Guide: Hand the chat to a person
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/hand-the-chat-to-a-person
Topic: Flow steps
Time: about 3 minutes
Who can do it: Owner, Administrator or Manager
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox
Result when done: The automation stops in this chat and a person takes over, then it resumes when you said.
Context: Hand to a person stops the automation in this chat and gives it to your team: an optional last message ("A person will answer you here shortly"), the chat marked for your team, and a notification. Until it resumes, nothing automatic is sent in that chat. Instagram requires a way to reach a human for apps on its messaging API; this step and the inbox are that way.

Before you start:
1. It needs an open chat: in a comment flow it goes after the private reply's tap.
2. The hand-off ends the flow; it has no way out.
3. The automation resumes after 24 hours, after 3 days, or when someone resumes it.

Steps:
Step 1 of 4: Add Hand to a person to your flow.
Where: Open the flow (Automation, then the flow's row). In the Steps panel on the left, under Do (scroll the panel down), drag Hand to a person onto the canvas, or select the step it should follow and click Hand to a person. On a phone: Add step at the top left of the canvas, then Hand to a person under Do.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-palette-more.en.webp (The Steps panel: Hand to a person, under Do.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-palette-more-phone.en.webp (On a phone, Add step lists the same steps: Hand to a person, under Do.)
You should see: The Hand to a person card is on the canvas and its settings panel is open (a sheet on a phone).

Step 2 of 4: Write the message before the hand-off.
Where: Panel, the box at the top: the message before the hand-off (optional), what they hear before a person takes over.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-handoff.en.webp (The message before the hand-off.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-handoff-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The card shows the message.

Step 3 of 4: Choose when the automation resumes.
Where: Panel, The automation resumes in this chat: After 24 hours, After 3 days, or When someone resumes it.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-handoff.en.webp (When the automation resumes.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-handoff-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The card reads, for example, Pauses the automation in this chat for 24 hours.

Step 4 of 4: Find the chat in the inbox.
Where: Messages, the chat: the contact panel on the right (the Contact sheet on a phone) says Paused until and the time, then A person has this chat. Automations and the AI agent stay quiet until then, with Resume automations under it. The thread shows what the automation already said.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-inbox-handoff.en.webp (The handed-over chat: Paused until, a person has it, and Resume automations.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-inbox-handoff-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Resume automations puts the automation back to work in that chat.

If something is off:
Problem: The automation answered after the hand-off
Fix: It resumes on its own after the time you chose. Choose When someone resumes it to leave it with your team until then.
Problem: Nobody saw the hand-off
Fix: The team is notified; check that notifications are on for their devices.

Common questions:
Question: Can my team reply after 24 hours?
Answer: A person can reply within 24 hours of the person's last message, like any reply from the inbox. Meta's 7-day human agent permission is not switched on for customers yet.
Question: Does a hand-off stop other automations in that chat too?
Answer: Yes. Until it resumes, nothing automatic is sent in that chat.

Related guides:
- Let the AI agent answer in a flow: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/let-the-ai-agent-answer-in-a-flow
- Notify yourself or the team: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/notify-yourself-or-the-team
- The 24-hour reply window: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/messages/the-24-hour-reply-window

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/hand-the-chat-to-a-person.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt