Node types

A dialog design comprises nodes that perform operations such as prompting the user, evaluating a response, retrieving information from a backend system, or transferring the user to a live agent for assistance.

Mix.dialog provides several types of nodes that each perform a specific kind of operation. The node types are identified by distinctive icons.

For every node type, this table shows the corresponding icon, a link to the detailed configuration topic, and a quick summary of the node's purpose.

Icon	Node type	Description
	Start	Starts the conversation
	Question & Answer	Listens for and recognizes user responses
	Message	Performs non-recognition actions, such as playing a prompt, assigning a variable, or defining the next node in the dialog flow
	Decision	Determines the next node in the dialog flow
	Data Access	Exchanges information with a backend system
	Question Router	Specifies multiple pieces of information to be collected, and determines the next node in the dialog flow, based on the information collected so far
	Intent Mapper	Handles data for NLU/call routing menus
	Component call	Temporarily passes control to another component
	Enter	Enters the part of the dialog flow in the current component
	External Actions	Supports actions to be performed when ending a conversation, transferring to another system, or escalating to a live agent, and allows exchanging information with an external system via a client application
	Transfer	Deprecated—In legacy projects, please replace any transfer nodes with external actions nodes
	End	Deprecated—In legacy projects, please replace any end nodes with external actions nodes