# Virtual Assistant task pauses and handover

Pause or cancel a task, resume it when allowed and route visitors to people or an alternate task.

*Release 3.3 · operator, supervisor, visitor*

**Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Tasks** · **Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Steps** · **Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Handover Phrases**

## What it is

You can pause a task while a person helps the visitor, then resume it where allowed. Handover phrases and task actions can route the visitor to an operator or another task. Cancellation ends the current task rather than keeping it ready to resume.

## Who uses it and why

- Operators pause automation, help the visitor and resume or cancel the task as appropriate.
- Supervisors review handover and unavailable-operator paths so visitors receive a useful next step.
- Visitors use the offered controls or configured phrases to leave the automated journey.

## Where to find it

Operators use the task status strip in the conversation pane, including **Pause Task** and **Cancel Task** when available. A resume control appears when the task and pause configuration allow it.

With the **Bot Trainer** role, configure actions in **Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Tasks**, phrase checking in **Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Steps**, and phrase wording in **Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Handover Phrases**.

## How it works

When a step has **Check Handover Phrases** enabled, INSIDE checks the submitted wording before ordinary answer validation. Phrase matching ignores letter case and allows surrounding punctuation. The phrase's **Condition** determines whether it applies while an operator or virtual assistant is handling the conversation.

With a valid **Handover Task** and **Handover Step**, INSIDE cancels the current task and starts the selected handover path. Without that path, a bot-handled conversation transfers using the available routing. The task pauses when the conversation is queued or assigned to a person; it cancels when there is no human route. If no assistant remains, the conversation can close.

A **Pause Task** action can allow manual resumption with **Allow Operator to Resume**, or request automatic resumption after a delay. Resuming restores the current task action. A paused task remains active, so it can prevent another task starting for the visitor.

Cancellation, task completion and conversation closure have separate effects. The configured end or transfer action decides what happens to the conversation and whether a post-chat survey is suppressed.

## Configure it

1. Have a **Bot Trainer** define the required handover phrases and their contexts and languages.
2. Enable **Check Handover Phrases** on the relevant step fields. Select both **Handover Task** and **Handover Step** for a dedicated path.
3. Configure transfer targets and an alternate action for no operator availability.
4. For a deliberate wait, add **Pause Task** and choose **Allow Operator to Resume** or **Auto Resume in** as needed.
5. Review **Operator can Cancel Task** and **Operator Cancel Task Message**.
6. Check the journey with operators available, unavailable and already handling the visitor.

### Fields

| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator can Cancel Task | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Tasks | No | Makes the operator cancellation control available for this task. |
| Operator Cancel Task Message | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Tasks | No | Supplies the message used when an operator cancels the task. |
| Pause Task | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Tasks | No | Pauses the task as part of an answer action. |
| Allow Operator to Resume | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Tasks | No | Allows an operator to resume this action's paused task. |
| Auto Resume in | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Tasks | No | Sets an automatic resume delay in seconds for the pause action. |
| Check Handover Phrases | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Steps | No | Checks answers to this field for configured handover phrases before normal validation. Initially off. |
| Handover Task | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Steps | No | Selects a task to run when a handover phrase matches. |
| Handover Step | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Steps | No | Selects the entry step in the handover task. |
| Handover Phrase | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Handover Phrases | Yes | Defines wording that a visitor can enter to request handover, with language versions. |
| Condition | Settings › Bots › Virtual Assistant › Handover Phrases | Yes | Limits the phrase to the applicable operator or virtual assistant context. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Bot Trainer | Configure task handover, pause actions and handover phrases. |

