# Flow designer reference: every button and setting

Look up any button or field in the flow designer here. For a guided walk through building a flow, start with [Building the conversation flow](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow).

## The designer at a glance

![The flow designer: tabs on the left, the canvas in the middle, the step panel on the right](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-overview.jpg)

* **Designer**, **Playground** and **History** are the tabs on the left. **Designer** is a chat where you describe changes in your own words; see [Designing your agent by chatting](/flow-agents/designing-your-agent-by-chatting).
* The **canvas** shows the flow as connected steps. Click a step to open its panel on the right.
* **Settings**, **Inboxes** and **Publish** sit in the header. The badge shows the agent's state: **Draft**, **Testers only** or **Handling public**.

If your designer opens as one large chat, click **Switch to classic view** in the header to get this layout.

## The canvas toolbar

![The Flow outline open next to the canvas toolbar](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-canvas-toolbar.jpg){ width="500" }

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Search nodes (Ctrl+F)** | Find a step by its words and jump to it |
| **Flow outline** | Every step as a tree of branches; click one to jump there |
| **Show where customers went in the last 30 days** | Heatmap of how many customers reached each step (administrators); see [See where customers go](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow#see-where-customers-go) |
| **Collapse one branch level** / **Expand one branch level** / **Expand all branches** | Fold a large flow one menu level at a time; double-click a folded pill to open it |
| **Select nodes to comment** | Draw a box round steps and type what should change; the designer chat edits only those steps |
| **Zoom in**, **Zoom out**, **Fit to view** | Change how much you see; **Fit to view** brings every step back |
| **Download as PDF** | Save the whole flow, with its images, as a PDF |
| **Show one image per step** | Appears when steps carry attachments; shrinks them to one thumbnail and a count |
| **Show the path walked in the playground** | Appears after a Playground run; numbers the steps it passed through |

## Settings every step shares

Every step panel has these, from top to bottom:

* **Label**: the step's name on the canvas.
* **Run this step**: switch the step off, or run it only between two dates with **Only run between**. While it is off, the flow skips to the next step. See [Switch a step off, or run it only for a period](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow#switch-a-step-off-or-run-it-only-for-a-period).
* **Next step**: where the flow goes after this step. Pick a step, or add a new one and write it next. On the canvas, the grey **+** at a block's right-hand connector adds the next step too, and the amber **+** on a question block adds a step on its No reply path.
* **Actions → Add label**: label the conversation and the contact when the flow reaches this step.
* **FAQ category scope**: narrow the FAQs the agent answers from, from this step on. See [Focus the agent on the right FAQs](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow#focus-the-agent-on-the-right-faqs).
* **Save Changes** keeps your edits. **Delete Node** removes the step; reconnect the steps around it afterwards.

In any message, `{name}` or `{email}` inserts a value collected earlier, and `{collection:key}` lists items from a repeating section. The expand icon on a long text field opens a larger editor.

## Send message

![The Send Message panel, top and bottom](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-send-message-panel.jpg){ width="640" }

* **Message**: what the agent says.
* **Add attachment** (above or below the message) adds an image, video, audio file or document, sent **Before message** or **After message**. You can also drop files onto the box. Describe each file under **What is this?** and use **When to send** for timing, for example *only after the customer shows interest*.

## Collect

![The Collect panel: variables, validation, follow-ups](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-collect-panel.jpg){ width="640" }

* **Question to ask**: what the agent asks.
* **Variable names**: the details this question captures. Mark each **Required** (asked again until given) or **Optional** (asked once). **Add variable** for more.
* **Validation**: **None**, **Email**, **Number** or **Date**.
* **Always stop and ask first**: always ask and wait, even if an earlier message seems to answer it.
* **Confirm a value the customer gave before**: show a returning customer last time's answer to confirm or correct.
* **Answer buttons**: up to 13 tappable answers, 20 characters each. See [Let customers tap an answer](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow#let-customers-tap-an-answer).
* **Follow up**: see [Follow-ups](#follow-ups) below.

How many times a required detail is asked again is set by **Re-ask limit for collect nodes** in Settings; the panel links there with **Change in Settings**.

## Condition and route rules

![The Condition panel with a route rule open on a branch, and the answer buttons below](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-condition-panel.jpg){ width="640" }

* **Question** (optional) is asked before the customer picks a branch. **Classification description** says what the branches are for.
* **Branches**: type a name and press Enter. Each name must match the label on a line leaving the step. Tick a branch to make it the **Default branch**, taken when no reply comes.
* The filter icon on a branch opens its **route rule**. **Add condition** offers:

| Condition | Shows or picks the branch when |
|---|---|
| **Meta ad IDs** | The customer came from one of these Click-to-Message ads |
| **Customer labels** | The conversation or contact has one of these labels |
| **Message keywords** | The latest message contains one of these words |
| **Must go here on match** | Skip the question and always route matching customers here (needs an ad ID or label) |

Combined conditions must all match. See [Show a route only to the right customers](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow#show-a-route-only-to-the-right-customers).

## AI conversation

The agent chats freely under your instructions until an exit applies.

