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

# Handoff Topics

> Tell the AI which topics to never handle — refunds, legal, safety — and have every matching conversation routed straight to a human agent.

Some conversations should never get an AI reply — refund requests, legal questions, safety incidents. **Handoff topics** are the list you hand the AI as "don't touch." Anything the AI classifies into that list is immediately handed off to a human agent with full context.

<Tip>
  Configure topics in **[Settings → Autopilot](https://platform.open.cx/settings/autopilot)** under the **Autopilot topics** section.
</Tip>

## How It Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="You list topics in plain language">
    One topic per line. Write them the way a teammate would — *"refund requests"*, *"billing disputes"*, *"account cancellation"*. No keywords or regex.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The AI classifies each conversation">
    On every inbound message, the AI reads the conversation against your topic list. Matching conversations are flagged as "do not auto-reply."
  </Step>

  <Step title="The handoff fires">
    A matched topic triggers the same handoff flow as any other escalation — see [Human Handoff](/handoff/introduction). The full conversation history, any AI-gathered context, and the matched topic are preserved for the agent.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Handoff topics control **whether the AI replies**, not which tools the AI can call. Per-action scoping lives on the action itself — see [segment restrictions](/actions/build-an-action#segment-restrictions).
</Note>

## Good Topics To Start With

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Money movement" icon="money-bill-transfer">
    *Refund requests, chargeback disputes, payment method changes.* High-cost mistakes if the AI gets policy wrong.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Legal and compliance" icon="scale-balanced">
    *GDPR or privacy requests, account deletion under law, subpoenas, anything a lawyer should see.*
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Safety and harm" icon="circle-exclamation">
    *Threats, self-harm mentions, reports of abuse.* Never a good outcome if the AI auto-resolves.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="VIP and enterprise accounts" icon="crown">
    *If a named-account manager should be the first line of contact,* list the account type or segment in your topics.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Good To Know

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Start narrow, widen as needed" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Add topics as your agents surface recurring "the AI should not have replied to this" tickets — not upfront out of caution. Too broad a list means everything hands off and the AI has nothing left to do.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Review monthly" icon="calendar-check">
    Product and policy shift. A topic that was too risky for the AI in January may be safe by July. Drop topics once the knowledge base and actions cover them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Per-channel behavior" icon="grid-2">
    Handoff topics apply to every channel the AI replies on — widget, email, SMS, WhatsApp, phone. One list, one classification model.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Configure

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Autopilot settings">
    Go to **[Settings → Autopilot](https://platform.open.cx/settings/autopilot)** and scroll to the **Autopilot topics** section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add topics">
    Type each topic on its own line. Save.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    Send a test message matching a listed topic from a real channel. Confirm the AI stays silent and the conversation appears in the [inbox](https://platform.open.cx/inbox) as handed off.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Related Documentation

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Human Handoff" icon="user-group" href="/handoff/introduction">
    What happens after a topic match — the full escalation flow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Handoff Settings" icon="sliders" href="/handoff/settings">
    Tune handoff levels, office hours, and data collection.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI Actions" icon="bolt" href="/actions/introduction">
    Restrict specific tools by segment instead of by topic.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Autopilot Mode" icon="robot" href="/handoff/settings">
    Set how aggressively the AI replies overall.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>