---
title: "Configuring Human Handoff"
description: "Turn on human handoff for an agent with the Escalate to Human action, and choose how and when conversations reach your team."
---

:::note[Plan]
Available on the **Standard** plan and above.
:::

Human handoff is set up with the **Escalate to Human** action.

:::note
Only team **Owners** and **Admins** can set up human handoff.
:::

1. **Add the action**

    In your agent, go to **Build** > **Actions**, select **Create action**, and choose **Escalate to Human**. Enabling it uses one of your agent's available **Actions & Widgets per agent** slots.

2. **Choose the escalation method**

    Choose **Live chat** for real-time replies from your team, or **Create ticket** to follow up later while the AI keeps responding.

3. **Choose when to escalate**

    Turn on **Show live chat button** so visitors can ask for a person at any time. Turn on **Allow AI to request live chat** and describe the condition under **When to escalate** to let the agent escalate on its own.

4. **Customize the messages**

    Set the **Button label**, the **Waiting message** visitors see until a teammate joins, and, for tickets, the **Confirmation message**.

5. **Choose what happens if nobody answers**

    For live chat, choose when an unclaimed request becomes a ticket under **Create a ticket if nobody claims the request**. The default is **After 5 minutes**. Choose **Keep waiting** to turn it off.

6. **Set up notifications**

    Turn on **Email the team about new tickets** so Owners, Admins, and Editors get an email for each new ticket.

7. **Choose the channels**

    Under **Channels**, choose where handoff is available: **Web widget**, **Public chat**, or **WhatsApp**.

See [Escalate to Human](/docs/actions/escalate-to-human) for every setting.

## Writing the escalation condition

If you keep the default text under **When to escalate**, it matches the escalation method: live chat escalates when the visitor asks for a person, and tickets are created when the visitor asks for a ticket, reports a problem the agent can't solve, or asks the team to follow up. Switching the method switches the default text too.

To write your own, be specific about when your team should step in. For example:

> Escalate when the visitor explicitly asks for a human, wants to cancel their subscription, reports a billing error, or is still unhappy after two answers.

Test it in the [Playground](/docs/agents/playground) before going live.

## Who can reply

Team members with the **Owner**, **Admin**, or **Editor** role can manage tickets, add notes, and reply to customers on tickets assigned to them. **Viewers** can see tickets but can't change them. See [Roles and Permissions](/docs/account-and-teams/roles-and-permissions).