Condition Node

Documentation for the Condition node in the SMSPort Visual Bot Builder. Learn how to route customer conversations based on dynamic conditions, variables, customer answers, and mathematical or text comparisons.

The Condition card allows your bot to make intelligent runtime decisions. Depending on whether an expression evaluates to True or False, the bot immediately takes the corresponding branch.

Operations & Logic Flow

graph TD
    PrevNode[Previous Node: Ask Age] --> Cond[Condition: gt({{age}}, 60)]
    Cond -->|true| SeniorCare[Send Text: Routed to Senior Citizen Priority Care]
    Cond -->|false| GeneralQueue[Send Text: Routed to Standard Consultation]
    Cond -->|default| Fallback[Default Fallback Branch]

• True Branch: Followed when the expression evaluates to truthy (boolean true, non-zero number, non-empty string).
• False Branch: Followed when the expression evaluates to false, 0, or null.
• Default / Fallback Branch: Followed if an expression encounters a runtime error or uninitialized variable.

Inspector Screen: Field-by-Field Guide

When you click on a Condition node in the canvas, the right-side property inspector displays:

1. Expression Mode

• Label on Screen: Condition Mode
• Options: Simple Builder | Advanced Expression (Formula)
• Default: Simple Builder

2. Simple Builder Mode

• Variable Key: The bot variable you want to test (e.g. patient_age, triage_score, user_intent).
• Operator Dropdown:
  • equals: Exact match ({{triage_grade}} == 'Emergency')
  • not_equals: Does not match
  • contains: Text contains substring ({{message_text}} contains 'pricing')
  • greater_than (>): Numeric comparison
  • greater_or_equal (>=)
  • less_than (<)
  • less_or_equal (<=)
  • in_list: Matches one of comma-separated values (e.g. dental, ortho, cardio)
  • is_empty: Checks if variable was never provided or is blank
• Comparison Value: The static value or variable to compare against (e.g. 60, true, emergency).

3. Advanced Expression Mode (Formula)

Write complex boolean formulas combining multiple conditions:

Output Branches & Canvas Connections

A Condition card has 3 distinct output handles on the canvas:

1. true (Green handle): Connect this wire to the action you want to take when the condition passes.
2. false (Red handle): Connect this wire to the alternative path when the condition fails.
3. default (Gray handle): Connect this wire to handle edge cases (e.g. user entered non-numeric text for age).

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Age-Based Clinical Routing

Here is how to set up an automated screening flow:

1. Add Ask Number Card:
   • Label: Ask Age
   • Prompt: "Please enter your age in years:"
   • Save answer to: patient_age
2. Add Condition Card:
   • Variable: {{patient_age}}
   • Operator: greater_or_equal
   • Comparison Value: 60
3. Wire Outputs:
   • Connect true handle to a Send Text card: "You qualify for our Senior Priority Consultation. Connecting to Dr. Rao..."
   • Connect false handle to a Send Text card: "Please choose from our general outpatient clinics below."
   • Connect default handle to an Ask Number card to ask the patient to re-enter a valid number.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

1. "Expression evaluated to false unexpectedly"

• Cause: Type mismatch. For example, comparing a text string "60" with number 60.
• Fix: When using Ask Text, numbers are stored as strings. Use Ask Number so the bot engine parses the response as a numeric float/integer.

2. "Variable not found in scope"

• Cause: The variable name in {{...}} does not match the output variable name configured in the preceding card.
• Fix: Check the preceding Ask or Data Lookup card and ensure the variable name matches exactly (e.g. {{patient_age}} vs {{patientAge}}). Variable names are case-sensitive.