Skip to main content

​
Introduction

Takeover lets a support associate step into an ongoing AI conversation and convert it into a help desk ticket. Once taken over, the AI stops responding and the support associate handles the rest of the conversation directly. This is useful when a customer’s issue is too complex for the AI, requires a personal touch, or needs escalation. Takeover is available on all channels - Widget, Email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.

​
How It Works

When a support associate takes over a conversation, the system:
  1. Stops the AI from responding to the customer
  2. Generates an AI-powered summary of the conversation
  3. Creates a help desk ticket linked to the conversation
  4. Assigns the ticket to the support associate who initiated the takeover

​
Taking Over a Conversation

1

Open the conversation

Open the Conversations tab in the help desk sidebar and select an ongoing conversation.
2

Click Take Over

Click the Take Over button in the conversation header. The button is only available for conversations that are currently ongoing.
Take Over button in the conversation header
3

View the ticket

After takeover, you are automatically redirected to the newly created help desk ticket. The ticket includes:
  • An AI-generated subject line and summary based on the conversation
  • Customer details (name, email, or other identifiers)
Help desk ticket created from a taken-over conversation

​
Conversation States

Every conversation has an activity state that determines whether takeover is available:
The conversation is active and the AI is responding. Takeover is available.
A support associate has already taken over the conversation. The Take Over button is replaced with a View Ticket button that links to the associated help desk ticket.
The conversation has ended. Takeover is not available.

​
AI-Generated Summary

When a conversation is taken over, the system uses AI to generate a summary so the support associate can quickly understand the context without reading the entire conversation. The summary includes:
  • A subject line for the ticket
  • A brief summary of the customer’s issue
The summary is generated in the same language the customer used in the conversation.

​
What the Customer Sees

On chat channels (such as the widget), the customer receives real-time feedback when a takeover happens:
  1. The AI stops responding immediately
  2. A loading spinner appears with the message “Waiting for support agent to join”
  3. Once the support associate sends their first message, the spinner disappears and the conversation continues as a live chat
Waiting for support agent to join spinner shown to the customer
The waiting message is automatically displayed in the customer’s language. See Localization for more details.

​
Allow AI Replies

After taking over a conversation, you can re-enable the AI at any time by clicking Allow AI replies. This hands the conversation back to the AI so it can continue responding to the customer.
1

Open the ticket

Open the taken-over ticket from the help desk.
2

Click the menu

Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the ticket header.
3

Select Allow AI replies

Click Allow AI replies. The AI resumes responding to the customer and the ticket is automatically closed.

​
Multiple Takeovers

A single conversation can go through multiple takeover and AI resume cycles. Each time, the conversation is clearly divided into sections so both the support associate and the customer can follow the flow:
  • A “Live Chat” separator marks where a support associate took over
  • An “AI Resumed” separator marks where the AI was re-enabled
For example, a conversation might flow like this:
  1. Customer chats with the AI
  2. Support associate takes over → Live Chat separator appears
  3. Support associate resolves part of the issue and clicks Allow AI replies → AI Resumed separator appears
  4. Customer continues chatting with the AI
  5. A new issue arises and another support associate takes over → another Live Chat separator appears
Each cycle creates a new ticket, and the conversation timeline preserves the full history across all transitions.
Conversation timeline showing Live Chat and AI Resumed separators across multiple takeover cycles

​
Concurrency

Only one support associate can take over a conversation. If two support associates click Take Over at the same time, the first one to complete the action wins and gets the ticket. The second support associate will see that the conversation has already been taken over.
Best practices:
  • Review the conversation history before taking over so you have full context.
  • After taking over, set the ticket status to On You and begin responding to the customer promptly.
  • Use internal Notes to document any steps you’ve taken so other support associates can pick up if needed.