Custom Routing Rules

Master this essential documentation concept

Quick Definition

User-defined logic that determines how users are directed to specific knowledge bases based on multiple conditions such as email, group membership, or custom attributes.

How Custom Routing Rules Works

graph TD A[User Accesses Documentation Portal] --> B{Evaluate Routing Rules} B --> C{Rule 1: Email Domain Match?} C -->|Yes| D[Route to Sales KB] C -->|No| E{Rule 2: Group Membership?} E -->|Engineering| F[Route to Technical KB] E -->|Support| G[Route to Support KB] E -->|No Match| H{Rule 3: Custom Attribute?} H -->|Enterprise Client| I[Route to Enterprise KB] H -->|Standard User| J[Route to General KB] D --> K[User Accesses Personalized Knowledge Base] F --> K G --> K I --> K J --> K K --> L[Improved Documentation Discovery] L --> M[Reduced Support Burden] M --> N[Higher User Satisfaction]

Understanding Custom Routing Rules

Custom Routing Rules represent a sophisticated approach to knowledge management that goes beyond one-size-fits-all documentation delivery. By implementing conditional logic, organizations can create intelligent pathways that guide different user segments to documentation specifically curated for their needs, roles, or organizational context.

Key Features

  • Condition-based routing using email domains, user groups, departments, or custom attributes
  • Multi-criteria rule creation allowing complex logic combinations (AND/OR operators)
  • Dynamic rule evaluation that adapts as user properties change
  • Priority-based rule hierarchy ensuring correct rule execution order
  • Real-time rule testing and preview capabilities before deployment
  • Audit trails tracking which rules route which users

Benefits for Documentation Teams

  • Reduced support ticket volume by directing users to relevant documentation faster
  • Improved user experience through personalized documentation pathways
  • Better content organization without creating separate documentation silos
  • Increased documentation adoption rates among target user groups
  • Simplified maintenance of multiple documentation versions for different audiences
  • Data-driven insights into which documentation serves which user segments

Common Misconceptions

  • Custom Routing Rules require separate documentation bases—they work with unified bases using intelligent filtering
  • They are too complex for small teams—modern platforms provide intuitive rule builders
  • Rules must be manually updated constantly—they can leverage existing directory systems and SSO integrations
  • They only benefit large enterprises—mid-sized teams see significant efficiency gains

Real-World Documentation Use Cases

Multi-Tenant SaaS Documentation Routing

Problem

A SaaS platform serves multiple enterprise clients with different feature sets, customizations, and terminology. Without routing rules, users from different organizations see irrelevant documentation and become confused about available features.

Solution

Implement Custom Routing Rules based on organization/tenant ID stored as a custom attribute. Each tenant's users automatically receive documentation specific to their subscription tier and enabled features.

Implementation

['1. Identify unique tenant identifiers in user profiles (company ID, domain, custom tenant field)', '2. Create routing rules mapping each tenant to their corresponding knowledge base or documentation variant', '3. Configure rules to check tenant attribute first, before applying secondary rules', '4. Test routing with sample users from each tenant', '5. Set up automated tenant onboarding to create rules for new clients', '6. Monitor routing analytics to ensure correct tenant assignment']

Expected Outcome

Users see only relevant documentation for their organization, reducing confusion and support requests. New tenants are automatically routed correctly, eliminating manual configuration overhead.

Role-Based Documentation for Hybrid Teams

Problem

A company has product managers, engineers, customer success teams, and executives who all need documentation but require different information depth, focus areas, and terminology. A single knowledge base overwhelms non-technical users while lacking sufficient detail for engineers.

Solution

Create Custom Routing Rules based on AD/LDAP group membership that direct users to role-specific documentation bases. Engineers access technical architecture docs while CS teams access troubleshooting guides.

Implementation

['1. Map organizational groups to documentation segments (Product, Engineering, CS, Executive)', '2. Create routing rules evaluating group membership from your directory system', "3. Build documentation bases tailored to each role's needs and skill level", '4. Use group membership as the primary routing condition with fallback rules', '5. Establish documentation review cycles with representatives from each role', '6. Track engagement metrics by role to optimize content for each audience']

Expected Outcome

Each role receives documentation pitched at appropriate technical depth. Documentation adoption increases as users find relevant, actionable information. Support teams receive fewer basic questions.

Geographic and Compliance-Based Documentation Distribution

Problem

A global organization operates in regions with different regulatory requirements, languages, and compliance standards. Users need documentation that reflects their regional legal requirements and preferred language, but managing completely separate documentation systems is costly.

Solution

Implement Custom Routing Rules based on user location (country/region attribute) and language preference to route users to region-specific documentation variants that include localized compliance information.

