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Escalation Router Overview

The Escalation Router enables your AI agents to request human input when they encounter situations requiring approval, clarification, or human judgment. It provides a centralized system for managing all human-in-the-loop interactions across your organization.

Purpose​

When AI agents process emails and execute tasks, they sometimes encounter situations that require human oversight:

  • Decisions above their authority level (large purchases, policy exceptions)
  • Ambiguous instructions needing clarification
  • Compliance or legal concerns requiring expert review
  • Deadline risks requiring stakeholder notification
  • Requests for additional resources or access

The Escalation Router provides a streamlined workflow for these scenarios:

  1. Agent creates escalation - The agent uses the request_human_input tool to pause and request human guidance
  2. Email notification sent - An email is sent from your shared escalation mailbox to the designated recipient
  3. Human responds - The recipient can respond via email reply or one-click web buttons
  4. Agent resumes - The response is routed back to the waiting agent, which continues with the human's decision

Key Features​

Unified Escalation Tool​

All agents (both standard AI Agents and SME Agents) use the same request_human_input tool for human escalations. This provides consistent behavior and centralized visibility regardless of which agent type creates the escalation.

Multiple Request Types​

The system supports various escalation scenarios:

Request TypeDescription
Approval RequiredAgent needs approval for an action
Clarification NeededInstructions are ambiguous
Exception RequestRequesting an exception to policy
Compliance ConcernLegal or compliance issue detected
Deadline RiskRisk of missing an important deadline
Resource NeededRequesting access or resources
Information RequestGeneral question requiring human input

Flexible Response Methods​

Recipients can respond to escalations in two ways:

  1. Email Reply - Reply to the escalation email starting with keywords like APPROVED, DENIED, or MORE INFO
  2. Web Portal - Click Approve, Deny, or Request More Info buttons in the email to open a web form

Both methods route responses back to the waiting agent automatically.

Urgency Levels​

Escalations support four urgency levels to help recipients prioritize their responses:

  • Low - Non-urgent, can wait several days
  • Normal - Standard priority (default)
  • High - Needs attention soon
  • Critical - Requires immediate attention

Auto-Escalation​

For SME Agents with configured managers, you can set up automatic escalation to an alternate contact if the primary recipient doesn't respond within a specified timeframe.

Centralized Dashboard​

All escalations are tracked in the Escalation Router management page, providing:

  • Total escalation counts and resolution rates
  • Pending escalations awaiting response
  • Average response times
  • Approval/denial rates
  • Historical audit trail

How It Works​

Agent Encounters Decision Point
              |
              v
    request_human_input tool
              |
              v
+-------------------------+
|  Escalation Created     |
|  (AgentEscalations)     |
+-------------------------+
              |
              v
+-------------------------+
|  Escalation Router      |
|  Sends Email (15s)      |
+-------------------------+
              |
              v
+-------------------------+
|  Manager Receives       |
|  Escalation Email       |
+-------------------------+
              |
      +-------+-------+
      v               v
  Email Reply    Web Portal
      |               |
      +-------+-------+
              |
              v
+-------------------------+
|  Response Processed     |
|  Notification Created   |
+-------------------------+
              |
              v
+-------------------------+
|  Agent Resumes with     |
|  Human's Decision       |
+-------------------------+

Prerequisites​

Before configuring the Escalation Router, ensure you have:

  1. Microsoft 365 Connection - A configured M365 connection in Build > Connections > Microsoft 365
  2. Shared Mailbox - A Microsoft 365 shared mailbox for escalation communications (e.g., escalations@company.com)
  3. Safety Gateway - The Safety Gateway wizard must be completed first

Getting Started​

The Escalation Router is configured through the setup wizard:

  1. Navigate to Build > Getting Started
  2. Complete the Configure Escalation Router wizard (the final wizard in the Getting Started group)
  3. The wizard will guide you through selecting a shared mailbox, verifying access, and configuring settings

After setup, manage your Escalation Router from Manage > Escalation > Escalation Router.

Security​

The Escalation Router includes several security features:

  • Single-use tokens - Web response links can only be used once
  • Expiration - Escalations expire after a configurable period (default: 7 days)
  • Optional authentication - Require recipients to log in before responding via web portal
  • Email validation - Responses are validated against expected recipients