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Understanding Variables in Atoms

In Atoms, a variable is a container that stores specific information collected during a conversation. Variables allow your AI agent to remember and reference important details throughout the interaction, creating a more personalized and context-aware experience.

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Why Variables Matter

Variables are crucial for creating intelligent, dynamic conversations because they:

  • Maintain Context - Remember key information throughout the conversation
  • Personalize Interactions - Address users by name and reference their specific details
  • Enable Complex Logic - Power decision-making based on collected information
  • Integrate with External Systems - Pass data to and from webhooks and APIs

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Types of Variables in Atoms

Atoms supports several ways to create and use variables:

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1. System Variables

These are predefined variables automatically provided by the platform. System variables are:

  • Generated at runtime
  • Read-only
  • Always available throughout your flow

Currently Available System Variables:

VariableFormatDescription
Call ID{{call_id}}Unique identifier for the current call
Agent Number{{agent_number}}Phone number of your agent
User Number{{user_number}}Phone number of the user
Current Date{{current_date}}Current date in readable format
Current Time{{current_time}}Current time in readable format
Current Day{{current_day}}Current day of the week

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2. User Input Variables

These are created dynamically when your AI agent extracts information from user responses.

Example:

When a user says, “My name is Sarah,” the agent can automatically store “Sarah” in a customer_name variable.

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3. Audience Variables

Audience variables are created automatically from the columns in your uploaded Audience CSV file. Each column header in your CSV becomes a variable name that’s accessible throughout your workflow.

How Audience Variables Work:

  1. You upload a CSV file to create an audience in Atoms
  2. Each column header in your CSV is transformed into a variable
  3. When a call connects to a user from this audience, all their data becomes available as variables
  4. Your workflow can reference these variables immediately without needing to collect this information

Example CSV File:

phoneNumber,customer_name,due_amount,account_type,last_payment_date
+919876543210,John Doe,250,Premium,2023-10-15
+919876543211,Jane Smith,175,Standard,2023-11-03
+919876543212,Robert Johnson,320,Premium,2023-09-28

In this example:

  • phoneNumber is the required column for identifying contacts
  • customer_name, due_amount, account_type, and last_payment_date all become audience variables
  • When your agent calls John Doe, it can immediately access his data with variables like {{customer_name}}, {{due_amount}}, etc.

This powerful feature allows you to personalize conversations from the very beginning. For example, your agent can start the call with: Hello {{customer_name}}, I'm calling about your outstanding balance of ${{due_amount}} on your {{account_type}} account. Your last payment was on {{last_payment_date}}.

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Using Variables in Your Workflow

To reference a variable in your workflow, use the double curly braces syntax:

Hello {{customer_name}}, thank you for your interest in our restaurant.

This will automatically insert the value of the customer_name variable into your agent’s response.

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Variable Best Practices

When working with variables in Atoms, consider these recommendations:

  • Use Descriptive Names - Choose clear, meaningful variable names like appointment_time rather than time
  • Validate User Input - Confirm critical information to ensure accuracy before proceeding
  • Plan Variable Usage - Map out which variables you’ll need throughout the workflow
  • Provide Fallbacks - Include default values for essential variables

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Wrapping Up

Variables are powerful tools that make your AI agent more intelligent and context-aware. In the next section, we’ll explore how to use branches to create dynamic conversation flows based on these variables.