Global nodes are special nodes that can be triggered from any point in your conversation flow without explicit edges. They act as universal shortcuts, accessible via natural language prompts or DTMF keypresses, providing consistent access to common functionality.
What are Global Nodes?
Standard Nodes vs. Global Nodes
Standard Nodes:
- Connected via explicit transitions
- Only reachable from specific nodes
- Follow defined conversation paths
Global Nodes:
- Accessible from anywhere (dotted lines)
- Triggered by universal conditions
- Bypass normal flow structure
When to Use Global Nodes
✅ Ideal Use Cases:
- Transfer to human agent
- Emergency/urgent escalation
- Help/information requests
- Main menu return
- Exit/cancel operations
- FAQ access
❌ Poor Use Cases:
- Standard conversation flow steps
- Sequential processes
- One-time operations
- Context-dependent actions
Configuration
Enabling Global Status
Every node type except start nodes can be made global:
Supported Node Types: ✓ Conversation Node
✓ Tool Node
✓ Router Node
✓ Transfer Call Node
✓ Transfer Agent Node
✓ End Call Node
✗ Start Node (cannot be global)
Global Node Settings
interface GlobalNodeConfig {
isGlobal: boolean; // Enable global status
globalCondition: string; // Trigger description (required if global)
requiresDoubleConfirm: boolean; // Ask for confirmation before triggering
skipResponse: boolean; // Skip node's message (execute silently)
}
- Required field (min 1 character)
- Supports template syntax with system/custom variables only
- Cannot use extracted variables
requiresDoubleConfirm: Safety feature for destructive actions
- If true, asks user to confirm before triggering
- Example: “Are you sure you want to end this call?”
skipResponse: Execute without speaking
- Useful for silent routing or data collection
- Node logic runs but no message is spoken
Global Trigger Conditions
Natural Language Triggers
The globalCondition is a natural language prompt evaluated by the LLM at every conversation turn.
Examples
Transfer to Agent:
Node: "Transfer to Human Agent"
Type: Transfer Agent
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "The user wants to speak with a human agent or representative"
requiresDoubleConfirm: false
Node: "Emergency Support"
Type: Conversation
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "The user has an urgent or emergency situation"
requiresDoubleConfirm: false
message: "I understand this is urgent. Connecting you to emergency support now."
Node: "Main Menu"
Type: Conversation
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "The user wants to return to the main menu or start over"
requiresDoubleConfirm: false
message: "Returning to main menu..."
Node: "End Call - User Requested"
Type: End Call
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "The user wants to end the call or hang up"
requiresDoubleConfirm: true # Confirm before ending
finalMessage: "Thank you for calling. Goodbye!"
Node: "General Help"
Type: Conversation
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "The user asks for help or doesn't understand what to do"
message: "I can help with billing, technical support, or account questions. What do you need?"
Node: "Cancel Process"
Type: Router
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "The user wants to cancel the current process or go back"
requiresDoubleConfirm: true
skipResponse: true # Silent routing
Writing Effective Global Conditions
Be specific but not restrictive: “User wants to speak with a human” is better than “User says agent” (too narrow) or “User needs help” (too broad).
- Focus on user intent, not exact phrases
- Cover variations (“agent”, “representative”, “person”)
- Be unambiguous about when to trigger
- Consider context and conversation state
DON’T:
- Make conditions too broad (triggers too often)
- Make conditions too narrow (never triggers)
- Overlap with other global nodes
- Use extracted variables (only system/custom allowed)
Testing Global Conditions
Global Condition: "User wants to speak with a human agent"
✓ Should Trigger:
- "I want to talk to a person"
- "Can I speak with someone?"
- "Transfer me to an agent"
- "I need to speak with a human"
- "Get me to a representative"
✗ Should NOT Trigger:
- "What are your agent hours?" (information, not request)
- "My agent told me..." (talking about an agent, not requesting)
- "Do you have human agents?" (question, not request)
Global DTMF Triggers
In addition to natural language, global nodes can be triggered by DTMF keypresses - providing instant, universal access.
