Escalation Routing: Route Chats to Specific Teams

Escalation routing lets your AI chatbot send conversations to specific teams based on the topic. Instead of every escalated chat landing in a single channel where all your agents see it, routing actions direct billing questions to your billing team, sales inquiries to your sales channel, technical issues to your engineering group, and so on. Each routing action targets a specific Slack channel, Microsoft Teams channel, Google Chat space, or Webex room - and includes context instructions so the receiving agents understand exactly why the chat was routed to them.

Below you will find how to set up, configure, and optimize escalation routing in Social Intents. You will learn how routing works under the hood, how to configure target channels for every supported platform, how to write effective routing instructions, and how to build a multi-route system that handles your entire organization.

How Escalation Routing Works

Escalation routing uses the Escalate Chat to Human action type. When the AI chatbot detects that a visitor's request matches the routing action's trigger description, it routes the conversation from the current channel to the target channel you specified. The visitor sees a triggered response message (for example, "Let me connect you with our billing team"), and the conversation appears in the target channel where the appropriate agents can respond.

Here is what happens step by step when an escalation routing action fires:

1. The visitor sends a message that matches the action's When to use trigger description.
2. The AI engine recognizes the match and selects the escalation routing action.
3. If Require visitor confirmation is enabled, the visitor sees a confirmation button. The chat is routed only after the visitor clicks the button.
4. If confirmation is not required, the chat is routed immediately.
5. The conversation is sent to the Target Channel / Space you configured.
6. Agents in the target channel see the conversation along with any Routing Instructions you wrote, providing context about why this chat was sent to them.
7. The visitor sees the Triggered response message you configured, confirming they are being connected to the right team.

How Routing Differs from Standard Escalation

Standard chatbot escalation (configured through escalation phrases in your AI chatbot settings) sends the conversation to your widget's default channel - the main channel where your chat widget is connected. Every escalated chat goes to the same place.

Escalation routing is different because it sends the conversation to a specific channel that you choose. You can have multiple routing actions on one widget, each targeting a different channel. This lets you build a department-based routing system where conversations go directly to the team best equipped to handle them.

Requisitos previos

Before setting up escalation routing, make sure you have:

• A connected messaging platform - Your widget must be connected to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, or Webex. The routing dropdown populates channels from your connected platform.
• Multiple channels or spaces - You need at least two channels: your default widget channel and the target channel you want to route to. Create the target channels in your messaging platform before configuring the routing action.
• Bot access to target channels - The Social Intents bot must be added to the target channel. In Slack, invite the bot to the channel. In Teams, make sure the bot is installed in the team that owns the channel. In Google Chat, mention @Live Chat in the space to add it.
• An AI chatbot enabled - Escalation routing relies on the AI engine to detect visitor intent and trigger the action. Make sure your widget has an AI chatbot configured. See Build Your First AI Chatbot.

Configuración paso a paso

Platform-Specific Setup

Slack

For Slack routing, the bot must be a member of the target channel. To add the bot:

1. Open the target channel in Slack.
2. Type /invite @Social Intents or click the channel name, go to Integraciones, and add the Social Intents bot.
3. The channel should now appear in the Target Channel dropdown in Social Intents.

Slack channels are shown with the # prefix in the dropdown. Archived channels are automatically excluded. If you create a new channel after setting up your widget, refresh the action settings page to see it in the dropdown.

Microsoft Teams

For Teams routing, the Social Intents bot must be installed in the team that owns the target channel. The dropdown shows team and channel combinations (e.g., "Marketing Team - General" or "Support Team - Escalations").

If the channel does not appear in the dropdown:

1. Go to the Teams admin center and verify the Social Intents bot is installed in the team.
2. Make sure the target channel exists and is not hidden or restricted.
3. Use the Other (enter ID manually) option and paste the channel ID from the Teams admin console.

Chat de Google

For Google Chat routing, mention @Live Chat in the target space. This registers the space with Social Intents so it appears in the Target Channel dropdown.

1. Open the target space in Google Chat.
2. Type @Live Chat in a message and send it.
3. The space should now appear in the dropdown in Social Intents.

Webex

For Webex routing, the Social Intents bot must be added to the target room. The dropdown shows all rooms the bot has access to.

1. Open the target room in Webex.
2. Add the Social Intents bot to the room.
3. The room should now appear in the dropdown in Social Intents.

Building a Multi-Route System

Most organizations need more than one routing rule. Here is how to design a routing system that covers your entire organization:

1. Map Your Teams and Topics

Start by listing every team or department that handles customer interactions, and the topics they own:

2. Create One Routing Action per Team

Create a separate Escalate Chat to Human action for each team. Each action targets a different channel and has a distinct trigger description.

3. Write Non-Overlapping Triggers

The most important part of a multi-route system is making sure triggers do not overlap. If "pricing" could match both Sales and Billing, you need to clarify:

• Sales trigger: "...asks about pricing for new purchases, wants to buy a plan, or requests a quote for a new account..."
• Billing trigger: "...has a question about existing charges, disputes an invoice amount, or asks why a charge appeared on their credit card..."

