Smart routing

What is smart routing?

Smart Routing automatically assigns incoming leads and records to the right representatives based on predefined rules.

When a visitor books a meeting, submits a form, or interacts with your website, SparrowCRM instantly creates a record and routes it to the most appropriate rep without manual intervention.

Routing decisions can be based on conditions such as territory, deal size, industry, lead source, round-robin distribution, or custom logic.

Instead of manually reviewing and distributing leads, Smart Routing ensures:

• Faster response times
• Balanced workload across teams
• Accurate territory allocation
• No leads falling through the cracks

Smart Routing keeps your lead distribution consistent, fair, and immediate so your team can focus on selling instead of sorting.

Creating a smart router

How Smart Routing Works

Every Smart Router is built around a single object.

This means all records collected through that router are stored in the selected object (for example, Contacts or Deals).

When setting up a router, you must choose the field that will store the routing result; typically the owner or assignment field. The router updates this field based on the defined logic.

Ways to Collect and Route Records

Smart Routing can collect data and trigger assignment in three ways:

1. Meeting or Appointment Form

Create a meeting booking form and embed it on your website or share it via a link.

When a visitor books a meeting:

• A meeting is created.
• The router automatically assigns the meeting to the appropriate representative.
• The meeting is associated with the relevant contact.

If the contact already exists in your CRM, the meeting is linked to the existing record. If not, a new contact is created and routed.

2. Contact Form

Create a contact or inquiry form and embed it as a pop-up on your website.

When a visitor submits the form:

• A corresponding record is created in the selected object.
• The router evaluates the defined conditions.
• The record is assigned to the appropriate representative.

This ensures inbound inquiries are distributed instantly and consistently.

3. API

Use the API to send records directly into SparrowCRM from external systems.

When records are created via API:

• The Smart Router evaluates the incoming data.
• The record is assigned automatically based on the configured routing rules.

This is ideal for integrating marketing tools, partner platforms, or external lead sources.

Build Your Meeting Form

Use the interactive builder to create your meeting form from scratch and customise every element.

Add Fields

Select the fields you want to collect and drag them from the left panel into the form.

You can:

• Reorder fields using drag-and-drop
• Place them exactly where needed
• Structure the form to match your workflow

You can also enhance the form with:

• Text blocks
• Images
• Dividers

Configure Field Properties

Click on any field inside the form to edit its settings.

For each field, you can:

• Map to object property – Link the form field to a CRM field in the selected object.
• Customize display – Edit the label, placeholder text, and help text.
• Mark as required – Ensure the field must be filled before submission.
• Set default value – Pre-fill the field with a predefined value.

Enable AI enrichment – Select which AI-enriched fields should be populated when the record is created.

Add hidden fields – Capture backend values that are not visible to the visitor but stored in the record. Hidden fields are useful for tracking source, campaign, territory, or any routing logic inputs without exposing them on the form.

Customize Your Form

Switch to the Customize tab to adjust the visual appearance of your form.

You can control the overall look and feel, including:

• Background colour
• Text colour and font
• Alignment of form elements
• Spacing and padding

This allows you to match the form with your brand and website design.

Customize the Primary Button

You can also modify the primary button by adjusting:

• Button label
• Style and colour
• Size and layout

Customize Individual Elements

Click on any element within the form to access its specific customization options.

This includes decorative elements such as:

• Logo
• Images
• Progress bars
• Dividers

Each element can be styled independently to ensure a consistent and polished experience.

Meeting Slots

The Meeting Slots card displays available time slots for booking.

This step is mandatory in meeting forms and cannot be removed or bypassed.

Edit

You can customise:

• Title
• Byline
• Font type and size
• Alignment

Customize

The visual customization options are the same as the first page of the form, including background, spacing, and styling controls.

Click on an element in the card to customize it individually.

Meeting Details

The Meeting Details card is the final step in the form. It displays the confirmed meeting information along with a success message after booking.

Edit

You can customise:

• Title
• Byline
• Font type and size
• Alignment

Customize

The visual customization options are the same as the first page of the form, including background, spacing, and styling controls.

You can customize each individual element in card page separately.

