agent is unsupported | [Configure Email-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customizesupport_email_to_case_settings.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Email-to-Case is permanent | Can't be disabled after enabling | [Turn On Email-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customizesupport_enabling_email_to_case.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Inbound email size | Under 25 MB including attachments | [Email-to-Case Limits](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.email_to_case_limits_and_limitations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Routing addresses per email | One; several create duplicate cases | [Email-to-Case Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.faq_cases_email.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why must a Default Case Owner be set even when an assignment rule is active?
- When does an inbound email create a case?
- Why ask customers to put only one routing address on an email?
- What happens to a Web-to-Case submission without reCAPTCHA verification once Require reCAPTCHA Verification is on?

## Sources

- [Provide Web Forms with Web-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customize_casecapture.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Prepare for Web-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.setting_up_web-to-case_prereqs.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Turn On and Customize Web-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.setting_up_web-to-case.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Generate and Test Your Web-to-Case Form](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.web_to_case_html.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Prevent Spam Cases with reCAPTCHA](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customizesupport_web_to_case_enable_recaptcha.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Set Up Email-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.setting_up_email-to-case.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Turn On Email-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customizesupport_enabling_email_to_case.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Configure Email-to-Case](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.customizesupport_email_to_case_settings.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Email-to-Case Limits and Limitations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.email_to_case_limits_and_limitations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Email-to-Case Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.faq_cases_email.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Email-to-Case Threading](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.support_email_to_case_threading.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Provide Self-Service in an Experience Cloud Site](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.support_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Considerations and Limitations for Enhanced Chat](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.miaw_considerations_and_limitations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Plan for Enhanced Chat](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.planning_checklist.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Route Work with Omni-Channel](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.omnichannel_intro.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 9 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Agentforce Service Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams