Who answers the chat: the bot, my team, or both?

You choose in Front desk. Bot answers first, you first with the bot as backup after 2 minutes, or only you with the bot suggesting answers.

Updated October 22, 2026

You choose in Front desk, under Who answers. Your bot can answer first, back you up when nobody replies in 2 minutes, or stay out of the chat and only suggest answers.

Also called: chat mode, bot or human, auto-reply, live agent, qui répond, mode du chat, réponse automatique

Step 1: Open Front desk

In your CRM, click Front desk in the menu.

Click: Front desk

Step 2: Pick who answers

Under Who answers, pick one. It saves right away.

Bot answers first: "It hands the chat to you when it can't answer." This is the default.
You first, bot as backup: "The bot answers when nobody replies within 2 minutes."
Only you: "The bot writes a suggested answer for you."

Click: Front desk › Who answers

When the bot passes a chat to you

The chat goes under Needs you in Conversations, with the reason, like The bot didn't know the answer, They asked for a person, Urgent, Wants a quote or Unhappy customer. The bell rings for whoever follows that customer (or the whole team), and the owner gets an email. The bot's suggested answer is already in the reply box.

Good to know

Your answer pauses the bot in that chat. Once someone on the team answers, the bot stops answering that visitor until someone gives the chat back. See How do I take over a chat from the bot, or give it back?
Each chat says who answers it: "The bot is answering this chat", "The bot answers if nobody replies within 2 minutes" or "You answer this chat".
What the bot answers from: your price list, services and hours, your published Help center articles, and the parts of Company memory a customer may hear. See How do I teach the bot better answers?
It's honest. If a visitor asks, it says it's an AI assistant.

If it doesn't work

The choices are grey. Your role can't change them. Ask the owner.
The chat shows "The bot couldn't answer". Alori couldn't be reached, so the chat came to you. Answer it in Conversations.