Conversation operations
How OneThread Handles Human Handoff on WhatsApp
OneThread is designed to make conversation ownership visible as a WhatsApp chat moves between AI and a teammate. This guide explains the intended handoff states and customer experience for the product’s early-access direction.
From AI active to handoff requested
A conversation should move out of AI handling when the customer asks for a person, when a request needs business judgment, or when the assistant does not have a reliable approved answer. The business defines the exact boundaries for its services and policies.
The handoff state should preserve the customer’s original question and the information already collected. The customer should not need to find a new number or explain the request again just because ownership is changing.
During the handoff, make the next step clear
The intended customer-facing message acknowledges the request and explains that a teammate will continue in this conversation. If the team is not available immediately, the message should set a realistic expectation rather than promise an instant reply.
A handoff should not quietly disappear into an unowned queue. The team needs a clear next owner and a way to see which conversations still need a response. The customer should be able to tell whether the team has received the request.
When a teammate takes over
The teammate should see the conversation, the handoff reason, and relevant details such as a product choice, quantity, or timing. A summary may help the team scan the request, while the original messages remain available to confirm what the customer actually said.
When a teammate owns the response, AI should pause customer-facing replies for that conversation. This avoids two different responders answering at the same time and makes the ownership change meaningful to the customer.
- Request and reason for the handoff.
- Relevant product, service, quantity, timing, or preference details.
- Current owner and the next action promised to the customer.
Returning a conversation to AI
A conversation can return to AI only when the teammate decides the next task is suitable for the assistant and the customer has a clear next step. The return should not be automatic just because a person has stopped typing; the team remains responsible for deciding who should reply next.
These are the intended product principles for OneThread’s early-access direction, not a setup manual for a feature already available to every business. Join the waitlist for updates on access and product availability.