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_chatwith 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
Learn More
- Getting Started with Playbooks - Overview and all tools
- Core Concepts & Structure - Understanding playbook structure
- Complete Playbook Examples - See live chat escalation
- Troubleshooting Guide - Live chat setup issues