> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.artific.nl/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.artific.nl/en/for-administrators/organization/fallbacks.md).

# Fallbacks

What happens when a model is temporarily unavailable. Found under **Organization management → Fallbacks**.

## What a fallback is

Models occasionally become unavailable. Without a fallback, an assistant using an unavailable model simply fails, and the user sees an error.

A fallback configuration is a named recipe: *if this model cannot be reached, try this one next, then this one*. Assistants and Toolbox elements can each point at one.

## Where it is used

The fallback itself is chosen per assistant and per element, not here:

* On an assistant, under [Advanced settings](/en/for-administrators/assistants/advanced-settings.md): **Don't fail if primary model is down**, then **Fallback strategy**.
* On a Toolbox element, the same two settings under its advanced settings.

Anything left on **Global default** uses the platform's standard configuration.

## Reading a configuration

Each configuration has two parts:

| Part                  | What it does                                                                             |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Exact pairs**       | For one specific model, the ordered list of models to try instead.                       |
| **Platform defaults** | For any model from a given provider with no exact pair, the ordered list to try instead. |

Exact pairs win over platform defaults. Fallbacks are tried in order.

The **default** configuration is managed by the platform and cannot be edited. It is what everything uses unless told otherwise.

{% hint style="info" %}
Creating and editing fallback configurations is restricted to platform administrators. If the screen is not in your menu, or the configurations are read-only, that is why. Your account manager can arrange a change.
{% endhint %}

## When to ask for a custom one

The default is sufficient for most organisations. A custom configuration is worth asking about when:

* An assistant is doing work where a different fallback would give noticeably worse results, and you would rather it failed than answered badly.
* You want a specific, predictable second choice for a business-critical assistant.

## What to expect during a fallback

A fallback model is a different model. Answers may be worded differently, and it may not support everything the primary one did: a fallback without tool support means tools stop working for the duration.

Fallbacks keep the service up. They do not guarantee identical behaviour. For anything where that matters, [quality control](/en/for-administrators/quality.md) is what tells you when something has changed.