> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://aibotkit.gitbook.io/documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://aibotkit.gitbook.io/documentation/chatbot-editor/live-chat.md).

# Live Chat & Human Takeover

Sometimes the AI isn't enough — a customer needs a human, or you spot a sensitive question and want to step in personally. AI Bot Kit's **Live Chat Takeover** lets you pause the AI on a specific conversation and reply in real time as yourself, on **any channel** (website widget, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Instagram, Google Chat).

## What you can do

* **Pause AI for one conversation** without affecting any other ongoing chats.
* **Reply as the owner** with a labeled message (visitors see "You're now chatting with a human").
* **Resume the AI** at any time.
* **See a takeover event** inline in the conversation history so the timeline is auditable.

## Where to find it

Open any chatbot → **Conversations** view → click a conversation. You'll see:

* The full message history
* A header with the conversation source (WhatsApp, Telegram, website, etc.)
* An **AI replies** toggle at the top right

## Take over in three clicks

1. Click the **AI replies** toggle to switch it **off**.
2. If you haven't set a display name, a modal asks for one — this is what visitors see when they receive your messages.
3. A composer appears below the messages. Type your reply and press **Send** (or `Ctrl/Cmd+Enter`).

A takeover event ("Owner Name has joined the conversation") is inserted in the timeline automatically. The visitor's widget shows a banner: **"You're now chatting with a human."**

## What happens to the AI

While **AI replies** is **off** for this session:

* Inbound messages are still received and stored.
* No AI reply is sent — only your manual replies go out.
* No AI message quota is used for your replies.

When you toggle the switch back on, the AI resumes from the next inbound message.

## The 24-hour WhatsApp window

WhatsApp (and Instagram) only allow free-form replies within 24 hours of the customer's last inbound message. AI Bot Kit tracks this on every conversation:

* If the window has closed, the composer is **disabled** with a tooltip explaining why.
* When the customer messages again, the window reopens and you can send again.

The website widget has no such restriction.

## Visitor experience

| Event                    | What the visitor sees                                   |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Owner toggles AI off     | Banner: "You're now chatting with a human."             |
| Owner sends a message    | Bubble styled differently with the owner's display name |
| Owner toggles AI back on | Banner clears; AI replies resume on the next message    |

## Plan availability

Available on all paid plans. Free plan accounts can view conversations but cannot take over.

## Tips

* **Use takeover for VIP situations.** The AI handles 95% of cases well — reserve takeover for high-value or sensitive chats.
* **Set a friendly display name.** "Sarah from Acme Support" lands better than "owner".
* **Toggle back on when you're done.** Otherwise the AI stays paused and the customer waits for you.
* **Review takeover events.** They show up in the conversation transcript exports too, useful for training new agents.


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