---
title: "Node types - General"
canonical: "https://help.telegra.de/space/MCCE/9561348867583/Node%20types%20-%20General"
format: markdown
---
The nodes in the Call Flow editor are functional units and decision points that you can connect to define your callflow.

![Exemplarischer Callflow im telegra Contact Center](media://be6f4cb4-5495-4f1b-ba8e-8f0f213e3d02)

A node can have **branches** (outputs) that represent potential outputs for the call within the node. When the function of a node in a routing plan has been traversed, the call in the call flow is forwarded to a subsequent node via the branch of the node. Thus, the call flow traverses node by node until it reaches an endpoint in the call flow, such as an end call node. Some node types have only one outgoing branch, while others have more than one branch.

## Mandatory and optional branches

Branches can also be mandatory or optional.

A **mandatory branch** represents a node output that you must consider when designing the call flow. All branches that you see on a node when it is first added to the routing plan are mandatory branches and cannot be deleted.

An **optional branch** represents a node output that can be added to the node. For example, for the "DTMF Menu" node, you can add one or more optional branches to represent the different DTMF keys available to the caller.

> 📝 **Note: **Each branch of a node must be connected with an outgoing path to a subsequent node.

## Parameters

A node can also have parameters that are used to configure the node for its desired functionality. For example, a "Play Announcement" node plays an audio file as an announcement to the caller. Therefore this node needs a parameter "Audio Filename", which specifies the name of the audio file already stored in the system by you, which should be played to the caller. The node has a branch (Next) that it follows when the audio file has been played.

---

### Related articles

> Macro (children)