Route Instructions define how Novus AI should handle a member's concern after the appropriate AI Route has been selected.
While the Routing Description determines where a question belongs, Route Instructions determine what the AI should do with that question.
This allows each support topic to have its own behavior, restrictions, procedures, and escalation rules.
Routing Description vs. Route Instructions
These two settings work together but have different responsibilities.
Routing Description
Identifies which messages belong to the route.
For example:
Handles questions about purchases, payment methods, payment status, packages, and other transaction-related concerns.
Route Instructions
Defines how Novus AI should handle those concerns.
For example:
Use only verified payment information available in the Knowledge Base. Do not invent prices, payment methods, or transaction details. If a concern requires transaction verification, direct the member to the configured support process.
Keeping these responsibilities separate makes your routes easier to manage.
What Should Route Instructions Contain?
Route Instructions can define:
How Novus AI should handle the topic
Which information should be prioritized
Information the AI should not guess
Procedures the assistant should follow
Questions the AI may need to ask
Restrictions specific to the route
When the concern should be escalated
Where members should be directed for additional assistance
How unavailable information should be handled
Only include rules relevant to that route.
Start With the Route's Purpose
Begin by defining what the assistant should accomplish.
For example, for Technical Support:
Assist members with technical problems using the available troubleshooting information. Provide troubleshooting steps clearly and in the appropriate order.
For Account Support:
Assist members with general account-related questions using the available account information and procedures.
This gives the AI a clear objective.
Define the Information Source
For community-specific information, tell Novus AI to use the information available to the route.
For example:
Use the available Knowledge Base information when providing community-specific procedures, requirements, links, and technical instructions.
If accuracy is important, also define what should happen when information is unavailable.
Prevent Unsupported Answers
Topic-specific routes often contain information that should never be guessed.
For example, a Payment Support route may include:
Do not invent or estimate prices, payment methods, package contents, transaction status, or payment procedures.
A Technical Support route may include:
Do not invent commands, download links, file names, configuration values, or troubleshooting procedures that are not available in the provided information.
Be specific about information where an incorrect answer could cause problems.
Define Procedures Clearly
If the route follows a particular support procedure, explain the procedure in the correct order.
For example:
For technical concerns, first use the available troubleshooting information. If additional information is required, ask the member for the relevant error message or details. If the available troubleshooting steps cannot resolve the problem, direct the member to the configured technical support process.
This gives Novus AI a predictable workflow.
Define When to Ask for More Information
Some questions cannot be answered immediately because important details are missing.
For example:
Member: It's not working.
A Technical Support route may need additional information such as:
What is not working?
What error appears?
When does the problem occur?
What troubleshooting has already been attempted?
Your Route Instructions can allow Novus AI to request the minimum information necessary before providing guidance.
Avoid Asking Unnecessary Questions
Novus AI should not repeatedly ask for information that is not required.
If the Knowledge Base already provides enough information to answer the question, the assistant should normally provide the answer directly.
Use clarification only when the missing information materially affects the correct response.
Define Escalation Rules
Some concerns eventually require human assistance.
Route Instructions should clearly identify when escalation is appropriate.
For example:
If the available troubleshooting information does not resolve the issue, direct the member to the designated technical support process.
Or:
If the concern requires manual account verification, do not attempt to verify the account through AI. Direct the member to the appropriate support team.
Different routes can have different escalation rules.
Use Discord References When Appropriate
If members should be directed to a specific Discord channel or role, you can include the appropriate Discord reference in your instructions or supporting information.
For example:
For unresolved concerns, direct the member to the designated support ticket channel.
When using exact Discord channel, role, or user mentions, make sure the values are correct and kept up to date.
Keep General Rules Out of Routes
Do not unnecessarily repeat rules that already exist in your main AI Instructions.
For example, if your general instructions already say:
Respond naturally in the member's language.
you usually do not need to repeat that rule in every route.
Use Route Instructions for behavior unique to that support category.
This reduces duplication and makes future changes easier.
Don't Turn Route Instructions Into a Knowledge Base
Avoid placing large amounts of factual information directly inside Route Instructions.
For example, instead of:
Premium costs $10, includes Feature A and Feature B, lasts 30 days, and can be purchased using...
store those facts in the Knowledge Base.
The Route Instructions can instead say:
Use the available subscription and payment information when answering questions about plans and purchases. Do not invent prices, features, durations, or payment methods.
This keeps facts and behavior separate.
Example: Technical Support Route
Route Purpose
Assist members experiencing technical problems.
Example Instructions
Use available technical Knowledge Base information when troubleshooting member concerns.
Provide troubleshooting steps clearly and in the appropriate order.
If the member's problem is unclear, ask for relevant details such as the error message or when the problem occurs.
Do not invent download links, commands, configuration values, file names, or unsupported troubleshooting procedures.
If the available information cannot resolve the problem, direct the member to the configured technical support process.
Example: Payment Support Route
Route Purpose
Handle payment, purchase, and transaction-related questions.
Example Instructions
Use only the available payment and package information when answering members.
Do not invent or estimate prices, package contents, payment methods, bonuses, transaction status, or payment procedures.
If the member only requests general information and the answer is available, provide it directly.
If the concern requires transaction-specific verification or manual processing, direct the member to the configured payment support process.
Example: General Support Route
Route Purpose
Handle general informational questions that do not require specialized support.
Example Instructions
Answer general community questions using available Knowledge Base information.
Provide clear and concise responses.
Do not invent community-specific information when the requested detail is unavailable.
If the concern belongs to a specialized support category, allow the appropriate route to handle it.
Use the configured fallback or escalation behavior when reliable information is unavailable.
Route Instructions Can Be Strict
Some routes may require stricter rules than others.
This is useful when handling topics such as:
Payments
Account concerns
Rules and policies
Rewards
Services
Eligibility
Manual verification
Other information where guessing is inappropriate
You can explicitly tell Novus AI what information must come from verified Knowledge Base content.
Avoid Conflicting Instructions
Make sure your Route Instructions do not conflict with your general AI Instructions.
For example, avoid having:
General Instruction: Never provide unsupported information.
and:
Route Instruction: If the answer is unavailable, provide your best estimate.
Unless this difference is intentional, conflicting rules can produce inconsistent behavior.
Route Instructions should normally add specialization rather than contradict the assistant's core behavior.
Keep Instructions Easy to Maintain
A good Route Instruction should be detailed enough to define the correct behavior but not unnecessarily long.
Focus on:
What the assistant should accomplish.
What information it should use.
What it must not invent.
What procedure it should follow.
When clarification is needed.
When escalation is required.
This structure works well for most support routes.
Test Your Route Instructions
After saving your instructions, test several types of messages.
Test:
A straightforward question
A question with missing details
A question fully answered by the Knowledge Base
A question with unavailable information
A concern requiring escalation
A question that should belong to another route
Check whether Novus AI follows the expected workflow.
Improve Based on Real Conversations
Route Instructions can be refined as your members use Novus AI.
If the assistant repeatedly handles a particular situation incorrectly:
Determine whether the correct route was selected.
Check whether the Knowledge Base contains the required information.
Review the Route Instructions.
Identify the missing or unclear rule.
Make a targeted change.
Test the same situation again.
Avoid adding unnecessary rules for isolated cases unless they represent a recurring support requirement.
Next Step
Your route can now identify the correct type of concern and apply specialized behavior.
The next step is making sure the route has access to the appropriate information for answering those concerns.
Continue to Using Knowledge with AI Routes.