How to train AI Assist to transfer chats to human agents

The instructions below are for desktops and laptops only.

tawk.to’s AI Assist can automatically transfer conversations to a human agent whenever a visitor requests to speak to a human agent.

This guide will walk you through:

• Escalation settings (shortcuts that transfer chats)

• Base Prompt instructions so your AI agent offers a “Speak to a human” option when appropriate

Note: Escalations are only available with the Growth, Business, and Enterprise plans.

AI Assist transfers chats to human agents using shortcuts — the same pre-written responses you set up for your team.

A shortcut is a reusable template used to respond to visitors faster. A shortcut can contain a response message and optional elements. Learn more about shortcuts with these guides:

Introducing Shortcuts: Your key to faster responses

Creating and managing shortcuts

Inside a shortcut, you can include a Transfer Chat action. That’s the trigger that moves the conversation from the bot to a human agent.

You can instruct AI Assist when to run that shortcut — for example, when a visitor asks, “Can I talk to a human?”. When that happens, the shortcut sends the visitor a message and executes the transfer.

3. Click Add-ons on the top menu.

4. Click Settings under AI Assist.

5. Select your AI agent.

6. Scroll to Escalation. Under When a visitor asks to speak to a human, select an existing shortcut or click Add Shortcut to create a new one.

7. If you create a shortcut, give it a clear name and a helpful message. We recommend including your support hours and an alternative contact method in the message (for example, email).

Example message:

I'm attempting to transfer you to a human agent. Our support team is generally available from [start time] to [end time] GMT. If no one joins the chat, it could mean no one's available right now.

Email us at [email address] and our experts will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can add a “call/email me” suggested message that triggers a form shortcut to collect the visitor’s details.

For details on creating shortcuts, see this guide:Creating and managing shortcuts

Important:
AI Assist will attempt to transfer the chat even when agents are offline/unavailable. Be sure to inform customers of your support team’s working hours and offer alternative ways for customers to reach you (as shown in the example above).

8. Click + Action and choose Transfer Chat. If you have agents or departments set up, choose the specific agent or department to receive transfers.

9. Click Save. Then, ensure the new/selected shortcut is assigned to When a visitor asks to speak to a human.

Now, when visitors ask for a human, AI Assist will run the shortcut and transfer the chat to the chosen agent/department. 

You can use the Base Prompt to instruct your AI agent to offer an explicit option to reach a human when it’s unsure or cannot fully answer customers’ questions.

For the basics of modifying the Base Prompt, check out this guide:

Modifying the Base Prompt

In this example, we’ll show you how to get AI Assist to offer customers a “Speak to a human” button in the chat. When customers click the button, AI Assist will transfer the chat to your team members.

Note: Escalations are available with paid AI Assist plans only.

1. In the AI Assist Settings page, scroll down to the Base Prompt.

2. Replace or edit the relevant line in the default prompt with this example snippet:

"Click the button below to speak with an agent.

[option] Speak to a human"

“[option]” offers customers a suggested message in the form of a button. In this example, customers will get a response with the suggested message “Speak to a human”.

When a visitor clicks Speak to a human, AI Assist will run the shortcut you assigned in Escalation settings and transfer the chat. 

When a human agent clicks Join Chat and takes over, your AI agent leaves the chat automatically.

Tip: Test a few different phrases or edge cases (e.g., ambiguous questions, multi-part questions) to ensure the Base Prompt reliably shows the button when you want it to.

• Inform visitors about support hours
  AI Assist can attempt transfers even when agents are offline. To avoid frustration, include your operating hours and an email or form for when no agent joins.
  
  

• Escalations require paid plans
  If your plan does not include escalations, you won’t see these options—upgrade or contact support to confirm plan details.
  
  

• Test after changes
  Any Base Prompt change can affect how your AI agent responds. After editing the prompt, always test conversations in the widget preview and with real test chats. If responses change unexpectedly, refine the prompt or revert to the default and try again.
  
  

• Keep prompts concise and specific
  Overly complex or ambiguous Base Prompt instructions can reduce reliability. Aim for short, precise instructions that unambiguously tell Apollo when to offer escalation.
  
  

• Avoid disclosing internal routing rules in customer-facing messages
  Your shortcut message should be customer-focused (hours, next steps, alternatives), not an explanation of internal workflows.

Creating and managing shortcuts

Shortcut templates for easy conversations

Getting started with AI Assist

Modifying the Base Prompt

Using Base Prompt instructions for escalation

Using Base Prompt instructions for lead capture

Using Base Prompt to restrict AI Assist replies

Using Base Prompt to direct visitors to search result pages

These are a few ways to train AI Assist to transfer chats to human agents. If you’ve found other ways of doing this, please share them in our community.

If you need help customizing your base prompt and setting up AI Assist, contact us via live chat or schedule a call.

If you have feedback about this article, or if you need more help:

• Click the green live chat icon.

• Schedule a call with us.

• Visit our community.