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Handle same-day schedule changes like closing early, holidays, or emergency closures. Choose the approach that matches your agent’s current setup.

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Quick reference

I need to…Best approachTime estimate
Play a closure message (no routing change)Managed Topic5 min
Toggle after-hours mode on/offConfiguration Builder2 min
Redirect calls to a different numberCall handoff10 min

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Option 1: Managed Topic

Best for: Playing a closure message without changing call routing. No developer setup required.
1

Create or update a topic

Go to Build > Knowledge > Managed Topics. Create a new topic or find an existing one related to hours or closures.
  • Name: Temporary closure
  • Sample questions: “Are you open?”, “What are your hours?”, “Can I speak to someone?”
  • Content: “We’re currently closed and will reopen at our normal time tomorrow. Please call back then.”
  • Actions: Leave empty (info only) or add a handoff if you want to transfer the caller.
2

Activate the topic in Live

Make sure the topic is active in the Live environment. If you have an existing opening hours topic, consider deactivating it temporarily so the closure topic takes priority.
3

Test in Sandbox

Use Agent Chat in Sandbox to confirm the agent responds with your closure message.
4

Publish and promote

Publish your changes, then promote to Pre-release and Live.
5

Revert when done

Deactivate the closure topic and reactivate your normal hours topic. Publish and promote again.
This approach changes what the agent says, but does not change call routing. The agent will still answer calls and have a conversation. If you need to hang up or transfer after the message, use one of the other options below.

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Option 2: Configuration Builder

Best for: Toggling after-hours mode on and off instantly. Requires a developer to set up the schema first (one-time setup).
If your agent already has after-hours fields in the Configuration Builder, skip to step 2.

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One-time setup (developer required)

A developer needs to add an after-hours toggle to the Configuration Builder schema and wire it into the agent’s code. See Configuration Builder for the full guide. Example schema fields: 
{
  "after_hours_enabled": {
    "type": "boolean",
    "title": "After hours mode",
    "description": "Enable to play the after-hours message and skip normal conversation"
  },
  "after_hours_message": {
    "type": "string",
    "title": "After hours message",
    "description": "Message to play when after-hours mode is on"
  }
}
Example function code: 
config = conv.real_time_config
if config.get("after_hours_enabled"):
    message = config.get("after_hours_message", "We're currently closed.")
    conv.call_handoff(
        destination="after_hours",
        utterance=message
    )
    return

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Flip the toggle

1

Open Configuration Builder

Go to Build > Configuration Builder > Data tab.
2

Select the Live environment

Switch to the Live tab. Changes here take effect immediately — no publish required.
3

Enable after-hours mode

Toggle After hours mode on and enter your closure message (e.g., “We’re closing early today. Please call back tomorrow.”).
4

Save

Click Save. The change is live immediately.
5

Revert when done

Toggle After hours mode off and save. Normal behavior resumes instantly.
Configuration Builder changes in Live affect all active calls instantly. Double-check your values before saving.

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Option 3: Update call handoff routing

Best for: Redirecting all calls to a different number or voicemail during the closure.
1

Open Call handoffs

Go to Build > Call handoffs.
2

Edit the after-hours destination

Find the handoff destination used for after-hours or the default handoff. Update the Route to point to the closure number or voicemail.
3

Test in Sandbox

Call the Sandbox number and trigger a transfer to verify it routes correctly.
4

Publish and promote

Publish and promote to Live.
5

Revert when done

Change the route back to the original number. Publish and promote again.
For detailed steps, see Routing and handoffs.

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Which option should I use?

SituationRecommended option
Quick same-day closure, no developer availableManaged Topic
Recurring closures (holidays, early Fridays)Configuration Builder
Need to redirect calls to another teamCall handoff
Need the agent to hang up after the messageConfiguration Builder (with conv.call_handoff() in code)
Last modified on April 18, 2026