Agent Router
A classification layer in front of a multi-agent system that decides which specialized agent should handle each incoming request. Routers replace brittle keyword matching with LLM-based classification, allowing more nuanced routing ("this looks like a billing question with a churn signal—send to retention, not generic support"). Router design is a load-bearing component of any Multi-Agent System deployment: weak routing wastes the specialization advantage.
Written by Max Zeshut
Founder at Agentmelt · Last updated Sep 9, 2026
Example
A B2B SaaS company runs four specialized agents: a billing agent (refunds, plan changes), a technical agent (API errors, integration help), a sales agent (upgrade questions), and a retention agent (cancellation requests). The router reads each incoming ticket and routes it to the right agent based on intent + customer tier + recent activity. Routing accuracy of 92% means each specialized agent stays focused on its domain rather than handling the long tail badly.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you build a reliable router?
- Three rules. First, define the routing categories crisply with examples—routers fail most often when categories overlap. Second, ship a fallback (an "unclear—escalate to human" route) so the router never has to force a bad classification. Third, log every routing decision and review weekly during rollout; the misroutes are where the categories need tightening.
- Is a router itself an agent?
- Yes, in the technical sense—it uses an LLM to make a decision. But it's a single-turn, single-decision agent with no tools, so it's the simplest possible kind. Most teams build it as a stateless classifier rather than a full looping agent. The exception is when routing requires lookups ("check this customer's tier first")—then it becomes a small two-step agent.