Handoff Settings

This page is a complete reference for every option on the Settings → Handoff page in your dashboard. If you are new to handoff, start with the Human Handoff overview.

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AI to human transfer behavior

Controls when the AI decides to hand off a session. Each behavior has its own switch, and changes apply to new messages as soon as you save.

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Within office hours

Customize the AI’s message when it hands off during your configured office hours. The text you provide here is used as instructions for the AI — the AI will phrase it naturally in the conversation’s language. Example:

I’ll transfer you to our support team now. They’ll be with you shortly.

Leave blank to use the AI’s default wording.

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Outside office hours

Two settings control behavior when a handoff is needed outside office hours.

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Allow handoff outside office hours

When disabled, the AI will not transfer outside of office hours — even on explicit request.

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Outside hours AI instructions

Custom instructions used when the AI needs to respond to a handoff situation outside office hours. The wording depends on whether you allow handoff outside hours:

• If allowed: let the customer know the transfer happened but a response may be delayed.
• If not allowed: explain that the support team is unavailable and will reply during office hours.

Example (handoff allowed outside hours):

I’ll transfer you to our support team, but please note that since we’re outside office hours, their response might be delayed.

Example (handoff not allowed outside hours):

Our human support team is currently unavailable as we are outside office hours. They will be back during regular business hours.

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Handoff summary language

When a handoff happens, the AI generates a short summary of the conversation for the human agent. This section controls the language that summary is written in. Disable this toggle to pin the summary to a specific language regardless of the conversation language — useful when your support team only reads one language but your customers chat in many.

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Team in the loop

When the AI needs information, an approval, or an action from your team, Team in the loop lets it ask privately in Inbox and stay with the customer. It posts an internal note, mentions teammates, adds the AI needs help tag, and tells the customer it is checking with the team.

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Enable team help

1. Open Settings → Advanced.
2. Turn on Team in the loop. It is off by default, and the switch saves automatically. You need permission to edit AI Autopilot settings.
3. Have teammates answer the help note in Inbox.

If the page shows Contact us instead of a switch, request access for your workspace. Installing a newer widget alone does not enable the feature. Use team help for text sessions your team handles in Inbox. This includes custom email addresses handled in Inbox even when other sessions go to an external helpdesk. Sessions handled in the external helpdesk and app reviews are excluded.

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Who receives the request

Mentions follow your skills routing. The AI identifies the skill it needs and mentions members of the session’s team who have it. If there is no match, it looks for that skill across the workspace, then falls back to the session’s team, then to everyone with access to the session. While a request is unanswered, a new question joins the existing note thread instead of opening another request. Reply in that thread to give the AI the information it needs. The AI follows up with the customer and quotes the question it is answering. A direct reply to the customer also answers the request; the AI resumes on the customer’s next message.

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Replies, takeover, and history

On eligible AI-assigned sessions, typing or sending a reply keeps the AI assigned. This applies even when there is no open help request. The first-reply dialog and takeover controls let you choose whether to keep AI available or handle the session yourself. Filter Inbox by AI needs help, or save a view with that tag, to review requests for team help. The tag stays after replies, takeover, handoff, and closure. It records that help was requested; it does not mean an answer is still pending. Include closed sessions in your filters when reviewing past requests. Handoff settings continue to control transfers. With handoff enabled, requests for a person and other configured transfer conditions still trigger handoff. With handoff disabled, the AI can ask the team for help while staying on the session. While AI remains assigned, closure, billing, and reporting follow the usual AI-session behavior.

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Forbidden topics

Certain topics always trigger a handoff, regardless of the switches above. These include legal matters, financial details, and other sensitive categories. Forbidden topics are managed in Settings → AI Autopilot, not on the Handoff page. See Unapproved Topics for the full list and how to configure your own.

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Data collection

Before the AI transfers a conversation to a human, it can be required to collect specific information from the customer. This saves the human agent from asking for it again.

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Saving changes

Most settings on this page only persist after you click Save at the top right. The two data collection toggles are the exception — they save on toggle. If you navigate away without saving, unsaved changes are lost.