## Limits and good to know

- A phrase match is a handover request, not a completed answer to the intercepted question.
- A handover task needs a valid entry step. Review its live and enabled state before use.
- Automatic resume is a delay, not a precise delivery-time commitment. Messages sent around the pause can affect when the visitor sees the next question.
- Bot inactivity expiry waits while a task is running. A paused task does not prevent expiry and may be ended before an expiry task starts.
- Human handover still depends on routing, operator availability and queue configuration.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Virtual Assistant task setup](ENG-009.md): Pause, cancellation and handover need an authored task and its action configuration.
- **Requires** [Virtual Assistant task steps and branches](ENG-011.md): Pause, resume and cancellation act on an active task.
- **Configured in** [Virtual Assistant task data fields](ENG-012.md): Handover phrase checking is enabled on the step's field.
- **Configured in** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Channel routing and availability controls determine the human destinations available for handover.
- **Works better with** [Virtual Assistant task messages and identity](ENG-014.md): Visitor labels and handover messages explain the available choices.
- **Works better with** [Virtual Assistant task validation and retries](ENG-028.md): Help and invalid-input recovery can offer operator or alternate-task routes.
- **Works better with** [Transferring conversations](CHAT-010.md): Human handover uses conversation transfer and availability rules.
- **Works better with** [Chat queue](CHAT-005.md): A handover can place the conversation in a queue.
- **Works better with** [Starting, ending and expiring chats](CHAT-001.md): A task can end separately from its conversation, with configured closure choices.
- **Works better with** [Current Chat workspace and panels](CON-014.md): Conversation task controls expose pause, resume and cancellation to operators.
- **Works better with** [Custom bots and FAQ bots](ENG-020.md): Bot expiry waits for a running task but can end a paused task.
- **Works better with** [Sentiment and emotion](CHAT-022.md): Configured sentiment-based handover can provide another transfer trigger.
- **Works better with** [Post-chat survey for web visitors](VX-014.md): End and unavailable-transfer actions can suppress the post-chat survey.

### Used by

- **Configures** [Chat queue](CHAT-005.md): Workflow control can defer assignment to a human operator.
- **Configures** [Chat tasks and topics for visitors](VX-017.md): Workflow settings control handover, pause, resume and cancellation.
- **Configures** [Virtual Assistant task setup](ENG-009.md): Handover and task-control settings define pause, resume, cancellation and transfer behaviour.
- **Configures** [Virtual Assistant task steps and branches](ENG-011.md): Task-control and handover actions determine when execution pauses, resumes, cancels or transfers.
- **Configures** [Virtual Assistant tasks in messaging channels](CHN-004.md): Task options control cancellation and handover.
- **Enhances** [Starting, ending and expiring chats](CHAT-001.md): Running workflows affect chat continuation and expiry handling.
- **Enhances** [Sentiment and emotion](CHAT-022.md): Configured workflows can hand conversations to an operator when negative sentiment is detected.
- **Enhances** [Visitor event updates to customer context](ENG-007.md): Forced task starts can cancel an existing eligible task.
- **Enhances** [Task integrations, appointments and embedded pages](ENG-017.md): Failure or unavailable branches can hand over to an operator.
- **Enhances** [Virtual Assistant task preview](ENG-018.md): Preview includes pause, resume and cancellation paths.
- **Enhances** [Custom bots and FAQ bots](ENG-020.md): Bot handover and paused tasks interact with expiry.
- **Enhances** [Virtual Assistant usage](ENG-025.md): Pause, resume, cancellation and handover affect the recorded task outcome.
- **Enhances** [Virtual Assistant task validation and retries](ENG-028.md): Help can pause a task, return to the operator or transfer to a human.
- **Enhances** [Autopilot handover and error handling](AI-004.md): The selected task can continue the workflow or hand over to human routing.
- **Enhances** [Legacy Google Business Messages connection](CHN-020.md): A customer request for a live agent can invoke the workflow handover.
- **Related** [Virtual Assistant task import and export](ENG-019.md): Import can remove handover destinations, so those paths need review before publication.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

**Why did the phrase not request an operator?**

Check **Check Handover Phrases**, the phrase language and **Condition**. Also check whether a dedicated handover task is configured to handle the request instead.

**Why is there no resume control?**

Check the task's operator-send eligibility and **Allow Operator to Resume** on the pause action. Cancellation or bot expiry may already have ended the paused task.

**Why did the visitor reach another question when no operator was available?**

The unavailable-operator branch can continue within the task. Review that branch before treating the continuation as a failed handover.

**Why did the conversation close after handover failed?**

Without a usable human route or another assistant, handover can cancel the task and close the conversation. Configure an appropriate unavailable-operator path.