Observations in SmartFlow

Observations provide real-time feedback to your AI assistant during conversations. They allow SmartFlows to communicate results back to the AI.

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What Are Observations?

When a SmartFlow executes (triggered by a Conversation Tool), it can send observations back to the AI. The AI uses these observations to:

• Provide informed responses to users
• Display data retrieved from external systems
• Confirm actions were completed successfully
• Handle errors gracefully

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How It Works

User asks question → AI triggers SmartFlow → SmartFlow executes → 
Observation sent → AI reads observation → AI responds to user

Example:

1. User: "What's the status of my order #12345?"
2. AI triggers the "Check Order Status" SmartFlow
3. SmartFlow calls the eCommerce API
4. SmartFlow sends observation: {"status": "shipped", "tracking": "ABC123"}
5. AI responds: "Your order #12345 has shipped! Tracking: ABC123"

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Setting Observations

Use the Set Observation action node in your SmartFlow:

Field	Description
Observation	Text or JSON data to send to the AI
Variables	Use {{variable}} to include dynamic data

Example configuration:

{
  "status": "{{apiResponse.orderStatus}}",
  "tracking": "{{apiResponse.trackingNumber}}",
  "estimatedDelivery": "{{apiResponse.eta}}"
}

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Best Practices

Keep Observations Concise

The AI processes observations as context. Keep them focused:

// Good
{"found": true, "productName": "Blue Widget", "price": 29.99}

// Too verbose
{"query": "...", "timestamp": "...", "requestId": "...", "fullResponse": {...}}

Handle Errors

Always include error handling in your observations:

// Success
{"success": true, "data": {...}}

// Error
{"success": false, "error": "Order not found"}

Use Structured Data

JSON is preferred over plain text for complex data:

{
  "tickets": [
    {"id": "JIRA-123", "status": "In Progress"},
    {"id": "JIRA-124", "status": "Done"}
  ],
  "total": 2
}

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Common Use Cases

Use Case	Observation Contains
Order lookup	Status, tracking, delivery date
Appointment booking	Confirmation, date/time, details
Knowledge search	Relevant articles, summaries
CRM lookup	Customer info, history
Inventory check	Stock levels, availability

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Related

• Set Observation Action — Node reference
• Conversation Tool Trigger — How AI triggers flows
• AI Request Action — Request AI processing