Escalation routing lets your AI chatbot send conversations to specific Slack channels based on the topic of the conversation. Instead of all chats arriving in one channel, sales questions go to #sales, support issues go to #support, and billing questions go to #billing.
How It Works
- A visitor starts a chat on your website
- The AI chatbot responds and gathers information about the visitor's needs
- When the visitor needs human help, the AI triggers an Escalate Chat to Human action
- The action's configuration determines which Slack channel to route the chat to
- A chat invitation appears in the target channel
- An agent in that channel joins and responds
The visitor sees a smooth handoff. They do not know which channel received the chat.
Prerequisites
- Social Intents connected to Slack (setup guide)
- An AI chatbot enabled on your widget
- Multiple Slack channels created for your different teams
Setting Up a Route
Create Target Channels
In Slack, create channels for each routing destination if they do not exist. Examples: #sales-chat, #support-chat, #billing-chat.
Open AI Actions
Go to My Widgets, select your widget, and click the AI Actions tab. Click Add Action.
Select Escalate Chat to Human
From the Action Type dropdown, choose Escalate Chat to Human.
Configure the Action
- Action Name:
Route_To_Sales - When to use: "When the visitor asks about pricing, wants a demo, or asks to speak with sales"
- Triggered response: "Let me connect you with our sales team."
Select the Target Channel
In the Target Channel dropdown, select the Slack channel where this type of chat should go. The dropdown lists all channels in your connected workspace.
Add Routing Instructions
In the Routing Instructions field, give extra context: "Route here for sales inquiries, pricing questions, demos, and purchasing decisions. Do not route support or billing questions."
Save
Click Save Action. Repeat for each department.
Example: Two-Department Setup
Sales Route
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Action Name | Route_Sales |
| When to use | "When the visitor asks about pricing, demos, or purchasing" |
| Triggered response | "Connecting you with sales." |
| Target Channel | #sales-chat |
Support Route
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Action Name | Route_Support |
| When to use | "When the visitor has a technical issue, needs help, or reports a bug" |
| Triggered response | "Let me get a support specialist." |
| Target Channel | #support-chat |
How Rerouting Works
When the AI triggers the escalation, Social Intents posts a context message and invitation link to the target Slack channel. The message includes the visitor's name, the page URL, and a summary of the AI conversation so the agent has full context before joining.
If the chat was already in a per-chat channel, the routing sends a notification to the new target channel pointing agents to the active conversation.
Tips for Effective Routing
- Be specific with trigger descriptions - Use concrete keywords rather than vague categories
- Avoid overlapping triggers - If "pricing" appears in both sales and billing, the AI may choose inconsistently
- Add a catch-all route - Create a general escalation action for conversations that do not match any specific department
- Use confirmation - Enable Require Confirmation if you want the visitor to approve the escalation before it happens
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I route to private Slack channels?
Yes, as long as the Social Intents bot is a member of the private channel. Invite the Social Intents bot to the private channel before configuring routing.
What if no one is available in the target channel?
The chat invitation sits in the channel until an agent responds. If no one joins, the visitor eventually sees the offline message. Consider having the AI continue the conversation in the meantime.
Can I combine routing with other AI Actions?
Yes. You can have both escalation routing actions and API actions on the same widget. For example, capture a lead via API first, then escalate to the sales channel.