As you create more AI Routes, some routes may begin covering similar types of member questions.
When multiple routes have descriptions that are too similar, Novus AI may have difficulty determining which route should handle a message.
Managing route overlap helps keep routing accurate and ensures that the correct specialized instructions are applied.
What Is Route Overlap?
Route overlap happens when two or more routes describe similar member intents.
For example:
General Support
Handles general questions, account problems, technical concerns, payments, events, and other support questions.
Technical Support
Handles launcher errors, installation problems, crashes, connection issues, and technical concerns.
In this example, General Support is too broad because it also includes concerns that should belong to Technical Support.
Why Overlapping Routes Can Cause Problems
When several routes could reasonably handle the same message, the routing decision becomes less clear.
This may result in:
- The wrong Route Instructions being used
- Incorrect escalation behavior
- Irrelevant responses
- Specialized procedures being skipped
- Inconsistent responses to similar questions
Clear boundaries between routes help reduce these problems.
Give Each Route a Clear Responsibility
Every specialized route should have a recognizable purpose.
For example:
General Support
Handles general informational questions, community information, guides, rules, events, and common questions that do not require another specialized support route.
Technical Support
Handles installation, launcher, client, connection, patching, crashes, missing files, and other technical troubleshooting concerns.
Payment Support
Handles purchases, packages, payment methods, payment status, and transaction-related concerns.
Account Support
Handles registration, login, password recovery, account access, verification, and other account-related concerns.
Each route now has a clearly defined responsibility.
Avoid "Handles Everything" Descriptions
One of the most common causes of route overlap is making a general route too broad.
Avoid descriptions such as:
Handles all member questions and support concerns.
If specialized routes exist, this description can compete with nearly every route.
Instead, define General Support as the route for questions that do not require specialized handling.
For example:
Handles general community information and common support questions that do not belong to another specialized AI Route.
Specialized Routes Should Be More Specific
Specialized routes should clearly describe the concerns they are responsible for.
For example:
Technical Support
Handles technical troubleshooting involving installation, launcher problems, client errors, missing files, crashes, updates, patches, and connection problems.
This makes it easier to distinguish technical problems from normal informational questions.
Separate Similar Routes by Intent
Sometimes two related routes are necessary because they follow different procedures.
For example:
Account Support
Handles registration, login, password recovery, account access, and account-related problems.
Technical Support
Handles application, launcher, installation, connection, patching, and client-related technical problems.
Now consider this message:
"I can't log in because the launcher gives me an error."
This question contains both account and technical language.
However, the actual problem is a launcher error.
Your Routing Descriptions should focus on the member's primary concern rather than simply matching individual words.
Route Based on the Main Concern
Members may mention several topics in one message.
For example:
"I purchased Premium but it still isn't active on my account."
This message contains both Premium and account-related information.
However, the primary concern is that a purchased service has not been delivered or activated.
If transaction verification belongs to Payment Support, your Routing Description should make that responsibility clear.
Think about which route should own the complete support process for the concern.
Define Ownership of Ambiguous Concerns
When two routes could potentially handle the same situation, decide which route should take responsibility.
For example:
Payment Support may handle:
- Payment confirmation
- Pending transactions
- Purchased items not received
- Payment failures
- Transaction verification
Account Support may handle:
- Registration
- Login
- Password recovery
- Account access
- Account verification
Defining this ownership reduces ambiguity.
Avoid Duplicate Routes
Before creating a new route, check whether an existing route already handles the same type of concern.
For example:
Payment Support
and
Purchase Support
may not need to be separate if both handle the same payment and transaction procedures.
Similarly:
Technical Support
and
Client Problems
may overlap if both use the same troubleshooting process.
If two routes use nearly identical Routing Descriptions and Route Instructions, consider combining them.
When Should Routes Stay Separate?
Similar routes should remain separate when they genuinely require different handling.
Separate routes may be appropriate when they have different:
- Support procedures
- Restrictions
- Escalation destinations
- Staff responsibilities
- Knowledge requirements
- Privacy requirements
- Response behavior
The purpose of separating routes is not simply organization.