Build your contact form

Use the interactive builder to create a contact form for capturing inbound inquiries.

The configuration and customization process is similar to building a meeting form, except contact forms do not include the meeting slot selection step.

Add and Configure Fields

Drag and drop fields from the left panel into the form.

For each field, you can:

• Map it to an object property
• Edit label, placeholder, and help text
• Mark it as required
• Set default values
• Enable AI enrichment (if applicable)
• Add hidden fields for backend tracking

Thank You Message

The final step in a contact form is a Thank You card.

After submission, visitors see a confirmation message such as:

“Thanks for contacting us. Our team will get in touch with you shortly.”

This message can be fully customized.

Configuration

You can edit:

• Title
• Byline or body text
• Font type and size
• Alignment

Customization

Visual customization options are the same as the first page of the form, including layout, spacing, and styling controls.

Once submitted, the record is created (or updated) in the selected object and automatically routed based on your Smart Routing rules.

Record Creation via API

You can send records directly into SparrowCRM using the Smart Router API.

This allows external systems — such as marketing platforms, partner tools, or custom applications — to create records and trigger routing automatically.

Generate the API Endpoint

When creating a Smart Router, select API as the collection method.

Sparrow generates a unique API URL for that router.

All records sent to this endpoint will:

• Be created in the selected object
• Be evaluated against the router’s assignment rules
• Be assigned to the appropriate representative

Map Fields

Define the fields that the API will accept.

For each field, you must:

• Specify the field name
• Map it to the corresponding CRM property
• Ensure the data type matches the object field

Only mapped fields will be processed and stored in the record.

Sending Data

Send a POST request to the generated API URL with the required data fields in the request body.

Once received:

1. The record is created (or updated, if configured).
2. The router evaluates the assignment logic.
3. The assignment field is updated automatically.

The smart routing builder

The Smart Routing builder follows a node-based structure, similar to a workflow builder.

• Trigger: Record creation
• Step 1: Routing rule
• Step 2: Owner assignment

When a record is created through a form or API, the router evaluates it using the selected rule.

Routing Rule Options

The Routing Rule block provides two mutually exclusive options:

1. Re-tagging
2. Condition

You can use only one per router.

Re-tagging

Re-tagging checks whether the incoming record already matches an existing record in the CRM.

You must define the fields used to validate the match (for example: Email, Phone number, Company name).

If a match is found, the router updates and routes the existing record instead of creating a duplicate.

Use Re-tagging to:

• Prevent duplicate records
• Maintain data consistency
• Route existing leads correctly

Condition

Condition evaluates whether the record meets specific criteria.

You define the rules based on record fields (for example: Industry = SaaS, Country = US, Deal Value > 50,000).

If the record satisfies the defined conditions, it proceeds to the assignment step.

Use Conditions to:

• Route leads by territory
• Distribute by deal size
• Segment by industry
• Apply custom logic

After the Routing Rule block, the flow must proceed to the Owner Assignment block, where the record is assigned to a representative.

Owner Assignment

After defining the routing rule, you must configure the Owner Assignment block.

This block determines who receives the record retuned by the routing rule block.

You must first select an Assignment Type. Sparrow offers three options:

1. Cap-Based Assignment
2. Round Robin
3. Individual Assignment

1. Cap-Based Assignment

Distributes records based on predefined limits (caps).

After selecting this type:

1. Choose a team (or an individual user).
2. Set a cap for each member.

Caps define the maximum number of records a member can receive within a cycle.

You can:

• Set caps individually
• Apply the same cap to all members in bulk

Assign to Team Via

When assigning to a team, choose how distribution should occur:

• Sequential – Records are assigned to the first member until their cap is reached, then move to the next member in order.
• Round Robin – Records rotate among team members one by one until each member’s cap is reached.

Important Behavior

• Once a member’s cap is reached, they are automatically skipped.
• The order of members in the list determines assignment priority.
• Caps reset every month.
• You can remove members from the list to exclude them from routing.

Cap-Based for Individual

You can also select a single user instead of a team.

That user will receive records until their cap is reached.

Once reached, the router moves to the next node (fallback logic, if configured).

