How to Use the Router Tool in Agent Studio

Understanding the Router Tool

The Router tool in Agent Studio is a powerful flow control node that determines which step a conversation should go to next. Instead of forcing a contact down a single, linear path, the Router allows you to create intelligent branches based on what a contact says or what data you already know about them. You can use it to make your automated conversations more dynamic and responsive.

Router Types

There are three primary ways you can configure a Router to direct the flow of a conversation.

AI Router

An AI Router analyzes the natural language of a contact's last message and matches it to an intent you define. This is ideal for branching based on the meaning or sentiment behind a message, rather than an exact keyword.

• When to use it: When contacts might phrase the same intent in many different ways (e.g., "I'm interested in silver," "Tell me about silver investing," "Silver info please").
• How it works: You define specific intents (like "Interested in Silver" and "Not Interested"). The AI evaluates the user's message and sends the conversation to the node connected to the matching intent path.

Conditional Router

A Conditional Router directs the flow by evaluating a rule against a saved variable. This is useful when you have captured specific data earlier in the conversation, such as a form response or a choice selection.

• When to use it: When you need to check for a known, stored value like "Yes," "No," a specific number, or a contact property.
• How it works: You create conditions using a variable, an operator (like "equals" or "contains"), and a value. If the condition is true, the conversation follows that path.

No Condition Router

A No Condition Router creates a simple, always-active path to the next connected node. It does not evaluate any logic or intent.

• When to use it: When you want the conversation to proceed to a specific next step every single time, without any decision-making at this point. It acts as a straightforward bridge in your flow.

Using the Router in Sequential Nodes

You can also place a Router node inside a Sequential Node. This allows you to maintain a primarily step-by-step flow but insert a dynamic decision point where needed. For example, you can have a linear sequence of information-gathering steps, use a Router to ask a qualifying question, and then branch to different outcomes based on the AI or conditional response before the sequence continues.

How to Configure a Router

1. From your CRM's left navigation, go to AI Agents and select the Agent Studio tab.
2. Open an existing agent or create a new one.
3. Build the initial part of your flow with a trigger and an AI Agent node.
4. From the Flow Control panel on the left, drag the Router node onto your canvas.
5. With the Router node selected, an edit panel will open on the right. Here, you will select and configure your router type.
   • For an AI Router: Select "AI Router" and define the specific intents that will trigger each outgoing path.
   • For a Conditional Router: Select "Conditional Router" and add your conditions using the variable, operator, and value fields.
   • For a No Condition path: This is typically the default fallback path in a Conditional Router setup, or you can configure a simple connector without logic.
6. Connect the output paths from your Router node to the different next steps in your agent flow.

Example Flow

Imagine a flow where a contact asks about investment options. After an initial greeting, a Router node is used.

• An AI Router could analyze their follow-up message. If the intent is "interested in precious metals," the flow goes to a node about gold and silver. If the intent is "interested in stocks," the flow branches to a different information path.
• A Conditional Router could be used later after a form asks, "Are you an accredited investor?" The router checks the saved response. If the value equals "Yes," the contact is routed to a high-level opportunities sequence. If "No," they are sent to general education content.

Best Practices

• Use AI for open-ended questions: Deploy the AI Router when you expect varied natural language responses.
• Use Conditions for structured data: Use the Conditional Router when you have clear, discrete values to check against, like form submissions or button clicks.
• Keep intents distinct: When setting up AI intents, make sure they represent clearly different conversational goals to improve routing accuracy.
• Test your branches: Always test each possible path through your Router to ensure contacts are directed correctly.