There should be a meaningful difference in how the concerns are handled.
Review Routing Descriptions Together
Do not review each Routing Description only by itself.
Compare it with your other routes.
Ask:
- Could the same question match another route?
- Is one route unnecessarily broad?
- Do two routes describe the same intent?
- Is the difference between them obvious?
- Does each route have a clear responsibility?
Routes should make sense as a complete routing system.
Use Exclusions When Necessary
When two routes are closely related, you can clarify what does not belong to a route.
For example:
General Support
Handles general informational and community questions that do not require specialized technical, account, payment, or other configured support.
This helps establish General Support as a broader route without allowing it to compete unnecessarily with specialized routes.
Do not overload every description with exclusions. Use them only when they help distinguish similar routes.
Keep Routing Descriptions Focused
Adding more text does not automatically improve routing.
A good Routing Description should clearly communicate:
- The primary type of concern
- Important related intents
- Any necessary boundary from similar routes
Avoid filling Routing Descriptions with complete procedures, Knowledge Base information, or response instructions.
Test Routes Against Each Other
When testing routing, do not test only obvious questions.
For example:
Technical Support:
"My launcher won't open."
Payment Support:
"What payment methods are available?"
These are useful basic tests, but they do not test overlap.
Also test ambiguous questions such as:
- "I purchased something but it isn't showing on my account."
- "I can't log in after installing the latest patch."
- "My Premium expired and now I can't access a feature."
- "I received an error while trying to complete my purchase."
Determine which route should handle each situation before testing.
Then verify whether Novus AI makes the expected routing decision.
Test Short Messages
Members often provide very little context.
Examples:
- "payment pending"
- "launcher error"
- "can't login"
- "missing purchase"
- "account problem"
Make sure your routes can distinguish common short messages when enough intent is available.
If the message is genuinely ambiguous, Novus AI may need additional context before determining the correct support path.
Test Multilingual and Informal Messages
If your community uses multiple languages, test your routes using the languages commonly used by members.
Also test:
- Informal messages
- Mixed-language messages
- Common abbreviations
- Minor spelling mistakes
- Short follow-up questions
Routing should primarily depend on intent rather than perfect grammar.
Review Follow-Up Messages
A member may initially provide a clear concern and then continue with a short follow-up.
For example:
Member:
"I paid for Premium but it hasn't activated."
Follow-up:
"How long should I wait?"
The follow-up should be understood using the existing conversation context when available.
The member should not need to repeat the entire concern in every message.
Fix Existing Routes First
If routing is inaccurate, do not immediately create another route.
First:
- Identify which routes are being confused.
- Compare their Routing Descriptions.
- Remove unnecessary overlap.
- Clarify the responsibility of each route.
- Adjust Route Instructions if necessary.
- Test again.
Adding more routes to an already unclear routing system can make the problem worse.
Example of Poor Routing Structure
General Support
Handles all questions and support concerns.
Technical Support
Handles technical questions.
Account Help
Handles account questions.
Payments
Handles payment questions.
Problems
Handles problems experienced by members.
The General Support and Problems routes can overlap with almost everything.
Example of Improved Routing Structure
General Support
Handles general community information, guides, rules, events, and common informational questions that do not require another specialized support route.
Technical Support
Handles installation, launcher, client, patching, connection, crash, missing file, and other technical troubleshooting concerns.
Account Support
Handles registration, login, password recovery, verification, account access, and other account-related concerns.
Payment Support
Handles purchases, packages, payment methods, payment confirmation, failed or pending transactions, and purchased services that require transaction-related assistance.
Each route now has a clearer responsibility.
Keep Your Routing System Maintainable
As your community grows, review your routes periodically.
You may discover that:
- Two routes should be combined
- One route has become too broad
- A new specialized route is necessary
- A route is no longer needed
- Support procedures have changed
- Routing Descriptions need clearer boundaries
Your routing system should evolve with the actual support needs of your community.
Next Step
Once your routes have clear responsibilities and minimal overlap, the next step is verifying that the complete routing system consistently selects the correct route.
Continue to Testing AI Routes.