> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rovax.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What are Squads

> Understand how squads group specialized agents with automatic routing and intelligent handoff between them.

Squads are groups of agents that collaborate to handle a conversation. Instead of exposing separate agents on each channel, you create a squad and connect that squad to WhatsApp, Instagram, or a widget. From there, the platform decides which agent responds at each moment — and when to transfer the conversation to another agent within the group.

## Core concepts

* **Squad:** a set of two or more agents with a shared service purpose.
  * Each agent in the squad maintains its own LLM model configuration, personality, and tools.
  * The limit is **20 active agents** per squad.
  * A channel can only be linked to one squad at a time.
* **Agent role in the squad:** defines the function the agent performs within the group.
  * `manager` — leads routing in hierarchical mode. Central triage point.
  * `principal` — coordinates without rigid hierarchy in horizontal mode.
  * `member` — specialist agent that receives delegated or routed tasks.
  * `specialist` — member variant with declared competencies for criteria-based routing.
* **Handoff:** transfer of a conversation from one agent to another. Logged with source agent, destination, and reason.
* **Squad ID:** unique identifier of the squad, used when linking channels programmatically via API.

## Operation modes

The mode determines how routing happens within the squad. The choice is made at creation and affects the required role structure.

* **Hierarchical (`hierarchical`):**
  * A `manager` agent receives all messages and decides which member to forward to.
  * The end user interacts with a single entry point — triage happens behind the scenes.
  * Requires exactly one `manager` to be defined before the squad is activated.
  * Ideal for: support with specialized queues, service with gradual escalation.
* **Horizontal (`horizontal`):**
  * A `principal` agent coordinates, but all members can be triggered directly.
  * Routing uses criteria such as language, channel, time, or contact tags.
  * Requires exactly one `principal` to be defined before the squad is activated.
  * Ideal for: teams with similar competencies, load distribution by criteria.

## Why use squads?

* Resolve complex conversations that require more than one specialty without scaling the prompt of a single agent.
* Create single entry points per channel while multiple specialists work in parallel.
* Log and audit every handoff, identifying bottlenecks in the service flow with real data.