2. Round Robin (Weighted)

Distributes records across team members in rotation based on weight.

After selecting this type:

1. Choose a team.
2. Assign a weight percentage to each member. Note: The total of all individual weights needn’t equal 100%.

Records are distributed in round-robin fashion, proportionate to the assigned weights.

For example:

• Rep A – 50%
• Rep B – 30%
• Rep C – 20%

Rep A will receive a larger share of records relative to others.

Important Behavior

The weights needn’t add up to 100.

3. Individual Assignment

Assign all matching records directly to a single user.

Select the user, and all routed records will be assigned to them.

Use this when:

• Routing to a specific account owner
• Handling region-specific leads
• Creating dedicated pipelines

Fallback Assignee

If none of the selected owners can receive records — for example:

• All caps have been reached
• A user has been deactivated
• A team has no eligible members

You can configure a Fallback Assignee.

The Fallback Assignee is a node that follows the Owner Assignment block.

If the primary assignment logic cannot assign the record, the router automatically assigns it to the fallback user instead.

This ensures:

• No records remain unassigned
• No leads are lost due to cap limits
• Routing continues even if team availability changes

You can select any active user as the fallback assignee.

If no fallback is configured and all owners are ineligible, the record will remain unassigned.

Routing Paths in the Builder

The Smart Routing builder follows a structured path.

Each router begins with:

Trigger → Routing Rule → Owner Assignment → Fallback Assignee (optional)

This horizontal sequence forms a single routing path.

How Multiple Routing Rules Work

You can add multiple Routing Rule nodes.

Each routing rule creates its own path:

Routing Rule → Owner Assignment → (Optional) Fallback Assignee

The router evaluates rules sequentially.

• If a record matches the conditions defined in a routing rule, it enters that path and is assigned accordingly.
• If it does not match, it moves to the next routing rule.
• This continues until a matching rule is found.

A record only enters the path of the first rule it satisfies.

Catch-All Node

If a record does not match any defined routing rule, it proceeds to the final Catch-All node.

The Catch-All ensures that all remaining records are assigned according to a default logic.

This prevents records from being left unassigned when no specific conditions apply.

Router Logs

Router Logs provide visibility into how your Smart Router is performing. They help you monitor assignments, track failures, and review AI enrichment activity.

Analytics Overview

At the top of the Logs page, you’ll see a graphical summary.

This includes:

• Router analytics – Displayed as a bar chart showing how many times each path was executed.
• Completed assignments– Total number of successful assignments.
• Failed to assign – Total number of runs that failed.
• Total catch-all activations – Number of times the catch-all path was triggered.
• Total ghosted instances – Runs where no valid assignment could be completed. (Need to check)
• AI enrichment count – Total number of fields enriched through this Smart Router.

This section provides a quick performance snapshot.

Detailed Logs

Below the analytics summary, you’ll find the detailed run history.

Each entry represents a single router execution and includes:

• The assigned user
• The routing rule that triggered the assignment
• Assignment time
• AI enrichment count for that run

Use the logs to:

• Audit routing decisions
• Investigate failed assignments
• Validate rule behavior
• Monitor enrichment activity

Edit the Router

You can edit a Smart Router at any time.

To make changes:

1. Go to Smart Routing
2. Hover over the router you want to modify and click edit router
3. Update routing rules, assignment logic, forms, or API settings
4. Publish your changes

Changes take effect immediately after publishing.

Use this to refine conditions, adjust team distribution, update caps, or modify fallback logic as your routing needs evolve.

Deactivate the Router

If you no longer want the router to process new records, you can deactivate it.

When deactivated:

• The router will stop accepting records
• No new assignments will be made through it
• Existing routed records remain unaffected

Deactivation is reversible. You can reactivate the router at any time.

Use this when:

• Running temporary campaigns
• Testing new routing setups
• Pausing lead intake

Delete the Router

You can permanently delete a router if it is no longer required.

Deleting a router:

• Removes its configuration and routing logic
• Deletes associated logs
• Cannot be undone

Before deleting, ensure:

• It is not actively collecting records
• You no longer need its routing history

If you may reuse the configuration later, consider deactivating instead of deleting.