# Routing

> How StellarFirm decides which assistant gets a message: name an assistant to send it straight there, or let the CEO assistant match it.

Routing is how a message you write ends up with the right assistant. You can steer it yourself by naming an assistant, or leave it to the CEO assistant.

## Three ways a message is routed

| You write | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| A message that starts with an assistant's name | It goes straight to that assistant. No guessing. |
| A message with no name | The CEO assistant matches it to the right assistant from what it is about. |
| A message that is unclear | The CEO assistant takes the safe path and asks you. |

## Name an assistant

Start your message with the assistant's name and it goes straight there.

```prompt title="Send straight to the Coder"
@coder fix the failing tests on [repository] and open a pull request for review.
```

Putting `@`, `/`, or `persona:` in front of the name all work, for example `/coder ...` or `persona: coder ...`. The prompts in these docs often open with "Coder," in plain words, which the CEO assistant reads as addressing the Coder. The `@` form is the surest way to skip routing completely.

> [!TIP]
> Naming an assistant is the fastest route when you know who should take the job. Use it for anything where a wrong guess would waste time.

## Let the CEO assistant match it

If you name nobody, the CEO assistant looks at what the message is about. Words like build, fix, tests, pull request, and CI point to the Coder. Other subjects point to other roles.

| The message is about | Belongs to | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Building, fixing, tests, pull requests, CI | Coder | Available |
| What to build, priority, acceptance criteria | Product owner | Coming soon |
| Campaigns, launch posts, waitlists | Marketing | Coming soon |
| Invoices, expenses, budgets | Accountant | Coming soon |
| Contracts, terms, privacy wording | Legal | Coming soon |

Only available assistants receive work. A role that is Coming soon is never chosen.

> [!NOTE]
> Today that means unnamed work goes to the Coder, or the CEO assistant answers the question itself. If a message is about something that belongs to a role that is Coming soon, you will not get a half-working answer from the wrong assistant.

## When the match is not clear

If a message could belong to more than one role, or does not clearly belong to any, the CEO assistant does not guess. It takes the safe path: it asks you which assistant you mean, or what you want done.

You can avoid the question by writing a clearer goal. See [write a good goal](/docs/ceo/prompt-guide#write-a-good-goal).

## Several Coders

You can run more than one Coder. When you do, the CEO assistant decides which Coder takes each message, so separate goals can move in parallel, each in its own workspace. You can also name a Coder at the start of a message.

## Routing and approvals

Routing decides who works. It never skips an approval. Whichever assistant gets a message, the same rules apply to risky steps. See [approvals](/docs/ceo/approvals).

## Prompts to try

```prompt title="Let the CEO route it"
CEO, [describe the job in a sentence]. Pick the right assistant and tell me who you chose.
```

```prompt title="Ask who owns it"
CEO, who should handle [job], and what would they need from me?
```

## Next

- [How the CEO works](/docs/ceo/how-the-ceo-works)
- [Approvals](/docs/ceo/approvals)
- [CEO prompt guide](/docs/ceo/prompt-guide)

---

Source: https://stellarfirm.ai/docs/ceo/routing