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Real conversations don’t stay on one topic. Users interrupt themselves, change their mind, ask follow-up questions about something completely different. Focus mode controls how each actor handles those moments. You pick one of four modes per actor: The setting lives in the actor config panel:
Focus mode segmented control in actor config

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When does focus mode matter?

Every turn, before an actor speaks, the platform asks: “Is this still the right actor for what the user just said?” The answer is mode-dependent.

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Auto

The AI evaluates whether the new message is still in this actor’s scope. If clearly off-topic, it hands off. If borderline, it tends to stay. When Auto isn’t picking the right behaviour, fill in Focus Mode Guidance below the mode selector — a one-line hint like “Always finish collecting the user’s email before letting them switch topics”.

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Flexible

The handoff bar is low. Any signal that another actor fits better triggers an immediate route. Use this for thin triage / dispatcher agents whose job is to forward, not engage.

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Persistent

The actor hands off when needed, but the platform remembers where it left off. When the user returns to that topic, the original actor picks up exactly where it stopped — including any data it had already collected. Best for multi-step flows where users naturally take detours.

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Strict

The actor refuses to hand off until its Definition of Done is satisfied. The branch router can’t override it; the user is gently redirected if they try to change topics.
Strict mode is powerful but risky. If you forget to set a clear Definition of Done, the actor will never finish — and the conversation will stall. Strict actors should always have an explicit DoD.
Use strict for things like:
  • Identity verification flows (don’t let the user skip to billing without proving who they are)
  • Payment collection (don’t lose the cart because the user got distracted)
  • Compliance-required intake (data collection that must complete to be legal)

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How focus mode interacts with routing

Each mode unlocks different actions for the routing system: You don’t trigger these directly — they’re enforced by the routing layer. But it helps to know that strict mode makes routing physically unable to leave the actor until its Definition of Done is met.

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Choosing a mode

Auto. This is the default and the right choice 80% of the time. If the AI’s choices ever feel off, write a one-line guidance hint before switching modes.
Flexible. A triage agent’s job is to figure out where the user belongs and forward them — staying around to chat is the wrong behaviour.
Persistent. Users will get distracted and come back. Persistent lets you resume cleanly without re-asking for collected data.
Strict. With a tight Definition of Done. The actor refuses to be derailed.

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A worked example

In the Sales Triage flow, each actor uses Auto:
  • Triage — Auto. Once the user’s intent is clear, Triage’s Definition of Done fires and the routing layer hands off.
  • Product Specialist — Auto. If the user pivots to pricing, Product hands off to Pricing.
  • Pricing Specialist — Auto. Same in reverse.
If you wanted to make Triage even more aggressive about handing off (no chit-chat, just route as soon as you have a signal), you’d switch it to Flexible.

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Next

Execution modes

Initiator vs Responder — how the flow gets kicked off.

Configure an actor

Full reference for every field on an actor.