Docs › Automation › Routing Rules
Routing Rules
Control how incoming messages are distributed to team members or AI agents.
Overview
Routing Rules let you define how incoming messages are automatically assigned. Instead of manually triaging every conversation, you set up rules with conditions and actions — when a message matches the conditions, the specified action is executed. This ensures every message reaches the right person or agent without delay.
Creating Rules
1
Go to Automation → Routing Rules
Click "Automation" in the sidebar, then select "Routing Rules" from the submenu.
2
Click Create Rule
Click the "Create Rule" button to open the rule builder.
3
Name your rule
Give the rule a descriptive name so your team can understand its purpose at a glance (e.g., "VIP contacts to Sales team").
4
Define conditions and actions
Add one or more conditions that must match, then specify the action to take when they do. See the sections below for available conditions and actions.
5
Save and activate
Click "Save" to create the rule. Toggle it to "Active" to start routing messages.
Conditions
Conditions determine when a rule should fire. You can combine multiple conditions with AND logic:
1
Channel
Match messages from a specific channel (e.g., WhatsApp, Voice, or a specific phone number).
2
Contact tag
Match contacts that have a specific tag, such as "VIP," "Enterprise," or "New Lead."
3
Time of day
Match messages received during a specific time range (e.g., after business hours, weekends only).
4
Message content
Match messages containing specific keywords or phrases (e.g., "billing," "refund," "technical support").
5
Team availability
Match based on whether specific team members or groups are currently available or offline.
Actions
Actions define what happens when a message matches the rule's conditions:
1
Assign to member
Route the conversation to a specific team member.
2
Assign to group
Route the conversation to a team group. The conversation appears in the group's shared inbox and can be claimed by any member.
3
Assign to AI agent
Route the conversation to an AI agent for automated handling.
4
Add tag
Automatically tag the contact or conversation for tracking and reporting purposes.
5
Send auto-reply
Send an immediate automated response to the contact (e.g., "Thanks for reaching out! A team member will be with you shortly.").
Info
You can combine multiple actions in a single rule. For example, tag the contact as "Support" and assign to the Support group at the same time.
Priority Order
Rules are evaluated from top to bottom. The first rule whose conditions match is executed, and no further rules are checked for that message.
1
First match wins
When an incoming message matches the conditions of the first applicable rule, that rule's actions are executed and processing stops.
2
Drag to reorder
On the Routing Rules page, drag and drop rules to change their priority. Place more specific rules above general ones to ensure they match first.
Tip
Put your most specific rules at the top and your catch-all rules at the bottom. For example, "VIP contacts to Sales" should come before "All messages to Support."