> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sitegpt.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Let visitors talk to your team

> Turn on human support, set the escalation buttons and rules, and choose whether new conversations start with the AI or with a person.

Human support lets a visitor ask for a person during a conversation. When the conversation escalates, the AI stops answering and your team replies. To learn how AI mode, human mode, and escalation fit together, see [Conversations and handoff](/docs/concepts/conversations-and-handoff).

## Before you start

* **Plan:** any plan. See [Plans and limits](/docs/reference/plans-and-limits).
* **Role:** Manager or higher. See [Team members](/docs/guides/account/team-members).
* Decide who on your team answers escalated conversations, and when.

## Turn on human support

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Human Support">
    In your chatbot's sidebar, select **Leads** > **Human Support**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn it on">
    Under **Human Support Options**, turn on **Enable Human Support**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Save Changes**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The AI can now escalate a conversation when the visitor asks for a person. The other settings on this page stay unavailable until you turn on **Enable Human Support**.

## Set the escalation buttons

The widget can show two buttons after each AI answer. One says that the answer helped. The other asks for a person.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Show the buttons">
    Under **Escalation Button Settings**, turn on **Show escalation buttons after responses**. When this is off, visitors can ask for a person only by writing in the chat.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose where the buttons go">
    Turn on **Replace other suggestions with escalation buttons** to show only these two buttons. When it is off, the buttons show next to your conversation starters and follow-up suggestions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the button text">
    In **Positive Feedback Prompt**, enter the text of the "that helped" button. In **Request Human Support Prompt**, enter the text of the button that asks for a person.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the confirmation message">
    In **Human Support Confirmation Message**, enter the message the visitor sees after they ask for a person. For example: `Your request has been forwarded to our human support team. They will respond soon.`
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Save Changes**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Show escalation buttons after responses** and **Replace other suggestions with escalation buttons** apply to the website widget only. On chat channels such as Slack, Messenger, Crisp, and Freshdesk Messaging, answers that use your content show the two prompts whenever human support is on. Each integration page describes what shows on that channel. See [Integrations](/docs/integrations/overview).

The three fields show default text when you turn on human support. When you select **Save Changes**, SiteGPT saves that text. Do not leave a field empty. If a field is empty, the widget shows an empty button or no confirmation message.

## Tell the AI when to escalate

By default, the AI escalates in three cases: the visitor asks for a person, the situation is urgent, or the visitor is frustrated after an answer that did not help.

To use your own rules:

1. Under **Escalation Policy**, write your rules in **When should the AI escalate?** Use plain language. The limit is 2,000 characters.
2. Select **Save Changes**.

Your rules replace the default triggers completely. Include every case where you want a person, including "the visitor asks for a person" if you still want it.

Example:

```text theme={null}
Escalate only when the visitor explicitly asks to speak with a human, or asks about pricing, demos, quotes, or appointments. In all other cases, answer the question.
```

To go back to the defaults, clear the field and save.

## Choose who answers new conversations

The chat mode sets how every new conversation starts.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Chat Modes">
    In your chatbot's sidebar, select **Settings** > **Chat Modes**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a mode">
    Select **Always Starts New Conversation with AI** or **Always Starts New Conversation with Human**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Save Changes**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

| Mode                                          | What happens                                                        |
| --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Always Starts New Conversation with AI**    | The AI answers. Visitors can ask for a person. This is the default. |
| **Always Starts New Conversation with Human** | The AI does not reply. Your team answers from **Chat History**.     |

The mode applies only to new conversations. To move one conversation between the AI and your team, see [Reply to visitors and take over conversations](/docs/guides/human-support/reply-and-take-over).

In human mode, the visitor sees a **Continue with AI** button and can switch the conversation to the AI. To stop this, take over the conversation.

## Other ways a conversation escalates

* **After a lead form.** Turn on **Auto-escalate on lead capture** in **Leads** > **Leads Settings**. See [Collect leads from conversations](/docs/guides/leads/collect-leads#hand-the-conversation-to-your-team-after-a-lead).
* **From a follow-up suggestion.** A follow-up suggestion can be an escalation button. See [Escalate buttons](/docs/guides/widget/follow-up-suggestions#escalate-buttons).

## What the visitor sees

1. The visitor selects the escalation button, or the AI decides to escalate.
2. If the visitor selected the button, the widget asks them to confirm.
3. The chat shows that the conversation changed to human mode. Then it shows your confirmation message.
4. The chat asks for contact details if lead collection is on, or if **Pre-Chat User Details** is **Required** or **Optional**. Your team can then follow up by email. See [Collect leads from conversations](/docs/guides/leads/collect-leads).
5. The AI stops answering. The visitor's messages wait for your team.

You can change the visitor-facing texts in **Language & Region**. See [Change the widget language and text](/docs/guides/widget/language-and-text).

## Get notified when a conversation escalates

SiteGPT emails the chatbot owner for each escalation. To send the emails to other people, and to set up other alerts, see [Choose who gets notified](/docs/guides/human-support/notifications).

## Check that it works

1. Open your chatbot on your website or in the dashboard preview.
2. Ask a question. After the answer, select the button with your **Request Human Support Prompt** text, then confirm.
3. The chat shows your confirmation message.
4. In the dashboard, open **Chat History**. The conversation shows the **Escalated** badge and is in the **Attention** view.

To answer the visitor, see [Reply to visitors and take over conversations](/docs/guides/human-support/reply-and-take-over).