Skip to main content

Flow/Source Hierarchy

Alex Wolfe

Flow/Source Hierarchy

Configuration Inheritance Made Simple

LeadConduit's hierarchy system lets you define settings once at the flow level and override them selectively at the source level. It's like CSS for lead processing - general rules cascade down, specific rules override. This powerful pattern eliminates repetition while providing precise control where needed.

📍 You are here: Mastering configuration inheritance
🎯 What you'll learn: How settings cascade and override
💡 The outcome: DRY configuration that's easy to maintain

Understanding the Hierarchy

The Cascade Model

Settings flow from general to specific:

Flow Settings (Base Configuration)
    ↓
Source Settings (Overrides)
    ↓
Applied Configuration (Final Result)

What Can Be Configured

Settings that support hierarchy:

At Flow Level:

  • Field definitions
  • Acceptance criteria
  • Mappings
  • Volume caps
  • Business hours
  • Default pricing

At Source Level:

  • Override any flow setting
  • Source-specific criteria
  • Custom pricing
  • Individual caps
  • Unique mappings

Field Definition Hierarchy

Flow-Level Fields

Define once, use everywhere:

Flow: Insurance Leads
Fields:
  # Standard fields all sources must provide
  - first_name (Text, required)
  - last_name (Text, required)  
  - email (Email, required)
  - phone (Phone, required)
  - postal_code (Postal Code, required)
  - insurance_type (Text, required)
    Values: ["auto", "home", "life", "health"]

Source-Level Overrides

Customize per source:

Source: Partner A
Field Overrides:
  # They send phone as "phone_number"
  phone:
    mapping: phone_number
  
  # They have additional field
  lead_id:
    type: Text
    required: false

Resolution Example

How fields resolve:

Flow defines:
  email (required)
  
Source A:
  # Inherits requirement
  
Source B overrides:
  email (optional)
  
Result:
  A: email required
  B: email optional

Acceptance Criteria Hierarchy

Base Criteria

Flow-wide quality standards:

Flow: Mortgage Leads
Acceptance Criteria:
  # All sources must meet these
  - Age >= 18
  - Valid email OR valid phone
  - US state only
  - Not duplicate (30 days)

Source Additions

Layer on source-specific rules:

Source: Premium Partner
Additional Criteria:
  # Base criteria PLUS:
  - Credit score >= 640
  - Income >= 50000
  - Homeowner = true
  
Source: Budget Partner  
Additional Criteria:
  # Base criteria PLUS:
  - Verified phone required

Criteria Stacking

Rules combine, not replace:

Flow Criteria:     A AND B AND C
Source Criteria:   + D AND E
Final:            A AND B AND C AND D AND E

Mapping Hierarchy

Default Mappings

Standard field locations:

Flow: Solar Leads
Default Mappings:
  # Where to find fields
  first_name: {{fname}}
  last_name: {{lname}}
  email: {{email_address}}
  phone: {{primary_phone}}
  state: {{state_code}}

Source Variations

Handle different formats:

Source: Old System Partner
Mapping Overrides:
  # They use different names
  first_name: {{firstName}}
  last_name: {{lastName}}
  email: {{emailAddress}}
  phone: {{phoneNumber}}
  state: {{stateAbbr}}
  
Source: New API Partner
Mapping Overrides:
  # Nested structure
  first_name: {{contact.name.first}}
  last_name: {{contact.name.last}}
  email: {{contact.email}}
  phone: {{contact.phone.primary}}
  state: {{location.state}}

Volume Cap Hierarchy

Flow-Level Caps

Overall limits:

Flow: Purchase Intent Leads
Volume Caps:
  Daily: 10,000 leads
  Monthly: 250,000 leads
  
Business Hours:
  Monday-Friday: 8 AM - 8 PM EST
  Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM EST
  Sunday: Closed

Source-Level Caps

Individual allocations:

Source: Trusted Partner
Volume Caps:
  Daily: 5,000 leads (50% of flow)
  Monthly: 125,000 leads
  
Source: New Partner
Volume Caps:
  Daily: 500 leads (testing)
  Monthly: 15,000 leads
  
Source: Overflow Partner
Volume Caps:
  Daily: No limit
  Monthly: No limit
  Active: Only when others capped

Cap Interaction

Both limits apply:

Scenario:
  Flow daily cap: 10,000
  Source A cap: 5,000
  Source B cap: 7,000
  
If flow has received 9,500:
  Source A: Can send 500 more (flow limit)
  Source B: Can send 500 more (flow limit)
  
If Source A sent 4,999:
  Can send 1 more (source limit)

Pricing Hierarchy

Base Pricing

Flow-level economics:

Flow: Auto Insurance
Default Pricing:
  Source Cost: $5.00
  Minimum Margin: $2.00
  Target Price: $15.00

Source Pricing

Specific agreements:

