> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agentcallback.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pathways

> Build a visual flow of nodes and transitions for calls that need structure.

Pathways is a visual flow editor for calls that need a fixed step order, branching, tool gating, or escalation subflows — an alternative to a [Single Prompt](/build-voice-agents/single-prompt) agent.

## When to use Pathways

Use Pathways when a Single Prompt would get too complicated to manage as a single block of instructions — for example, a call that must collect information in a specific order, branch based on the caller's answers, or hand off to a human at a specific point.

## Node types

| Node             | Purpose                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Begin**        | The entry point of the pathway. Every pathway has exactly one.                                                                                                                   |
| **Conversation** | A step where the agent talks with the caller. Holds its own prompt, available tools, state captures, and transitions to other nodes.                                             |
| **Action**       | Performs an action instead of talking — transfer the call (`transferCall`), or hand off over SIP (`sipColdTransfer` for a cold transfer, `sipWarmTransfer` for a warm transfer). |
| **End call**     | Ends the call.                                                                                                                                                                   |
| **Return**       | Resumes the most recent conversation node — useful as a fallback destination after a Global node interrupts the flow.                                                            |
| **Global**       | Can be triggered from any conversation node, based on a natural-language condition you describe rather than a fixed transition.                                                  |

## Build a pathway

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Pathways editor">
    Create a new agent and choose **Pathways** as the script type, or open an existing Pathways agent.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your begin node">
    Every pathway starts with a single **Begin** node — it's added automatically as the starting point.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add conversation nodes">
    Add a **Conversation** node for each step of the call. Write the prompt for that step, and add any tools or state captures it needs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wire up transitions">
    Connect nodes with edges to define how the conversation moves from one step to the next.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add action, end, and global nodes as needed">
    Add **Action** nodes for transfers, **End call** nodes to close out the conversation, and **Global** nodes for conditions that should be reachable from anywhere in the flow.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Save the pathway. AgentCallback opens the new agent and starts its default initial test.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Transitions and state

A conversation node's transitions can include state updates — setting a [state variable](/build-voice-agents/state-variables) as the agent moves to the next node. This lets later nodes, tools, and post-call logic reference what happened earlier in the call.

## Global nodes

Global nodes don't sit on a fixed transition path. Instead, you describe the condition that should trigger them in natural language — for example, "the caller asks to speak to a manager" — and the agent can jump to that node from any conversation node when the condition is met. Pair a Global node with a **Return** node so the conversation can resume where it left off.

## Next step

[Variables](/build-voice-agents/variables) to give your agent the data it needs before a call starts.