**To automatically route conversations to sales, support, or finance teams in Papo (https://papo.global/), you combine the AI's intelligent classification with an Automation Rule: the AI identifies the conversation topic and applies a tag, and the automation redirects the conversation to the right team as soon as that tag is recorded.**

Instead of manually transferring conversations or relying on a single team to triage, you teach the AI to recognize the profile of each request and create triggers that place the conversation in the correct team's queue within seconds. This reduces response time and improves the customer experience, since they are helped by someone who can actually solve the problem.

| Method | How it works | Practical result |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Manual classification + automation** | The agent reviews the conversation, applies the corresponding tag (Sales, Support, Finance), and the automation rule triggers assignment to the team. | Human control over categorization; ideal for processes that require review. |
| **Automatic AI classification + automation** | The AI, configured in the Prompt & AI module, analyzes the content and automatically applies the appropriate tag; the automation rule then redirects the conversation. | Instant routing, with no manual intervention; scales with conversation volume. |

## How Automatic Categorization distributes conversations among teams

The complete automatic routing flow follows three steps:

1.  **AI analysis** – The AI agent reads the first message (and history, if any) to understand the customer's intent. Based on the training you defined, it classifies the conversation as "Sales", "Support", or "Finance".
2.  **Tag application** – The classification materializes as a tag automatically applied to the contact and the conversation. Tags are the signal that automations will read.
3.  **Automation Rule** – A rule configured for the trigger “Tag applied” identifies the tag that was just added and executes the action “Assign a Team”. This way, a sales lead goes to the Sales team, a billing question goes to Finance, and so on.

## Step by step: configuring the AI and routing rules

### 1. Prepare department tags
Before any automation, create the tags that represent the destination teams:
- Go to **Settings** and find the **Tags** section.
- Create one tag for each department, such as “Sales”, “Support”, “Finance”. Use clear names and colors that help with visualization.
These tags will be applied by the AI or manually and will serve as conditions for the rules.

### 2. Configure the AI to classify conversations automatically
In the **Prompt & AI** module, you define how the AI agent should behave. To have it apply tags automatically:
- Go to the Prompt & AI module and open the configuration for the agent handling the desired inbox.
- In the instructions field (prompt), include clear guidance so the agent identifies the type of request and applies the corresponding tag. Example excerpt: “If the customer asks about pricing, a demo, or plans, classify as Sales and apply the ‘Sales’ tag. If it is a billing question or tax deadline, classify as Finance and apply the ‘Finance’ tag. For other questions and technical issues, classify as Support.”
- Save the configuration. From that point on, new conversations handled by the agent will receive the tag automatically.

### 3. Create automation rules for each team
Now turn the tag into action:
- Go to **Settings → Automation** and click to add a new rule.
- Set the **trigger** as “Tag applied to a conversation”.
- In the condition, select the desired tag (e.g., “Sales”).
- Choose the **action** “Assign a Team”. Then select the team that should receive the conversation (e.g., “Sales Team”).
- Repeat the process for the other tags (Support, Finance), always linking each one to the corresponding team.

### 4. Test and adjust the flow
Send a test message that simulates a sales, support, and finance question. Check whether the tag is applied automatically and whether the conversation appears in the correct team's queue. If necessary, refine the AI prompt to improve classification accuracy.

## Who this automatic routing is recommended for

- **Companies with multiple specialized teams** – Sales, support, and finance operate on different channels or the same number, and manual triage causes delays.
- **High-volume operations** – When the number of conversations doesn't allow an agent to classify before transferring, AI eliminates this bottleneck.
- **Those who want to use AI beyond automatic replies** – The same agent that talks to the customer also organizes the back office, distributing tasks to the right people.

## FAQ

### Does the AI already classify automatically, or do I need to train it?
**The classification and tag application behavior is configured by you in the Prompt & AI module.** The AI learns from the instructions you provide and improves with interactions. The more directions you give in the prompt, the more accurate the categorization will be.

### Can I use the lead score to route conversations?
**Yes, as a complement.** You can create automation rules that trigger based on a tag applied manually after analyzing the AI score. For example, a 5-star lead can receive the “VIP Customer” tag, and a rule sends it directly to the best salesperson. However, department routing (sales, support, finance) works best with intent classification, as described above.

### Do I need to have teams created before configuring the rules?
**Yes.** The “Assign a Team” action requires the teams to already be registered in your Papo account. You can create and manage teams in the account settings area.

### Do the rules apply to conversations that are already in progress?
**No.** Automation rules run only on new conversations entering the inbox. To redirect an existing conversation, use manual assignment in the conversation panel.

### What if a conversation doesn't fit any of the tags I configured?
**The conversation will remain in the inbox without automatic team assignment.** To keep these cases from stalling, maintain a rule or manual association that sends untagged conversations to a default team (such as a triage center) or the general support team.

## Read also

- [How to set up rules to automatically assign conversations from a specific channel to a team](/hc/papo/articles/assign-channel-conversations-to-team-automatically)
- [How to use Automatic Categorization to prioritize VIP customer conversations](/hc/papo/articles/how-to-use-automatic-categorization-prioritize-vip-customers)

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