Configuration
Global DTMF triggers are configured separately from the globalCondition field:
Node: "Transfer to Operator"
Type: Transfer Agent
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with an operator"
globalDtmfTrigger: "0" # Press 0 from anywhere
Common DTMF Conventions
0 = Transfer to Operator/Agent (universal standard)
9 = Return to Main Menu
* = Repeat Last Message
Example: Multi-Trigger Global Node
Node: "Transfer to Agent"
Type: Transfer Agent
isGlobal: true
# Natural language trigger
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with a human agent or operator"
# DTMF trigger
globalDtmfTrigger: "0"
# Can be triggered by:
# 1. Saying "I want to talk to someone"
# 2. Pressing 0 on keypad
Announcing Global DTMF Options
Remind users of global shortcuts:
Conversation Node: "Welcome"
Message: "Welcome to Acme Support. How can I help you today? Press 0 at any time to reach an operator."
Conversation Node: "Main Menu"
Message: "Press 1 for billing, 2 for support. You can return to this menu anytime by pressing 9."
Variable Restrictions
Global nodes have strict variable limitations to ensure they work from any conversation context.
Allowed Variables
System Variables ✅:
globalCondition: "User wants help, and the current time {{current_time}} is during business hours"
Available System Variables:
- {{session_id}}
- {{user_input}}
- {{current_time}}
- {{current_date}}
- {{call_duration}}
- {{node_count}}
(See Variables documentation for complete list)
globalCondition: "User wants priority support and {{custom_vip_status}} is true"
Custom variables are workflow-level variables you define via API or settings
Prohibited Variables
Extracted Variables ❌:
globalCondition: 'User wants account info for {{account_number}}'
# when global node is evaluated from different contexts
Validation
The validation system checks for this:
❌ Error: "Global node 'Transfer VIP' uses extracted variable 'customer_tier'"
→ Solution: Use custom variable instead, or use equation in transition
✅ Valid: Global node uses only system and custom variables
Workaround for Context-Dependent Global Nodes
If you need context-aware global routing, use a global router node:
Global Router Node: "Smart Transfer"
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with an agent"
skipResponse: true
Transitions:
# Route based on extracted variables
- Equation: customer_tier == "vip" → VIP_Agent
- Equation: issue_type == "technical" → Tech_Support_Agent
- Always → General_Agent
Double Confirmation
The requiresDoubleConfirm feature adds a safety layer for destructive or important actions.
How It Works
Configuration
Node: "Delete Account"
Type: Tool
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to delete or close their account"
requiresDoubleConfirm: true # Ask for confirmation
toolName: "DeleteAccountAPI"
"Are you sure you want to delete your account?"
Use Cases for Double Confirm
✅ Should Use:
- Ending calls
- Deleting/canceling accounts
- Removing data
- Making purchases
- Confirming appointments
- Irreversible actions
❌ Should NOT Use:
- Transferring to agent (low stakes)
- Returning to menu (easily reversible)
- Getting help (non-destructive)
- Informational requests
Customizing Confirmation
The confirmation prompt is auto-generated but you can influence it:
Node Name: "Cancel Subscription"
→ Agent asks: "Are you sure you want to cancel your subscription?"
Node Name: "End Call"
→ Agent asks: "Are you sure you want to end this call?"
Node Name: "Delete All Data"
→ Agent asks: "Are you sure you want to delete all your data?"
Skip Response Mode
The skipResponse setting allows global nodes to execute silently without speaking their message.
