An assignment rule defines which incoming conversations an AI Agent is allowed to respond to. Without one, the AI Agent tries to handle everything. The most common rule is a channel and app filter.

Open the agent and look at Assignment rule on the General tab. If a rule is already connected, the section shows it as a short summary under the heading Connected rule:, written out as the conditions it matches. A rule scoped to one property reads as that property's app, and a catch-all rule reads as the tickets no higher priority rule has claimed.

This summary is read only. It is not a link, and there is no control in the agent to change the rule, disconnect it, or create a different one. The agent shows you which rule it answers to; the rules themselves live on their own screen, described next.

If the agent has no rule connected yet, this section shows Create an assignment rule instead, which takes you into the flow below.

That matters when an agent is answering conversations you did not expect. The summary is the quickest way to tell whether the problem is the rule's scope or the agent's knowledge, before you change anything.

All of your rules live on one screen. From Messaging > Inbox Settings > Bots, click Assignment rules.

Bot assignment rules overview lists every rule on the account. Each row shows the bot the rule assigns to, the rule's own name if it has one, whether it is Active or Inactive, and the condition in plain language, for example If channel is WhatsApp or If app is your property. A rule with take-over switched on is marked Take over enabled.

You can filter the list to All, Active or Inactive, search it, and create a rule with New Rule.

Rules are ordered, and the order decides which one wins. They sit in two bands, High Priority and Low Priority, and you reorder them by dragging. A conversation is matched against the rules in that order, so a narrow rule placed above a broad one takes precedence.

That is what the condition If the ticket doesn't match any higher prioritized items means. It is a catch-all: place it low and one agent picks up everything no other rule has claimed. It is also why an agent can look correctly scoped and still not receive a conversation, if a rule above it claimed that conversation first.

Most AI Agents start with a single channel filter. For example: "This AI Agent only responds to WhatsApp messages." Other channels in the same inbox are not affected.

From the AI Agent configuration, open the assignment rule section and select the channel(s) this AI Agent should cover.

Step 1. Create an assignment rule. In the General tab, under Assignment rule, click Create an assignment rule.

Step 2. Name the rule. Click the Untitled assignment rule field and give the rule a clear name.

A name is worth giving. It is what identifies the rule on the assignment rules overview, where an unnamed rule shows only the bot it assigns to.

Step 3. Choose the rule. In the Bot selector, choose the rule that applies to the AI Agent.

Step 4. Set when to assign the bot. Under When to assign the bot?, choose how broad the rule is. Pick Include all messages to let the AI Agent handle everything that reaches it, or Select rule to narrow it down with conditions under Group of rules (for example, a specific channel, app, or audience), using add group to combine sets of conditions.

Step 5. Activate. Set the Status toggle to Active, then save the rule. You can also tick Allow take over (Beta) to let this AI Agent take over a conversation from another operator or AI Agent. A rule saved with that option on shows as Take over enabled on the assignment rules overview.

Once saved, check where the rule sits on the assignment rules overview. A correctly written rule placed below a broader one will not get the conversations you expect.

Please contact us through the 'Talk to Us' option on the left menu in the platform, or through the Bookboost Support email at support@bookboost.io if you have questions or need additional support.