Connections & Routing

Connections (also called edges) are the lines that link nodes together on the canvas. They define the order in which nodes execute during a conversation. Every flow is a directed graph: execution starts at the Start node and follows edges from one node to the next.

Creating a Connection

To connect two nodes:

1. Hover over the output handle (small circle on the right or bottom of a node).
2. Click and drag from the output handle toward the target node.
3. Release on the input handle (small circle on the left or top of the target node).
4. A curved edge appears linking the two nodes.

You can also create a connection and a new node in one step. Drag from an output handle and release on empty canvas space -- a node picker appears, and the new node is automatically connected.

TIP

If a connection does not appear, check that you are dragging from an output handle to an input handle. You cannot connect two outputs or two inputs together.

imageCanvas showing a user dragging a curved edge from a Start node output handle to an LLM Response node input handle

Creating a connection between two nodes

Edge Types

Default Edges

A default edge is a simple connection between two nodes. Execution passes from source to target unconditionally. Most connections in a flow are default edges.

Conditional Edges

Conditional edges originate from nodes with multiple output handles -- each handle represents a different outcome. The flow engine evaluates the node's logic and routes execution to the matching output.

Node Type	Output Handles	Routing Logic
Condition	One per rule + default	First rule that evaluates to true; default if none match
API Call	Success, Error	Based on HTTP request outcome
Dialogflow CX	Success, Fallback	Based on intent confidence threshold
Google ADK Agent	Success, Error, Handoff	Based on agent execution result
CX Agent Studio	Success, Error, Handoff	Based on CES agent execution result
CX Multi-Agent	Success, Error, Handoff	Based on sub-agent routing outcome
Salesforce	Success, Error	Based on CRM operation outcome
Authenticate	Success, Failure, Timeout	Based on authentication outcome
IVR Menu	One per DTMF key + No Match	Based on caller's key press
Intent Router	One per intent group + Default	Based on detected intent
Loop	Continue, Exit	Based on iteration condition

Edge Labels

Labels clarify what an edge represents. They are especially useful on conditional edges.

• Automatic labels: Condition, IVR Menu, and Intent Router nodes automatically label their edges with the rule name, DTMF key, or intent name.
• Custom labels: Click any edge, then type a label in the Config Panel. Use short text like "User verified" or "Payment failed".

How Conditional Routing Works

When execution reaches a node with multiple outputs, conditions are evaluated in order:

1. Condition nodes: Rules are evaluated top to bottom. The first match determines the output. If none match, the default edge is followed.
2. IVR Menu nodes: DTMF input is matched against configured keys. Unmatched input or timeout follows the No Match handle.
3. Intent Router nodes: The intent variable is compared against each route. The first match wins. No match follows the Default handle.

                        ┌──── [rule: tier = "premium"] ──── Premium Path
                        │
[Condition Node] ───────┼──── [rule: tier = "basic"] ────── Basic Path
                        │
                        └──── [default] ──────────────────── Fallback Path

WARNING

If a conditional node has no default edge connected and no rules match, the conversation will end at that node. Always connect a default output to handle unexpected cases.

imageCondition node on canvas with three labeled output handles — premium, basic, and default — each connected to a different downstream node

Conditional routing with multiple output handles

Selecting and Deleting Edges

• Click an edge to select it. The edge highlights and the Config Panel shows its properties (source node, target node, source handle, label).
• Press Delete or Backspace to remove the selected edge, or right-click and choose Delete.
• Deleting an edge does not delete the nodes it connects.

Reconnecting Edges

To change where an edge points:

1. Delete the existing edge.
2. Draw a new connection from the source output handle to the desired target node.

You can also drag an edge's target endpoint directly to a different node -- hover over the endpoint until the cursor changes, then drag to a new input handle.

Loops and Cycles

OmniBots supports looping by connecting a node's output back to an earlier node. This is how multi-turn conversations work.

Pattern	Structure	Use Case
Conversational loop	LLM Response -> Message -> back to LLM Response	Multi-turn AI chat
Retry loop	Collect Input -> Condition (valid?) -> back to Collect Input	Input validation with retries
Menu loop	IVR Menu -> Action -> back to IVR Menu	Repeated menu selection

WARNING

The flow engine enforces a maximum turn count (configurable in flow settings, default 50) to prevent infinite loops. When the limit is reached, the bot sends the fallback message and ends the conversation.

Validation

The flow builder validates connections in real time. Common warnings:

• Disconnected node: A node with no incoming edge (except Start) is unreachable.
• Missing default edge: A Condition or Intent Router with no default output.
• Infinite loop risk: A cycle with no exit condition or turn limit.
• Duplicate output edge: Standard handles support one outgoing edge. A second connection replaces the first.

Warnings appear as yellow badges on nodes and in the Issues tab at the bottom of the builder.

Best Practices

• Label conditional edges so the flow is self-documenting.
• Always connect a default path on Condition and Intent Router nodes.
• Arrange nodes so edges flow left-to-right or top-to-bottom for readability.
• Prefer the Loop node over manual back-connections for controlled iteration with built-in limits.
• Test every branch using the conversation simulator to verify each path executes correctly.