Platform
Fallback
A fallback is a safe alternate path used when input is unexpected, a tool fails, or the agent cannot complete the intended step confidently.
A fallback is a safe alternate path used when input is unexpected, a tool fails, or the agent cannot complete the intended step confidently.
What Fallback means
A fallback is a safe alternate path used when input is unexpected, a tool fails, or the agent cannot complete the intended step confidently.
Fallbacks prevent confusion without pretending the failure did not happen. Different failures need different responses: an unclear answer may need clarification, a scheduling outage may need a callback, and an unsupported request may need a human handoffHuman handoffHuman handoff transfers a conversation, context, and next action from an automated agent to a person..
How it works
The workflowWorkflowA workflow is a defined sequence of steps, decisions, actions, delays, and outcomes used to complete a business process. detects the condition, preserves the information already collected, and selects a defined recovery path. It may retry within limits, ask a simpler question, use another data source, route to a person, create a task, or close gracefully.
Practical use cases
Clarifying an ambiguous caller response
Offering a callback when calendar access fails
Routing an unsupported request to a human
Avoid one generic fallback for every problem. The caller should receive a response that matches what failed and a realistic next step.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Fallback matter?
Avoid one generic fallback for every problem. The caller should receive a response that matches what failed and a realistic next step.
How many times should a fallback retry?
Use a small, tested limit based on the task and customer cost. Repeatedly asking the same question without changing strategy creates a loop rather than a recovery.
Source: Thoughtly’s testing documentation.
Related concepts: dead endDead endA dead end is a point where a conversation has no valid transition, action, resolution, or recovery path., escalationEscalationEscalation moves a conversation to a person, specialist, supervisor, or alternate workflow when the agent should not continue alone., human handoff, conversation flowConversation flowA conversation flow is the designed path through greeting, intent capture, qualification, actions, routing, fallback, and closing..