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **How it should talk** | Your instructions for this step |
| **What this step handles** | Optional one-line summary, up to 200 characters |
| **Knowledge this step answers from** | AI Knowledge topics to use; empty means all |
| **Exit routes** | Ways out: **Add route**, name it, describe when it applies. **Done**, **Handoff** and **Unresolved** are reserved names |
| **Variable names** | Details to capture while chatting |
| **Advanced settings → Turn limit** | Leave through **Unresolved** after this many customer replies |

## AI task and tool steps

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **AI task → Result variable** | Runs silently and saves its answer for later steps |
| **Tool type** | Live data for the step: calendar slots, catalogue products or one of your API tools |
| **If the request fails** | Say it couldn't check and move on, or say so and hand off. Never makes up a value |
| **Search from variable** | Search products by a collected detail; blank uses the latest message |
| **Which products to use** | Suggest closest matches, or only exact fits and hand off when none match. See [Product catalogue and recommendations](/flow-agents/product-catalogue-and-recommendations) |
| **If the time was just taken** | The apology a booking step sends when the slot went first. See [Setting up a calendar](/calendar/setting-up-a-calendar) |

## Follow-ups

Under **Follow up** on a Collect step, click **+ Add follow-up step** to act when the customer stops replying. Steps fire one after another. Each one waits for the time under **Follow up after**, then does what you choose under **Then**: **Send a reminder and keep waiting**, **Continue to the next step**, **Hand off to a human agent** or **Continue on the No reply path**.

* The message is optional. Without one, the step fires silently. On a reminder step you can drop images, video, audio or files onto **Media** to send with it.
* **Continue on the No reply path** draws an amber **No reply** line from this step on the canvas and asks where it leads under **Go to step**: an existing step, or **+ New message step**, **+ New question step** or **+ New end**. If the customer still hasn't replied by then, the flow follows that line instead of the normal next step. See [Follow up when the customer goes quiet](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow#follow-up-when-the-customer-goes-quiet).
* Every step needs a wait time. Steps after a continue, hand-off or No reply step never run.
* Follow-ups never go out during **Quiet hours for follow-ups** in the agent's Settings.

## End

![The End panel](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-end-panel.jpg){ width="330" }

* **Final message**: said as the conversation ends.
* **Hand off to human agent**: pass the chat to your team instead of closing it. The default End always hands off.
* **Handoff message**: sent on handoff. Tick **Leave handoff message blank (silent handoff)** to send nothing.
* **Outside business hours**: sent instead when the inbox is outside its business hours.

See [The handoff message](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow#the-handoff-message).

## Playground

![The Playground tab](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-playground.jpg){ width="420" }

Type as the customer to run the flow. The paperclip sends a photo, voice note or PDF. **History** lists earlier test runs.

![The Test scenario dialog](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-playground-scenario.jpg){ width="460" }

**Scenario** plays a real customer: their contact, the **Ad** they clicked, their **Labels**, the **Inbox** they write on and the **Time** of the conversation. Route rules and opening hours then behave as they would live. **Load from a conversation** fills it in from a conversation number; save a set under **Saved scenarios** to reuse it.

* Follow-ups fire after their real waiting time, so keep the test open.
* When a test ends and a message sequence is linked to the agent, **Simulate inactivity** starts the sequence and **Deliver** sends its next message. See [Message sequences](/campaigns/message-sequences).

## History

![Snapshot History](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-history.jpg){ width="420" }

Each change creates a snapshot. **Restore** goes back to one. The live one carries a **Published** badge.

## Publish and Inboxes

![The Publish flow agent dialog](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-publish-dialog.jpg){ width="460" }

**Publish** asks **Who can talk to this agent?**: **Public** (everyone on the connected inboxes) or **Testers only** (the phone numbers, emails or WhatsApp usernames you list).

![The Assign Inboxes dialog](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-inboxes-dialog.jpg){ width="460" }

**Inboxes** picks which inboxes the agent answers; each inbox can have one flow agent. **Add new inbox** connects a channel without leaving the designer. **Save collected phone to contact** makes a number the agent collects become the contact's phone; tick **I understand and accept this risk** to switch it on, because it cannot be undone.

## Agent settings

![Flow Agent Settings](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/designer-agent-settings.jpg)

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Keep answering after the flow ends** | Answer questions after the flow finishes instead of starting over |
| **Answer FAQs on the first message** | A first message that matches AI Knowledge is answered before the opening |
| **Continue the flow after an FAQ answer** | After an FAQ answer, ask the pending question again or start the flow |
| **Let AI rewrite messages** | Reword messages in your tone; facts, prices, dates and links never change |
| **Try to help before handing off** | One clarifying question or answer first; asking for a person always hands off at once |
| **Details to collect before handing off** | Shown when **Try to help before handing off** is on. Asked once before a routine handoff; answers go in a private note |
| **Pause duration after handoff** | How long the agent stays quiet after a handoff; **Custom** or **No auto-resume** |
| **Re-ask limit for collect nodes** | Times a required detail is asked again |
| **Delay before replying (seconds)** | 0 to 300; messages sent during the wait get one reply |
| **Facebook post context (characters)** | How much of a post the agent reads for a comment; 300 recommended |
| **Quiet hours for follow-ups** | No follow-ups in this window, in the inbox's timezone |
| **Business hours** | Each connected inbox's hours, used by **Outside business hours** |

More in [Behaviour settings](/flow-agents/testing-and-connecting-an-agent#behaviour-settings).

## Related

* [Building the conversation flow](/flow-agents/building-the-conversation-flow)
* [Designing your agent by chatting](/flow-agents/designing-your-agent-by-chatting)
* [Testing and connecting an agent](/flow-agents/testing-and-connecting-an-agent)
* [Product catalogue and recommendations](/flow-agents/product-catalogue-and-recommendations)
* [Managing AI Knowledge](/flow-agents/managing-ai-knowledge)

---
Source: https://help.mampuai.com/flow-agents/designer-reference