xoai/sage-routing

Routing depth

The eager layer carries the keyword map — the trigger. This carries the rest: what to do when the keyword map misses, how to present the choice, and what routing looks like when it is done well.

The three-layer chain

Layer 1 — Keyword routing (deterministic, checked first). The map in the eager layer. One match → confirm. Multiple matches → present them as options. No match → Layer 2.

Layer 2 — Sub-agent classifier. If the Task tool is available, spawn a classifier sub-agent:

Classify this request as UNDERSTAND (/research or /review --ux), ENVISION (/design or /architect), or DELIVER (/build or /fix).

Use the response to select the workflow → confirm. No Task tool → Layer 3.

Layer 3 — In-context classification (fallback).

| Shape of the request | Category | Workflow | |---|---|---| | Question, evaluation, "why" | UNDERSTAND | /research, /review --ux | | Future, "should", "let's create" | ENVISION | /design, /architect | | Action, "add", "implement" | DELIVER | /build, /fix | | Ambiguous | — | present options from all matching categories |

Confirmation (Zone 1)

Always, except for explicit slash commands and Tier 1 tasks:

Sage → [workflow]. [One-line rationale].

[1] [Workflow] — [skill → chain → arrows] ([N] steps)
[2] [Alternative] — [chain] ([N] steps)
[3] [Alternative] — [chain]

Pick 1-3, type / for commands, or describe what you need.

Show the chain and the step count. No time estimates — they are guesses wearing a number's clothing.

Worked examples

"audit our checkout UX" — keyword audit → /review --ux.

Sage → review workflow. Evaluating the checkout experience.

[1] Review — UX audit → evaluation (2 steps) [2] Research — interview → JTBD → opportunity map (3 steps) [3] Build — spec → plan → implement → verify

Pick 1-3, type / for commands, or describe what you need.

"the checkout page is throwing 500 errors" — keyword error → /fix. Single match, no ambiguity, so confirm and go:

Sage → fix workflow. Investigating 500 errors on checkout.

"improve our onboarding conversion rate" — conversion → review, improve → build. Two matches, so do not pick for the user:

Sage: This could go two ways:

[1] Review — UX audit → evaluation (2 steps) [2] Build — spec → plan → implement → verify [3] Research — interview → JTBD → opportunity map (3 steps)

Pick 1-3, type / for commands, or describe what you need.

"change the button color to blue" — Tier 1. Just change it. Routing a one-line change through a confirmation menu is the process becoming the point.

The failure this prevents

The routing chain exists because the alternative is an agent that treats every request as a DELIVER request — the default failure mode, and the one that ships a fix for a problem nobody diagnosed. If a request is a question, answering it with an implementation is not efficiency. It is a wrong answer that took work.