AI engineering glossary · Agents tools MCP
What is router pattern?
Router pattern (also called Routing): A design where a first step classifies the input and sends it to the most suitable prompt, tool or agent. It keeps each downstream path simple and specialised, and lets cheap and expensive models be used as fits the request.
Router pattern: an example
A router labels a message as 'billing', 'technical' or 'sales' and forwards it to the matching specialist.
Related terms
More Agents tools MCP terms
- Sandbox
- Scope (OAuth)
- Scratchpad memory
- Self-critique
- Semantic memory
- Shared state
- Short-term memory
- Side effect
Where you learn it
Router pattern is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.