An AI chatbot should answer the questions your site already covers. It should not invent refunds, guess private account details, or trap someone who clearly wants a person. The missing piece for serious support is handoff: AI first, human when it matters—without dropping the visitor into a new form or another app.
This guide explains when to escalate, then walks through Limb AI Chatbot Pro Live Agent: enable handoff, set AI rules, collect name/email before transfer, add WordPress agents, and pick up chats in the mobile-ready console. Live Agent is Pro only. Free covers Knowledge Base chat with your own API key; human inbox and handoff need Pro. Plans: pricing.
What Live Agent handoff means
Handoff is not “email us a transcript.” In Limb, the visitor stays in the same chat widget. The AI triggers a connection when your instructions say so. An optional conversational form gathers Name, Email, and Message. A human agent opens the Live Agent console (a PWA on your WordPress site), picks up the thread, and replies live.
That is different from SaaS helpdesks bolted onto WordPress with a separate login and credit packs. Agents use normal WordPress users and the Agent role. More product detail: Live Agent feature page. Official setup notes: Live Agent setup docs.
When AI should stop and a human should take over
Train the chatbot well first—how to train on WordPress—then draw a hard line. Visitors treat chatbot answers as company answers. Bad automation is worse than a short wait for a person.
| Good for AI | Better for a human |
|---|---|
| Public FAQs, shipping, pricing pages | Refund disputes and exceptions |
| Docs and setup steps already on the site | Private account, billing, or payment issues |
| Product questions from indexed content | Legal, medical, or financial advice |
| Store hours, license limits, feature lists | Angry customers or sensitive complaints |
| Guiding someone to the right page | Custom quotes and unusual edge cases |
A good fallback sounds like: “I cannot confirm that from our Knowledge Base. I can connect you with someone on the team.” That is responsible support, not failure.
What you need before setup
- Limb Pro activated (Live Agent is locked on free)
- An AI provider key already working in AI Settings (ChatGPT or Gemini setup)
- Useful knowledge trained so AI handles the easy questions first
- At least one WordPress user who will act as an agent
Step 1: Activate Live Agent
In WordPress admin, open Live Agent → Settings. Turn on Activate live agent at the top of the page. Until this is on, the AI will not hand chats to humans through Limb’s inbox.
Step 2: Write handoff instructions for the AI
Use the AI Handoff Instructions field to define when the assistant should trigger Live Agent. Brief it like a new support hire: clear triggers, no invented exceptions.
Example starter:
Offer Live Agent when the visitor asks for a human, refund exception,
billing change, account issue, or anything not clearly answered in the Knowledge Base.
If confidence is low, say you cannot confirm and offer to connect a person.
Do not invent prices, refunds, or legal promises.Keep day-to-day tone and product facts in your normal system instructions. Keep handoff rules here so escalation stays consistent.
Step 3: Configure the pre-connect form
Before an agent joins, Limb can run a short conversational form: Name, Email, and Message (reason). That gives your team context without a separate contact form.
Turn on the fields you need. Require email if you may need to follow up outside chat. Keep Message on so visitors explain why they want a human in their own words.
Step 4: Set wait and fallback messages
- Session timeout — longest the visitor waits for an agent to connect
- Waiting message — copy while they wait (for example, “Connecting you with an available agent…”)
- No live agent message — copy when nobody is available
Be honest about hours. If your team is offline most evenings, say so and offer email or a next-business-day expectation in the no-agent message. Handoff still captures intent; it should not pretend someone is typing when the inbox is empty.
Step 5: Add Live Agents (WordPress users)
- Go to Users → Add New (or edit an existing teammate)
- Set the role to Agent
- Send the invitation email so they can set a password
- Have them open the Live Agent console from the invite link, or from Live Agent → Console in admin
No separate SaaS seats. Agents sign in with WordPress credentials. In the console Profile, they set status (Online / Away / Offline), working hours, notifications, theme, and canned responses.
Step 6: Use the Live Agent console (PWA)
Open Live Agent → Console. The console is a Progressive Web App optimized for phone and desktop. Layout:
- Inbox — filter All / Mine / Open / Ended
- Chat panel — the active thread
- End user details — visitor context next to the chat
- Profile — availability and agent preferences
When the AI hands off, agents often get an email with a deep link. They can read the thread right away, but they must press Pick up conversation in the footer before they can send messages. Tools after pickup include macros, AI-assisted replies, transfer to another agent, and internal notes. Deeper UI notes: PWA application docs.
Step 7: Test a real handoff before go-live
- Set an agent to Online in Profile
- On the front end, open the chatbot and ask something covered by your Knowledge Base—confirm AI still answers alone
- Then ask for a human, or trigger a rule you wrote (refund exception, billing, “talk to a person”)
- Complete the pre-connect form
- In the console, open the chat, Pick up, and reply
- Repeat with all agents Offline to confirm the no-agent message is clear
Cost note (plugin vs SaaS live chat)
Limb Pro unlocks Live Agent on your site; you still pay the AI provider for AI turns before handoff. Human messaging in the console is your team’s time, not a per-seat chat SaaS line in most setups. Rough totals and plans: how much a WordPress AI chatbot costs.
Related guides
Continue with these guides:
- Best free AI chatbot plugins comparison (2026)
- How to train an AI chatbot on your WordPress website
- AI chatbot for WooCommerce
- AI chatbot for WordPress: practical guide
- How much does a WordPress AI chatbot cost?
FAQ
Is Live Agent available on free Limb?
No. Free covers Knowledge Base training and visitor AI chat with your key. Live Agent handoff and the console are Pro only.
Do agents need a separate Limb account?
No. Create or assign a WordPress user with the Agent role. They sign in with those credentials.
Can visitors force a human?
Yes, if your AI Handoff Instructions say to offer Live Agent when they ask for a person—and Live Agent is activated with someone who can answer.
What if no agent is online?
Visitors see your No live agent message. Tune that copy so they know next steps (email, hours, ticket link).
Does this replace WooCommerce tools?
No. Product search, cart, and order help are separate Pro features. Many stores want both: AI for catalog questions, Live Agent for disputes. See AI chatbot for WooCommerce.
Bottom line: train the chatbot on real answers, keep humans for judgment and edge cases, and wire Limb Pro Live Agent so the visitor never leaves the chat. Activate Settings, write handoff rules, add Agent users, then practice Pick up in the console before you announce “talk to a human” on the site. If you are still picking a chatbot that supports handoff, check the 2026 free AI chatbot plugins comparison.