Smart Routing is the orchestration engine behind every NearNode scan. Instead of a static redirect, each node evaluates a priority-ordered rule stack at the edge and routes the user to the first matching destination.
If no rule matches, the node’s base payload is used as a fallback.
Ops Tip: You can manage routing rules visually in the Dashboard under each node’s “Rules” tab — no API calls required.
Rule Types
Route based on time of day and day of week. Deploy time-sensitive destinations without touching your infrastructure. { "rule_type" : "time_based" , "conditions" : { "timezone" : "Europe/Zurich" , "windows" : [ { "days" : [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ], "start_time" : "08:00" , "end_time" : "18:00" } ] }, "function_type" : "redirect" , "payload" : { "url" : "https://acme.com/open" } }
Use case: A restaurant QR code routes to the lunch menu from 11:00–14:00 and the dinner menu from 18:00–22:00.Split traffic by percentage between variants. Run controlled experiments on physical assets. { "rule_type" : "ab_split" , "conditions" : { "variant" : "A" , "weight" : 50 }, "function_type" : "redirect" , "payload" : { "url" : "https://acme.com/page-a" } }
Create one rule per variant. Weights across all variants for a node must sum to 100. Traffic distribution is non-deterministic per request.
Route based on the scanner’s country, detected via Vercel’s edge headers at sub-millisecond latency. { "rule_type" : "geo" , "conditions" : { "countries" : [ "CH" , "DE" , "AT" ], "match_type" : "include" }, "function_type" : "redirect" , "payload" : { "url" : "https://acme.com/dach" } }
Use case: Show German content to users scanning in the DACH region, English everywhere else.Route based on device type — mobile, desktop, or tablet. { "rule_type" : "device" , "conditions" : { "devices" : [ "mobile" ], "match_type" : "include" }, "function_type" : "redirect" , "payload" : { "url" : "https://acme.com/mobile-app" } }
Use case: Send Android/iOS users to the App Store and desktop users to the web app.Priority & Evaluation Rules are evaluated in ascending priority order (lower number = higher priority). The first matching rule wins — remaining rules are skipped.
Priority 0: Time-based → Office hours redirect Priority 1: Geo → DACH region redirect Priority 2: Device → Mobile app redirect Priority 3: Default → Base payload (fallback)
Performance: Rule evaluation adds less than 150ms to the edge response. Total TTFB with routing rules stays under 350ms globally.
Creating Rules via API curl -X POST https://nearnode.io/api/v1/nodes/k9m2xp4q/rules \ -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "label": "Office Hours", "priority": 0, "rule_type": "time_based", "conditions": { "timezone": "Europe/Zurich", "windows": [{ "days": [1,2,3,4,5], "start_time": "08:00", "end_time": "18:00" }] }, "function_type": "redirect", "payload": { "url": "https://acme.com/welcome" } }'
Payload Types Each routing rule can target any supported payload type:
Type Description redirectHTTP 307 redirect to a URL vcardGenerate and serve a vCard download wifiWiFi provisioning page (SSID, password, encryption) actionDirect-to-action: WhatsApp, Calendly, email, phone micrositeHosted microsite with custom content
