Start
Category: Core
Overview
The Start node is the single entry point of every recipe. It cannot be deleted, configured, or duplicated, and the canvas will refuse to publish a recipe that has anything other than exactly one Start. Routing into Start happens externally — via channel triggers and keyword rules in the recipe Settings tab — not from another canvas node.
When to use
- Always present — every recipe has exactly one Start automatically.
- Use it as the anchor when designing your flow: connect it to the first node a customer should encounter.
Ports
| Port | Direction | Description |
|---|---|---|
next | output | Fires the moment a trigger matches and a flow session is created for the contact. Connect this to the first node of your conversation. |
Common patterns
Greeting → Question → Branching
Connect Start → Message (“Hi, how can we help?”) → Question → Condition → branch outputs to different paths.
Direct hand-off
For simple “always escalate” flows, connect Start → Transfer to send every inbound straight to a queue.
Limits & validation
- Exactly one Start per recipe.
- Cannot be deleted from the canvas; cannot be a connection target.
- No incoming edges allowed — validators will block publish if you attempt one.
Troubleshooting
Publish is blocked with a “Start has no outgoing connection” warning.
Drag from Start’s Next handle to your first node. Without an outgoing edge the recipe has nothing to run, and the publish validator refuses it.
Recipe publishes but no conversations enter the flow.
Triggers are configured in the recipe Settings tab, not on Start. Open Settings → Triggers and confirm at least one keyword/channel rule is active.