Handoff states allow you to monitor and manage transitions between automated agents and live agents. This page explains when to use the handoff-related APIs, highlights examples of topic-specific states, and provides best practices for integration. For detailed API specifications, refer to the Get Handoff State API documentation. For specific implementation details in your deployment, visit:

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When to use handoff states

The handoff states API ensures effective management of live agent transitions during conversations. Use it to:
  • Trigger transitions between automated and live agents.
  • Retrieve the state of a handoff, such as handoff_initiated, handoff_completed, or handoff_failed, or custom topic-specific states (e.g., customer_refund or complaint_escalation).
  • Synchronize metadata with systems operated by human agents to ensure they have full conversational context.
By tracking these states, you can improve operational efficiency and maintain communication during transitions.

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Handoff states overview

The handoff states API provides key triggers for managing transitions between automated and live agents. These states act as signals indicating the outcome of a handoff process rather than continuously updating during the call. Some example states you could use include:
StateDescription
customer_refundThe call was escalated to a live agent to process a refund request.
complaint_escalationThe call was handed off due to a complaint requiring live agent resolution.
successfully_identifiedThe system successfully verified the customer’s identity before transitioning the call to a live agent.
Example API response: 
{
  "id": "0bba04d7-38b3-4fd3-a1a8-329c34517fc1",
  "shared_id": "acme_inc_sdklfasdklfjasbdfklabs",
  "data": {
    "customer_id": "12345",
    "handoff_reason": "successfully_identified"
  }
}

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Accessing handoff state data

Use the handoff tab to set up a basic handoff function without using the API directly.

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API endpoint

The Get Handoff State endpoint retrieves the current handoff state of a conversation using either:
  • Shared IDs (shared_id): Used in both the PolyAI and client systems to ensure consistency.
  • PolyAI conversation IDs (id): Generated automatically by PolyAI for each conversation.
When both IDs are provided, the API prioritizes the shared_id. For full details on parameters, headers, and error codes, refer to the Get Handoff State API documentation.

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SIP header handoff

Some deployments include handoff metadata in SIP headers when calls are passed back to the contact center. SIP headers can provide critical context quickly, because they package agent IDs and handoff states into lightweight metadata.

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Considerations

  • Customization: The metadata included in SIP headers may be tailored to your deployment. Verify fields and formats with your engineering team.
  • Best practices: Ensure that SIP headers are documented thoroughly and include all necessary information for smooth integration.

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Best practices

For detailed integration steps, visit the Handoff State feature page. Below are some general recommendations:
  1. Prioritize shared IDs: Use shared_id for consistency with your internal systems. If both id and shared_id are provided, the API defaults to the shared_id.
  2. Monitor handoff failures: Track the handoff_failed state (or its equivalent in your deployment) to implement automated retries or fallback workflows.
  3. Use topic-specific states: Implement custom states (e.g., customer_refund or complaint_escalation) for better tracking and reporting on specific interaction types.