Expertise AI Knowledge Base

Tool: @initialize_live_chat

Hand off conversations to human agents with scheduling

Last updated on October 27, 2025

What it does

Hands off the conversation from the AI agent to a human agent.

When to use it

When the visitor needs human assistance, complex issue resolution, or requests to speak with a person.

CRITICAL RULE

Must be in its own step with NO other tools.
This is the only tool with this restriction—it's enforced for technical and UX reasons.

Requirements

HubSpot integration with live chat enabled.

Configuration

Available in tool settings:

Active Hours Schedule

Set available hours by day of week (Monday-Sunday) with specific time ranges and timezone.

Offline Behavior

Choose what happens when agents are unavailable:
  • Show message: Display a customizable offline message
  • Create ticket: Automatically create a support ticket instead

Offline Message

Custom text shown when agents are unavailable (if message behavior selected).

Syntax

X. @initialize_live_chat - Proceed to Step Y.
Note: Always add "- Proceed to Step X." after the live chat step to continue the flow.

Example

Standalone live chat:
1. @ask_question: "What can I help you with?" @show_options["Technical issue", "Speak to a person"] - If "Technical issue", proceed to Step 2. - If "Speak to a person", proceed to Step 4. 2. @recommend a solution. @show_options["Issue resolved", "Still need help"] - If "Issue resolved", proceed to Step 6. - If "Still need help", proceed to Step 3. 3. @ask_question: "What's your email address?" 4. @initialize_live_chat - Proceed to Step 5. 5. @mention_specifically: "Thank you for your patience!" 6. @stop_playbook

Tips

  • NEVER combine @initialize_live_chat with other tools in the same step
  • System automatically handles availability checking—don't mention business hours
  • Always add "- Proceed to Step X." after the live chat step
  • Collect email address before initializing live chat for better routing
  • Configure realistic active hours

Common Mistakes

❌ WRONG - Combined with other tools:
5. @mention_specifically: "Connecting you now..." @initialize_live_chat
✓ CORRECT - Isolated:
5. @mention_specifically: "Connecting you now..." 6. @initialize_live_chat - Proceed to Step 7. 7. @stop_playbook
 

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