/agentic-workflow-guide

Pattern 2: Routing

Classify input → Route to specialized handlers

Back to overview.md

Diagram

graph TD
    A[Input] --> B{Router}
    B -->|Type A| C[Handler A]
    B -->|Type B| D[Handler B]
    B -->|Type C| E[Handler C]
    B -->|Unclassified| F[Default Handler]
    C --> G[Output]
    D --> G
    E --> G
    F --> G

Characteristics

When to Use

• Input has clear categories
• Different processing is optimal per category
• Classification accuracy is sufficiently high

Implementation Example

Router: Determine inquiry type
├─ Technical question → Technical Support Agent
├─ Billing related → Billing Support Agent
├─ General question → FAQ Agent
└─ Unclassified → Default Handler

Default Handler (Fallback Route)

Handle inputs that don't match any defined category:

graph TD
    A[Input] --> B{Router}
    B -->|Confidence > 80%| C[Specialized Handler]
    B -->|Confidence < 80%| D[Default Handler]
    D --> E{Can Help?}
    E -->|Yes| F[Direct Response]
    E -->|No| G[Escalate / Clarify]

When to Route to Default:

Implementation Example:

---
name: Support Router
tools: ["agent"]
---

# Support Router

## Routing Rules

1. Technical keywords detected → Tech Support Agent
2. Billing/payment keywords → Billing Agent
3. FAQ match found → FAQ Agent
4. **Otherwise → Default Handler**

## Default Handler Behavior

- Attempt general assistance first
- If unable to help: "I'll connect you with a specialist"
- Log unclassified inputs for future category expansion

⚠️ Important: Default Handler should log unclassified inputs. Frequent patterns may indicate a missing specialized handler.