Understanding Graders

Graders are the core of Grader.io — they evaluate form submissions using AI-powered criteria to score and categorize leads automatically.

How Graders Work

When a submission arrives, the grader processes it through several stages:

1. Data Extraction — Fields are mapped from the form submission to the grader's input schema
2. Criteria Evaluation — Each criterion is evaluated against the submission data
3. Score Calculation — Individual criterion scores are weighted and combined
4. Categorization — The final score determines the lead category (e.g., Hot, Warm, Cold)
5. Routing — Based on the category, the lead is routed to the appropriate handler

Grader Types

Rule-Based Graders

Rule-based graders use explicit if/then logic to score submissions:

{
  "criteria": [
    {
      "field": "budget",
      "condition": "greaterThan",
      "value": 10000,
      "score": 25
    },
    {
      "field": "company_size",
      "condition": "between",
      "min": 50,
      "max": 500,
      "score": 20
    }
  ]
}

Best for: Simple, predictable scoring with well-defined thresholds.

AI-Powered Graders

AI graders use natural language processing to evaluate free-text responses:

• Sentiment analysis
• Keyword extraction
• Intent detection
• Relevance scoring

Best for: Complex evaluations where human judgment is typically required.

Hybrid Graders

Combine rule-based and AI scoring for the best of both worlds. Use rules for objective criteria and AI for subjective ones.

Scoring Weights

Each criterion has a weight that determines its impact on the final score:

Categories

Submissions are categorized based on their final score:

• 🔥 Hot Lead (80-100) — Immediate follow-up required
• 🌡️ Warm Lead (50-79) — Schedule a call within 48 hours
• ❄️ Cold Lead (20-49) — Add to nurture campaign
• ⛔ Disqualified (0-19) — Does not meet minimum criteria

Best Practices

1. Start simple — Begin with 3-5 criteria and refine over time
2. Use real data — Calibrate your scoring with actual past submissions
3. Review regularly — Check your grader's accuracy weekly and adjust weights
4. A/B test — Run two graders in parallel to find the optimal configuration

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Next: Grader Configuration — Set up advanced scoring rules