> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cognigy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Inheritance Mechanism

The *Inheritance Mechanism* feature lets parent Intents use example sentences from their child Intents.
This mechanism helps the AI Agent better understand user inputs and determine the intended action.

### Key Benefits

* **Wider Scope for Parent Intents**. Parent Intents get a better trained NLU model by including examples from child Intents.
* **Clear Hierarchy**. You can see how Intents relate to each other and how they're scored.

## Prerequisites

Before using the inheritance mechanism, make sure you have a multilevel Intent structure.
For example, Level 1 parent Intents with Level 2 or Level 3 child Intents.

## How to Use

To activate the inheritance mechanism, follow these steps:

1. In the Flow editor, go to **NLU > Intents** and select the parent Intent you want to set up.
2. Activate the **Inherit Example Sentences from Child Intents** setting.
3. Save your changes and rebuild the model to apply them.

### Intent Hierarchy Matching

The parent Intent includes examples from its child Intents in its training data.
When a user sends an input, during Intent matching, both parent and child Intents can score highly.

The child Intent's details are saved in the `input.intent` Input object,
while the parent Intent's details appear in `input.nlu.intentMapperResults.scores`.
For a deeper understanding of the resolution process, you can trace the Intent path using `input.intentLevel` and `input.nlu.intentMapperResults.intentPath`.

<Accordion title="Input Object">
  ```json theme={null}
  {
    "input": {
      "intent": "Child Intent",  
      "nlu": {
        "intentMapperResults": {
          "scores": [
            {
              "intent": "Child Intent",
              "score": 0.6833273843878324
            },
            {
              "intent": "Parent Intent",
              "score": 0.5099832885597476
            }
          ],
          "intentPath": [
            "Parent Intent",
            "Child Intent"
          ]
        }
      },
      "intentLevel": {
        "level1": "Parent Intent",
        "level2": "Child Intent",
        "level3": null
      }
    }
  }
  ```
</Accordion>

### Example

Consider the inheritance mechanism in a customer support AI Agent.
The parent Intent (`Support`) inherits example sentences from its child Intents
(`Technical Support` and `Billing Support`).
This structure enables the AI Agent to handle general inquiries while accurately identifying specific Intents.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Intent Data">
    | **Level** | **Name** | **Intent Name**     | **Example Sentences**                                                                                        | **Description**                                                               |
    | --------- | -------- | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Level 1   | Parent   | `Support`           | `I need assistance` <br /> `Can you help me?` <br /> `I have an issue`                                       | The high-level parent Intent recognizing broad customer queries.              |
    | Level 2   | Child    | `Technical Support` | `My internet is down` <br /> `I can't connect to the Wi-Fi` <br /> `My computer is broken`                   | The child Intent under the `Support` parent for issues related to technology. |
    | Level 2   | Child    | `Billing Support`   | `I need help with my invoice` <br /> `I have a question about my bill` <br /> `Can you explain this charge?` | The child Intent under the `Support` parent for issues related to billing.    |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Result">
    | **User Input**                | **Recognized Intent**              |
    | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
    | `I need assistance`           | `Support` (Parent Intent)          |
    | `My internet is down`         | `Technical Support` (Child Intent) |
    | `I need help with my invoice` | `Billing Support` (Child Intent)   |
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## More Information

* [Overview](/ai/platform-features/nlu/intents/overview)
* [Intent Mapping Priority](/ai/platform-features/nlu/intents/intent-hierarchy/intent-mapping-priority)