Source: Premium Partner
Pricing Override:
  Source Cost: $8.00 (higher quality)
  Minimum Margin: $4.00
  Target Price: $25.00
  
Source: Bulk Partner
Pricing Override:
  Source Cost: $3.00 (volume discount)
  Minimum Margin: $1.00
  Target Price: $10.00
  
Source: Rev Share Partner
Pricing Override:
  Source Cost: 70% of revenue
  Minimum Margin: 30% of revenue
  Target Price: Market rate

Business Hours Hierarchy

Flow Schedule

Standard operating hours:

Flow: B2B Leads
Business Hours:
  Monday-Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM EST
  Saturday-Sunday: Closed
  Holidays: Closed
  
Timezone: America/New_York

Source Schedules

Different time zones or hours:

Source: West Coast Partner
Business Hours Override:
  Monday-Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM PST
  Saturday: 10 AM - 2 PM PST
  
  Converted to Flow Time:
  Monday-Friday: 12 PM - 9 PM EST
  Saturday: 1 PM - 5 PM EST
  
Source: 24/7 Partner
Business Hours Override:
  Always Open
  
Source: International Partner
Business Hours Override:
  Monday-Friday: 2 AM - 10 AM EST
  (Their business hours)

Hierarchy Best Practices

Design Principles

  1. Define Common at Flow

    • Shared requirements
    • Standard fields
    • Base quality rules
    • Default behavior

  2. Override Sparingly

    • Only when necessary
    • Document why different
    • Test thoroughly
    • Monitor impact

  3. Keep It Simple

    • Avoid deep nesting
    • Clear naming
    • Consistent patterns
    • Easy debugging

Configuration Strategy

Good Hierarchy:

Flow:
  90% of configuration
  Common to all sources
  
Sources:
  10% overrides
  Specific needs only

Poor Hierarchy:

Flow:
  Minimal config
  
Sources:
  Everything different
  Repeated configuration
  Hard to maintain

Testing Hierarchy

Verify inheritance works:

Test Checklist:
  ✓ Flow settings apply to new source
  ✓ Source override takes precedence
  ✓ Removing override reverts to flow
  ✓ Multiple sources independent
  ✓ Changes cascade correctly

Common Patterns

Multi-Tier Quality

Different source quality levels:

Flow: Insurance Leads
Base Criteria:
  - Age >= 18
  - Valid contact

Source: Tier 1
  Additional: 
    - Verified identity
    - Credit check passed
    
Source: Tier 2
  Additional:
    - Phone verified
    
Source: Tier 3
  # Base criteria only

Regional Variations

Geographic differences:

Flow: Home Services
Base Fields:
  - Standard contact fields
  
Source: California Leads
  Additional Fields:
    - Earthquake_interest
    - Solar_interest
    
Source: Florida Leads  
  Additional Fields:
    - Hurricane_coverage
    - Flood_zone

Partner Evolution

Gradual requirement increases:

Source: New Partner
Week 1-2:
  - Relaxed criteria
  - Low volume caps
  
Week 3-4:
  - Add quality rules
  - Increase caps
  
Week 5+:
  - Full criteria
  - Standard caps

Troubleshooting Hierarchy

Common Issues

"Setting not applying"

  • Check source overrides
  • Verify spelling/case
  • Test without override
  • Check setting level

"Can't override setting"

  • Not all settings support hierarchy
  • Some require flow change
  • Check documentation
  • Contact support

"Unexpected behavior"

  • Map full hierarchy
  • Check each level
  • Test in isolation
  • Document findings

Debugging Tools

See applied configuration:

Lead Details shows:
  - Flow settings (gray)
  - Source overrides (blue)
  - Final applied (green)
  
Test submission shows:
  - Which rules applied
  - Override sources
  - Resolution path

Migration and Changes

Updating Hierarchies

Safe modification process:

To change flow setting:
  1. Review source overrides
  2. Test with sample data
  3. Deploy during low volume
  4. Monitor closely
  5. Roll back if needed
  
To add source override:
  1. Document reason
  2. Test in isolation
  3. Compare to flow behavior
  4. Deploy gradually

Best Practices Summary

  1. Start General - Flow settings first
  2. Override Thoughtfully - Only when needed
  3. Document Everything - Why different?
  4. Test Thoroughly - Each combination
  5. Monitor Impact - Watch metrics
  6. Review Regularly - Simplify over time

Your Next Steps

Essential Skills

  1. Flow Configuration - Master base settings
  2. Source Setup - Add specific overrides
  3. Testing Guide - Verify behavior

Common Tasks

  • Set up tiered source quality
  • Implement regional variations
  • Manage partner-specific needs
  • Optimize configuration

🎯 Remember: Hierarchy is about balance. Define shared behavior at the flow level, override only what's unique at the source level. This creates maintainable, scalable configurations that grow with your business.

Next: Learn about Submission Response handling in your flow.

Comments

0 comments

Please sign in to leave a comment.