# Handoffs

> What happens when an agent hands a conversation to a person, how the end user's panel shows it, and how a member reads the thread, replies and closes it.

A handoff is an agent passing a thread to a person at your organization. The person is alerted by email, reads the thread from the **Inbox**, and replies into it. The end user sees the reply in the panel, in the same thread, without a reload. The agent stays out of the thread until a member closes the handoff.

## How it starts

Every thread of every agent has the `handoff` tool. The agent calls it when the end user asks for a person or it can't help further, with a one-line reason, a summary of what the user needs and what was tried, and the user's contact when they gave one. The core rules make the agent say what the handoff does and wait for a yes first, and the `escalate-to-human` skill of the [SaaS support template](https://superassist.app/dashboard/templates.md) asks for an email on the way.

The agent isn't the only one watching. After each reply, a decision model reads the exchange and judges whether a person should take over: the end user asked for one, is frustrated or repeating themselves, asked for something outside the agent's purpose, or the agent couldn't answer. When it looks that way, the panel shows a **Talk to a person** button under the messages, which sends "I'd like to talk to a person." and the agent hands off. When the end user plainly asked for a person, the handoff opens at once with the reason "The user asked for a person", with no further turn. See [How a turn is answered](https://superassist.app/explanation/how-a-turn-is-answered.md#after-the-reply-a-decision-model-reads-the-exchange).

The handoff opens, and an email goes to the organization's **Support email** from **Settings**, or to the owner when none is set. Its subject names the agent and the reason, and its button opens the handoff in the dashboard.

## What the end user sees

Under the panel's composer, the thread reads **A person will reply here.** The end user can keep writing; the messages are kept for the person, and the agent doesn't answer them. Once a member has replied, the note reads **You're talking with <name>.**, and each reply shows as that person's message under their name.

## Reply and close

**Inbox** in the sidebar holds the open handoffs under **Unassigned**, **Mine** and **Teammates**, and those closed today; **All closed** lists every closed handoff. Open one to read the whole thread, with the end user, the agent and each member named. Press **Claim** to take an unassigned handoff. The select beside **Close handoff** shows who holds it; pick another member, or **Unassigned**, to pass it on.

1. Write in **Reply to the end user in this thread** and press **Send reply**. The reply lands in the thread at once.
2. When the person's part is done, press **Close handoff**. The note under the composer goes away, and the agent answers the thread's next message again.

A closed handoff stays under **All closed** for the record.