Use Cases
Silent Routing:
Global Router: "Context-Aware Transfer"
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with someone"
skipResponse: true # Don't speak, just route
Transitions:
- Equation: issue_complexity == "high" → Senior_Agent
- Equation: customer_tier == "vip" → VIP_Agent
- Always → Standard_Agent
Global Tool Node: "Log Escalation"
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User is frustrated or angry"
skipResponse: true # Log silently, don't interrupt flow
toolName: "LogEscalationEvent"
Transitions:
- Always → Continue_Conversation # Return to where user was
Global Node: "Record Callback Request"
Type: Tool
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User requests a callback"
skipResponse: true # Record request silently
toolName: "CreateCallbackTicket"
Transitions:
- Always → Callback_Confirmation # Then confirm to user
Standard Response vs. Skip Response
Standard (skipResponse: false):
User: "I want to speak with an agent"
Agent: "I'll transfer you to an agent now." [Node's message]
[Transfer happens]
User: "I want to speak with an agent"
[Transfer happens immediately - no message]
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Universal Agent Transfer
Node: "Transfer to Human Agent"
Type: Transfer Agent
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with a human agent, representative, or person"
agentId: "general-support-pool"
transferMessage: "Transferring you to an agent now. Please hold."
# Accessible from ANY node in the flow via:
# - "I want to talk to someone"
# - "Get me a human"
# - "Transfer me to an agent"
Pattern 2: Main Menu Return
Node: "Main Menu"
Type: Conversation
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to return to the main menu or start over"
globalDtmfTrigger: "9"
message: "Returning to main menu. Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support, 3 for Billing."
Transitions:
- DTMF: key=1 → Sales
- DTMF: key=2 → Support
- DTMF: key=3 → Billing
- Always → Repeat_Menu
Pattern 3: Emergency Escalation
Node: "Emergency Escalation"
Type: Transfer Agent
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User has an emergency, urgent situation, or critical issue"
requiresDoubleConfirm: false # No delay for emergencies
agentId: "emergency-support-team"
transferMessage: "I understand this is urgent. Connecting you to priority support immediately."
Pattern 4: Smart Routing Hub
Global Router: "Intelligent Transfer Router"
Type: Router
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with a specialist or expert"
skipResponse: true
Transitions:
# Route based on conversation context
- Equation: last_topic == "billing" → Billing_Specialist (priority: 300)
- Equation: last_topic == "technical" → Tech_Specialist (priority: 300)
- Equation: customer_tier == "enterprise" → Enterprise_Support (priority: 200)
- Natural Language: "sales question" → Sales_Team (priority: 100)
- Always → General_Agent (priority: 0)
Pattern 5: Graceful Exit
Node: "End Call - User Initiated"
Type: End Call
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to end the call, hang up, or is done"
requiresDoubleConfirm: true
finalMessage: "Thank you for contacting us. Have a great day!"
reason: "user_requested"
Pattern 6: Help System
Node: "Contextual Help"
Type: Conversation
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User asks for help, is confused, or doesn't know what to do"
message: "I can help you with:
- Billing and payments
- Technical support
- Account management
- General questions
What do you need help with?"
Transitions:
- Natural Language: "billing" → Billing_Help
- Natural Language: "technical" → Tech_Help
- Natural Language: "account" → Account_Help
- Always → General_Help
Best Practices
DO:
✅ Use global nodes for truly universal functionality
✅ Write clear, unambiguous global conditions
✅ Test global triggers from multiple conversation states
✅ Use double confirm for destructive actions
✅ Provide both DTMF and natural language triggers for accessibility
✅ Keep global nodes focused on a single purpose
✅ Use only system and custom variables in global conditions
✅ Announce global shortcuts to users (especially DTMF)
DON’T:
❌ Make every node global (defeats the purpose)
❌ Create overlapping global conditions (ambiguous triggers)
❌ Use extracted variables in global conditions
❌ Make global conditions too broad (triggers inappropriately)
❌ Forget to test from different conversation contexts
❌ Use global nodes for sequential workflow steps
❌ Create global nodes that require specific prior context
Global Node Validation
Validation Rules
The flow builder validates global nodes:
✓ Checks:
- Global condition is not empty
- Global condition doesn't use extracted variables
- Node type supports global status (not Start)
- DTMF trigger is valid key (0-9, *, #)
- Double confirm is appropriate for node type
- No circular global triggering
✗ Common Errors:
- 'Global trigger condition is required'
- "Global node uses extracted variable '{{account_id}}'"
- 'Start nodes cannot be global'
- 'Global condition overlaps with another global node'
Testing Global Nodes
Test Matrix:
Test From Different States: ✓ Beginning of conversation
✓ Middle of flow
✓ After tool execution
✓ After variable extraction
✓ From different conversation branches
Test Different Triggers: ✓ Direct phrase ("I want an agent")
✓ Indirect phrase ("Can you transfer me?")
