> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.karflows.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Automation Flows

> Build visual workflows for chatbots, bookings, webhooks, and support handoff.

Automation Flows let you design a customer journey visually. A flow can reply to WhatsApp messages, collect information, call external APIs, save variables, route by conditions, and hand off to a human agent.

## Flow types

| Flow type          | Trigger                                                         |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| WhatsApp Chatbot   | Incoming WhatsApp messages                                      |
| Webhook Automation | Incoming webhook payloads from stores, booking systems, or CRMs |
| Broadcast Flow     | Campaign or scheduled message logic                             |
| Unified Messaging  | API-triggered messages and fallback logic                       |

## Common nodes

| Node           | Use it for                                           |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Send Message   | Send text, media, or interactive replies             |
| Condition      | Route users based on message text or saved variables |
| Response Saver | Save user replies into variables                     |
| Make Request   | Call an external API                                 |
| Delay          | Slow down the flow for a more natural conversation   |
| Reset Session  | Clear saved variables                                |
| Send Email     | Notify your team by SMTP                             |
| Google Sheets  | Save leads or bookings                               |
| Agent Transfer | Hand off to a human                                  |
| AI Transfer    | Let an AI assistant continue the conversation        |

## Booking flow pattern

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
  A["Initial Node"] --> B["Ask service or product"]
  B --> C["Save response"]
  C --> D["Ask location/date/time"]
  D --> E["Check availability API"]
  E --> F{"Available?"}
  F -->|Yes| G["Send payment link"]
  F -->|No| H["Suggest alternatives"]
  G --> I["Confirm booking"]
```

## Webhook automation pattern

Use Webhook Automation when another system already knows the customer action.

Example events:

* Ecommerce order placed.
* Booking request created.
* Payment received.
* Shipping status changed.
* Lead captured from website form.

Recommended flow:

1. Extract the phone number from the payload.
2. Send a short confirmation.
3. Add a delay when the message feels too fast.
4. Route based on payment method or order status.
5. Log success or failure.
6. Send fallback SMS if WhatsApp is not available.

## Human agent handoff

When a user asks for an agent, the flow should stop automation for that chat for a while. This prevents the bot from replying again while a human is helping.

Recommended behavior:

* Send an agent handoff message.
* Disable auto-reply for the conversation.
* Notify an agent.
* Re-enable automation only after timeout or manual reset.

## Variables

Variables let one node use data from earlier nodes.

Examples:

```text theme={null}
{{{customer.name}}}
{{{customer.phone}}}
{{{order.id}}}
{{{payment_method.text}}}
```

Webhook Automation supports nested paths from JSON payloads.

## Best practices

* Use short messages.
* Add small delays between long steps.
* Validate important answers before saving them.
* Always provide a route to human support.
* Keep payment and OTP verification server-side.