How to Use Routing Forms to Route Customers to the Right Booking

A routing form is a short questionnaire that sends customers to the right next step before they pick a time. Instead of giving every customer the same booking link, you ask a question or two and route them based on their answer. This guide explains how routing forms work and walks through common setups for location-based and service-based routing.

What Routing Forms Do

Routing forms sit in front of your booking pages. A customer answers one or more questions, and each answer leads to a destination:

Another question. Keep qualifying before sending them to book.
A booking page. Send them to a specific event type's calendar.
An external link. Send them to a page on your website or a third-party tool.
An out-of-service-area notice. Tell them you do not cover their area (address questions only).

You build routing forms under Settings, then Schedule, then Routing Forms. Each form gets its own shareable link, and you can embed it on landing pages or attach it to campaigns.

Question Types

Multiple Choice

The customer picks one answer from a list. Each answer can route to a different destination. Use this for service type, job size, new vs. existing customer, or any question where the answer determines which team or event type should handle the booking.

Address

The customer enters their address. Alivo checks it against your service areas and follows the route that matches their location. Use this when different territories have different booking pages, reps, or coverage rules.

Location-Based Routing

This is the most common use of address questions. You define service areas for your territories, then create routes that send customers to the right booking page based on where they live.

Example: Multi-city roofing company

Question: "Where are you located?" (Address)
Route 1 (rank 0): Tampa service area → Tampa Roof Inspection booking page
Route 2 (rank 1): Miami service area → Miami Roof Inspection booking page
Fallback route: Out of service area notice → "We don't currently service that address."

Routes are evaluated by rank. Lower rank numbers win. If the customer's address matches multiple areas, the lowest-rank route is used. If no area matches, the fallback route handles it.

Keep in mind: You need service areas set up before address routing works. Create them under Settings, then Schedule, then Service Areas.

Service-Based Routing

Multiple choice questions let you qualify by job type before the customer ever sees a calendar. You can chain questions together to narrow down the right event type.

Example: Home improvement company with multiple trades

Question 1: "What service are you interested in?" → Roofing / Siding / Gutters
Roofing → Question 2: "What type of roof?" → Shingle / Metal / Flat → Roof Inspection booking page
Siding → Question 2: "What county are you in?" → Question 3: "Which city?" → Siding Estimate booking page
Gutters → Gutter Repair booking page (direct, no follow-up question)

Each branch can be as simple or as deep as you need. Terminal questions (the last question in a branch) must send every answer to a booking page or external link.

Where Routing Forms Get Used

Direct link. Share the routing form URL on your website, in emails, or on business cards. One link, many possible destinations.
Landing pages. Embed a routing form as a block on an Alivo landing page so visitors qualify before booking.
Campaigns. Attach a routing form as the goal destination on scheduling campaigns. When Evan (the web-lead agent) books an inspection, the routing form can determine which event type to use.
Phone calls. Lilly can walk callers through routing form questions during a live call and book them into the right event type.

When a routing form sends a customer to a booking page, their address is carried over automatically if they entered one. They do not have to type it again.

Building a Routing Form

The builder has two views: a list outline and a visual map. Both show the same flow.

Form title and description. Shown at the top of the public form.
Entry question. The first question customers see. Add more questions by creating follow-ups on any answer or route.
Green nodes in the map view mean the branch leads to a booking page. Yellow nodes need more setup before they are ready.

After saving, use Preview Form to test the customer experience. Copy the link to share or embed.

Tips for Effective Routing Forms

Keep it short. One or two questions is usually enough. Every extra step loses customers.
Always set a fallback on address questions. Every address question needs at least one route and exactly one fallback row for addresses that do not match any service area.
Match event types to real teams. Each booking destination should point to an event type with the right hosts, availability, and scheduling type for that branch.
Test every branch. Walk through each path in preview mode before going live, including the out-of-area fallback.

Common Questions

Can I use a routing form and a direct booking link at the same time?

Yes. Routing forms are optional. You can share direct event type links for simple cases and routing form links when you need to qualify first.

What happens if a customer is out of my service area?

If you set the fallback route to "Out of service area notice," they see a message that you do not cover their address. You can also send them to an external page (like a "join our waitlist" form) instead.

Can I delete a routing form that is in use?

Routing forms attached to active or testing campaigns cannot be deleted. Remove the campaign reference first.

Still have a question this didn't answer? Reach out to our support team support@alivo.ai and we'll be glad to help.