✓ Contextual ("I need help with this")
✓ DTMF keypress (if configured)
Test Edge Cases: ✓ Multiple rapid triggers
✓ Triggering during another global node
✓ Triggering from end call node
✓ Triggering when required variables don't exist
Evaluation Overhead
Global nodes are evaluated on every user input:
Flow with 3 global nodes:
Every user input triggers 3 LLM evaluations
Adds: 3 × 200-800ms = 600-2400ms latency
Cost: 3 × ~100-300 tokens per evaluation
Optimization Strategies
1. Limit Global Nodes (3-5 maximum):
- Transfer to Agent
- Return to Main Menu
- End Call
- Transfer to Agent
- Transfer to Sales
- Transfer to Support
- Transfer to Billing
- Return to Menu
- Get Help
- End Call
- Cancel Process
(8 global nodes = significant latency)
globalCondition: "User needs help"
globalCondition: "User explicitly requests to speak with a human agent"
globalCondition: "User wants agent"
globalDtmfTrigger: "0"
Most users will learn to press 0 (instant, no LLM evaluation)
Global Router: "Transfer Hub"
globalCondition: "User wants specialist"
skipResponse: true
Transitions:
- Equation: ... → Specific_Specialist
- Always → General_Agent
Troubleshooting
”Global condition required” Error
❌ Problem:
Node: "Transfer Agent"
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "" # Empty!
✅ Solution:
Node: "Transfer Agent"
isGlobal: true
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with an agent"
Global Node Never Triggers
Check Condition Specificity:
❌ Too specific (rarely matches):
globalCondition: "User says exactly 'I need to speak with a human agent right now'"
✅ Appropriately broad:
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with a human agent or representative"
❌ Uses extracted variable (validation error):
globalCondition: "User wants agent and {{account_verified}} is true"
✅ Uses only system/custom variables:
globalCondition: "User wants agent and {{custom_business_hours}} is true"
Global Node Triggers Too Often
Make Condition More Specific:
❌ Too broad:
globalCondition: "User mentions billing" # Triggers even for "What are billing hours?"
✅ More specific:
globalCondition: "User has a billing issue or problem they need help with"
Overlapping Global Conditions
❌ Problem:
Global Node A: "User wants help"
Global Node B: "User needs assistance"
✅ Solution:
Global Node A: "User wants to speak with a human agent"
Global Node B: "User wants to return to main menu"
Examples by Use Case
Customer Service
Global Node: "Transfer to Agent"
Type: Transfer Agent
globalCondition: "User wants to speak with a human representative"
globalDtmfTrigger: "0"
agentId: "customer-service-pool"
Global Node: "Main Menu"
Type: Conversation
globalCondition: "User wants to return to the main menu"
globalDtmfTrigger: "9"
message: "Main menu..."
Technical Support
Global Node: "Emergency Support"
Type: Transfer Agent
globalCondition: "User has a critical system outage or emergency"
requiresDoubleConfirm: false
agentId: "emergency-support"
Global Node: "Create Ticket"
Type: Tool
globalCondition: "User wants to create a support ticket"
toolName: "CreateSupportTicket"
Sales
Global Node: "Interested in Product"
Type: Conversation
globalCondition: "User shows interest in making a purchase"
message: "Great! Let me connect you with a sales specialist."
Transitions:
- Always → Sales_Qualification
Global Node: "Pricing Information"
Type: Conversation
globalCondition: "User asks about pricing or costs"
message: "Our pricing varies by package..."
Appointment Booking
Global Node: "Cancel Appointment"
Type: Tool
globalCondition: "User wants to cancel their appointment"
requiresDoubleConfirm: true
toolName: "CancelAppointmentAPI"
Global Node: "Reschedule"
Type: Conversation
globalCondition: "User wants to reschedule their appointment"
message: "I can help you reschedule..."
Next Steps
