Inbox & Human Handoff

When your AI agent can’t fully resolve a conversation, it can transfer the user to a human team member. This is called Human Handoff — it connects your AI-powered support with real people when they’re needed most.

Overview

Human Handoff provides:

• Seamless transfer from AI agent to a human team member
• Real-time chat with end users on any connected channel
• Queue management with status tracking
• In-app and email notifications when users request help
• Automatic expiry if no agent is available within the configured time

Prerequisites

• An active AI agent with Human Handoff enabled
• At least one connected channel (or the Website Widget)
• A team member available to respond in the admin panel

Enabling Human Handoff

Human Handoff is configured per agent.

1. Go to Agents and click your agent to edit
2. In the Configuration tab, scroll to the Human Handoff section
3. Toggle Enable Human Handoff on
4. Configure the settings:

5. Click Save Changes

For more details on agent settings, see Configuration Options.

How It Works

User asks to speak with a human
  → AI agent detects the request
  → Handoff message shown to the user
  → Session appears in the Inbox queue (status: Queued)
  → Team members receive in-app notification
  → If no response in 3 min, email reminder sent
  → Team member opens Inbox and clicks Accept
  → Accept message sent to the user
  → Real-time chat between user and team member
  → Team member clicks Resolve when done
  → Resolve message sent to the user
  → AI agent resumes the conversation

During a handoff, the AI agent pauses. All messages from the user are routed directly to the human team member. When resolved, the AI agent automatically resumes handling the conversation.

Using the Inbox Page

Navigate to Inbox in the sidebar to see the handoff queue.

Queue Stats

At the top of the page you’ll see:

• Queued — Number of users waiting for a team member
• Active — Number of chats currently being handled
• Agents online — How many team members have the Inbox page open

Filtering

Use the status filter dropdown to view specific sessions:

Queue Table

Each row shows the AI agent that escalated, the user’s channel, session status, escalation reason, wait time, and which team member is assigned (if any).

Click any row to open the chat detail page.

Accepting and Chatting

When you click a queued session, the chat detail page opens.

Accepting a Session

Click the green Accept button in the header. This:

1. Changes the session status from Queued to Active
2. Sends the accept message to the user on their channel
3. Opens the message input so you can start chatting

Chat Interface

The chat detail page has two sections:

Chat Panel (left):

• Messages are grouped by sender with distinct styling:
  • User messages (dark) — on the left
  • AI bot messages (light) — on the right
  • Human agent messages (blue) — on the right, labeled with your name
• Type in the text area at the bottom and press Enter to send
• Messages are delivered in real-time to the user’s channel

Context Sidebar (right, desktop only):

• Timeline — Created, Accepted, Resolved timestamps with live wait timer
• Session — Status, channel, message count, assigned agent
• Participants — End user, AI agent, and human agent
• Escalation Reason — Why the AI decided to hand off (if provided)

Resolving Sessions

When you’ve addressed the user’s issue:

1. Click the Resolve button in the header
2. A confirmation dialog appears
3. Optionally add an internal note (not shown to the user — for your team’s records)
4. Click Resolve to confirm

After resolving:

• The resolve message is sent to the user
• The conversation returns to the AI agent
• The session moves to Resolved status

What Happens When No One Is Available

If no team member accepts within the configured Max Wait Time:

1. The session status changes to Expired
2. The user receives a message that no agent is available
3. The conversation returns to the AI agent automatically

Notifications

In-App Notifications

When a user requests a human agent, all team members in your organization receive an in-app notification via the notification bell in the admin panel header.

Email Reminders

If a handoff session remains queued for 3 minutes without being accepted, an email reminder is sent to all team members in your organization. This ensures someone is notified even if they’re not currently in the admin panel.

Supported Channels

Human Handoff works with all connected channels:

FAQ

Which plans include Human Handoff?

Human Handoff is available on all plans, including Trial. Enable it per agent in the Configuration tab.

Can multiple team members handle handoffs?

Yes. Any team member in your organization can accept queued sessions. The “Agents online” counter shows how many team members currently have the Inbox page open.

What if I close my browser during an active chat?

The session remains Active. When you return to the Inbox page, you can continue the conversation where you left off.

Can the user tell they’re talking to a human?

The user receives the configured accept message when you join. Beyond that, the experience depends on how you write the handoff messages and your conversation style.

Does the AI see the human agent’s messages?

Human agent messages are stored in the conversation history. When the AI resumes after resolution, it has context from the handoff exchange.

Can I review past handoff sessions?

Yes. Use the status filter on the Inbox page to view Resolved or Expired sessions. Click any session to review the full conversation.

What triggers the AI to hand off?

The AI agent decides to escalate when a user explicitly asks to speak with a human (e.g., “Can I talk to a real person?”). The AI uses a classification check to verify the user genuinely wants a human before creating the handoff.