Use negative instructions to reinforce boundaries: "Do NOT use this action for new purchase pricing - those go to sales."

4. Add a Catch-All Route

Create a general routing action with a broad trigger like "Use this action when the visitor wants to talk to a human agent and their request does not fit any specific department." Target this at your general support channel. Set its sort order lower (or create it last) so the AI evaluates more specific routes first.

Routing Instructions Best Practices

Routing instructions are the context message agents see when a routed chat arrives. Well-written instructions dramatically improve agent response time and quality. Here are examples:

Simple, Direct Instructions

"Visitor needs help with a billing issue regarding their latest invoice."

Detailed Context Instructions

"Visitor is on the Pro plan and wants to upgrade to Business. They asked about the difference in features and pricing. They seem ready to purchase and want to speak with someone about volume discounts for their team of 25."

Dynamic Instructions

You can use general descriptions that apply to any conversation routed by this action:

"This chat was routed because the visitor has a technical question about their integration setup. Please review the chat history above for specific details about the issue."

Advanced Configuration

Combining Routing with Other Actions

Escalation routing works alongside other AI Actions. A common pattern is to capture lead data before routing:

1. Create a Call API Request action that captures the visitor's name and email into your CRM, triggered by "when the visitor shares their contact information."
2. Create an Escalate Chat to Human action that routes to the sales channel, triggered by "when the visitor asks to speak with sales about purchasing."

The AI can fire both actions in sequence during the same conversation - first capturing the lead, then routing to sales.

Auto-Close After Routing

Check Automatically close the chat after this action runs if you want the AI chatbot portion of the conversation to end after routing. The conversation continues in the target channel, but the chatbot stops responding. This prevents the AI from interfering with the human agent's conversation.

Trigger Once per Session

Enable Trigger only once per session to prevent the routing action from firing multiple times in the same conversation. This is recommended - once a chat is routed, there is no need to route it again.

Troubleshooting

Target channel not appearing in the dropdown

Make sure the Social Intents bot has been added to the target channel or space in your messaging platform. For Slack, invite the bot to the channel. For Google Chat, mention @Live Chat in the space. For Teams, verify the bot is installed in the team. Refresh the action settings page after adding the bot.

Chat is routed to the wrong channel

Review the trigger descriptions on all your routing actions. Look for overlapping topics. Add negative instructions to clarify boundaries. Test with specific phrases that should trigger each individual route.

Routing fires when it should not

The trigger description is too broad. Make it more specific. Instead of "when the visitor needs help," use "when the visitor explicitly asks to speak with a human agent about their billing charges." Include negative instructions: "Do NOT use this action for general product questions."

Agents do not see routing instructions

Verify that you entered text in the Routing Instructions field. If the field is empty, agents see the routed conversation but without any additional context. Also check that your messaging platform client is not truncating long messages.

Visitor confirmation button does not appear

Make sure Require visitor confirmation before routing is checked and you have entered a Confirmation Button Label. If the label field is empty, the button may not render properly.

Preguntas frecuentes

Can I route to channels on different platforms?

Each widget is connected to one messaging platform. Routing actions can only target channels on that widget's connected platform. If your widget is connected to Slack, you can route to any Slack channel the bot has access to, but not to a Teams channel. If you need cross-platform routing, create separate widgets for each platform.

What happens if the target channel is deleted?

If the target channel no longer exists when the routing action fires, the escalation will fail silently. The visitor may see the triggered response but the conversation will not appear anywhere for agents. Keep your routing actions updated when you reorganize channels in your messaging platform.

Can I route based on visitor attributes like location or company?

The routing trigger is based on AI intent matching from the conversation content, not on visitor metadata. However, if the visitor mentions their location or company during the chat, the AI can use that information to match a trigger. For example, a trigger like "when the visitor mentions they are in Europe or asks about GDPR compliance" would work because the AI reads the conversation context.

How many routing actions can I have on one widget?

There is no hard limit. However, we recommend keeping routing actions focused - typically 3 to 8 routes per widget. Each route should target a clearly distinct team with a non-overlapping trigger description. More routes means more triggers for the AI to evaluate, so keep them focused and well-differentiated.

Does routing work if no agents are online in the target channel?

Yes. The conversation is sent to the target channel regardless of whether agents are currently online. If no one is monitoring the channel, the message waits for agents to return. Customize your triggered response to set appropriate expectations: "I'm connecting you with our billing team. If they're not available immediately, they'll respond as soon as possible."

Can I test routing without affecting real channels?

Create a test channel in your messaging platform (e.g., #routing-test in Slack) and point a routing action at it. Write a specific trigger like "when the visitor says the exact phrase ROUTE TEST." Use this to test the routing flow without affecting real support channels. Delete or update the test action after verifying.

What to Read Next

• What Are AI Actions? - Overview of all action types and how they work.
• Choosing the Right Action Type - Compare escalation routing against other action types.
• Escalation to Human Agents - Configure standard escalation phrases for your AI chatbot.
• Custom API Actions - Combine routing with API calls for a complete automation workflow.