Implementation

['1. Add location and language preference fields to user profiles', '2. Create documentation variants for each region with localized compliance sections', '3. Build routing rules with primary condition for region, secondary for language', '4. Integrate with SSO to automatically populate location from employee directory', '5. Create a fallback rule for users in unspecified regions', '6. Establish quarterly reviews to update compliance information in each variant']

Expected Outcome

Users automatically receive documentation compliant with their regional regulations. Localization efforts are centralized and efficient. Legal and compliance teams can verify region-specific content without managing separate systems.

Feature Rollout and Beta Access Documentation

Problem

The company releases features in stages—beta for early adopters, then general availability. Documentation must reflect which features each user can access, but managing multiple documentation versions is complex and error-prone.

Solution

Use Custom Routing Rules with a 'beta_access' boolean attribute to route beta users to documentation including unreleased features while standard users see only GA documentation.

Implementation

['1. Create a beta_access custom attribute in user profiles', '2. Build two documentation bases: one with beta features, one with GA-only', '3. Create a routing rule: if beta_access = true, route to beta KB; else route to GA KB', '4. Establish process for adding users to beta program and updating their attribute', '5. Set documentation publishing schedule aligned with beta phases', '6. Use feature flags in documentation to maintain single-source content with conditional rendering']

Expected Outcome

Beta users see complete feature documentation immediately upon access. GA users never see unreleased features. Documentation stays synchronized with actual feature availability, reducing confusion.

Best Practices

âś“ Design Rules with Clear Priority Hierarchy

Custom Routing Rules are evaluated in order, so rule sequence matters significantly. Establish a clear priority system where more specific rules execute before general rules. Document the reasoning behind your rule order to help future maintainers understand the logic.

âś“ Do: Place most specific rules (e.g., individual customer exceptions) before general rules (e.g., department-based routing). Create a rule priority matrix documenting why each rule is positioned where it is. Review rule order quarterly as your organization evolves.
✗ Don't: Don't create rules in random order based on when they were created. Don't assume users will fall into only one rule category—always have a default catch-all rule. Don't skip documenting rule priorities; future team members won't understand the logic.

âś“ Leverage Existing Directory Systems and SSO

Rather than manually maintaining custom user attributes, integrate Custom Routing Rules with your existing directory systems (Active Directory, LDAP, Okta) or Single Sign-On providers. This ensures rules always reflect current organizational structure and reduces manual maintenance burden.

âś“ Do: Map routing conditions to attributes already managed in your directory system. Use SSO to automatically populate user attributes at login. Establish a data sync schedule to keep routing attributes current with directory changes.
✗ Don't: Don't create parallel user management systems outside your directory. Don't manually assign routing attributes if they're already in your directory. Don't skip testing directory integration—attribute mismatches cause silent routing failures.

âś“ Test Rules Thoroughly Before Production Deployment

Incorrect routing rules silently direct users to wrong documentation, creating frustration and support burden. Implement comprehensive testing including rule preview features, test user accounts, and analytics validation before deploying rules to your entire user base.

âś“ Do: Use rule preview/test features to see which KB a user would be routed to before deploying. Create test accounts representing each user segment and verify correct routing. Monitor routing analytics for 24-48 hours after deploying new rules to catch issues early.
✗ Don't: Don't deploy rules during peak usage times when issues affect maximum users. Don't skip testing edge cases like users matching multiple rules or users with incomplete attributes. Don't assume rules work correctly without verification—test them.

âś“ Maintain Comprehensive Rule Documentation and Audit Trail

Custom Routing Rules represent critical business logic affecting user experience. Maintain detailed documentation of why each rule exists, what conditions it checks, and which users it affects. Enable audit logging to track rule changes and troubleshoot routing issues.

âś“ Do: Document each rule with its business purpose, creation date, and owner. Include examples of users affected by each rule. Enable audit logging and review logs when investigating routing issues. Version your rule configuration like code.
✗ Don't: Don't create rules without documenting their purpose—future maintainers won't understand why they exist. Don't disable audit logging to reduce storage—the cost of troubleshooting routing issues far exceeds log storage. Don't make rule changes without noting what changed and why.

âś“ Monitor Routing Performance and Optimize Based on Analytics

Custom Routing Rules should improve user experience, but this requires ongoing monitoring. Track metrics like which rules route users, how many users fall into each routing category, and whether documentation engagement differs by routing path. Use this data to refine rules and improve documentation.

âś“ Do: Set up dashboards showing rule execution counts and user distribution across routing paths. Track documentation engagement metrics by routing rule to identify which user segments engage most. Quarterly review routing analytics to identify optimization opportunities.
✗ Don't: Don't set up rules and assume they're working correctly without monitoring. Don't ignore user feedback about routing—if users report wrong documentation, investigate your rules. Don't maintain rules that route zero users—consolidate or remove them.

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