Conditionals

if compares two values and runs its then chain or its else chain. It is the only branching operation, and it is terminal: nothing may follow it, and the branch it takes is where the tool ends.

{
  "kind": "if",
  "config": { "left": "{{tooldata.status}}", "op": "eq", "right": "delivered" },
  "then": [{ "kind": "say", "config": { "text": "That order is already with you." } }],
  "else": [{ "kind": "say", "config": { "text": "That order is still on its way." } }]
}

Config

Field	Type	Default	Notes
`left`	any JSON	required	Usually a template token
`op`	`eq` \| `neq` \| `gt` \| `lt` \| `exists` \| `in`	required
`right`	any JSON	`null`	Ignored by `exists`

then and else sit on the operation, beside config. Both are optional; a missing branch does nothing.

Operators

`op`	True when
`eq`	The values are equal, or their string forms are equal
`neq`	Not `eq`
`gt`	`left > right`, both read as numbers
`lt`	`left < right`, both read as numbers
`exists`	`left` is not `null`, `""`, `[]` or `{}`. `0` and `false` exist
`in`	`left`, as a string, is one of the values in `right`: an array, or a comma-separated string. Each choice is trimmed

There is no gte, lte, substring or regex operator. For >=, use lt and swap the branches. For anything richer, compute the answer in a code operation and branch on what it published.

How values compare

eq is case-sensitive: "Gold" is not "gold". "5" equals 5.
Compare a boolean against a JSON boolean, "right": true. The string "true" never matches a boolean. The dashboard’s if fields are plain text, so a tool edited there should publish strings such as "open" and compare against those.
gt and lt fail the operation when either side is not a number, with `gt` needs two numbers, and cannot compare '7:26 PM' with '09:00'. They do not fall through to else.
{{system_vars.time}} (7:26 PM) and {{system_vars.date}} (Wednesday, 19 August 2026) are for speaking, not comparing. Do time logic in a code operation; see business hours.
exists is the test for “did a value come back”. A missing value does not eq an empty string.

on_error: "continue" on an if means that when the comparison fails, neither branch runs and the tool ends there.

Nesting

A third path is a second if as the only operation in a branch. This refund check requires a status and a window:

[
  {
    "kind": "http",
    "config": {
      "method": "GET",
      "url": "https://api.example.com/v1/orders/{{args.order_id}}",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer {{secrets.SHOP_API_KEY}}" },
      "timeout": 8
    },
    "silent": true,
    "publish_fields": [
      { "path": "order.status", "key": "status", "store": "tooldata" },
      { "path": "order.days_since_delivery", "key": "days", "store": "tooldata" }
    ]
  },
  {
    "kind": "if",
    "config": { "left": "{{tooldata.status}}", "op": "in", "right": ["delivered", "collected"] },
    "then": [
      {
        "kind": "if",
        "config": { "left": "{{tooldata.days}}", "op": "lt", "right": 30 },
        "then": [
          {
            "kind": "http",
            "config": {
              "method": "POST",
              "url": "https://api.example.com/v1/orders/{{args.order_id}}/refunds",
              "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer {{secrets.SHOP_API_KEY}}" },
              "body": { "reason": "{{args.reason}}" },
              "timeout": 15
            },
            "silent": true,
            "publish_fields": [
              { "path": "refund.reference", "key": "refund_reference", "store": "userdata" }
            ]
          },
          {
            "kind": "say",
            "config": { "text": "That refund is approved. Your reference is {{userdata.refund_reference}}." }
          }
        ],
        "else": [
          {
            "kind": "say",
            "config": { "text": "That order was delivered {{tooldata.days}} days ago, outside our thirty-day refund window." }
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "else": [
      {
        "kind": "generate_reply",
        "config": { "instructions": "Explain the order has not been delivered yet, so there is nothing to refund, and offer to cancel it." }
      }
    ]
  }
]

Every operation that could return a result is silent, so the tool is silent and each branch speaks for itself. For the early-exit shape, see guard, then continue.

The operation tree

Terminal operations, on_error and derived silence.

Handoff operation

Routing to another agent from a branch.

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How values compare

Nesting

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The operation tree

Handoff operation

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The operation tree

Handoff operation

Config

Operators

How values compare

Nesting

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