This article explains configuring email notifications for unanswered AI queries in BoldDesk using Automation Workflows. Set the “Transferred from AI to Agent” workflow to send emails to agents and messages to customers, ensuring agent alert, clear communication, and AI improvement.

How it Works

When the AI Agent cannot resolve a customer’s question in Live Chat, you can automatically:

• Notify a Group/Agent by email with the full chat transcript, and
• Send an in-chat message to the customer confirming that a human agent will respond later.

This is handled through a Live Chat workflow using the Transfer from AI to Agent handover.

Prerequisites

• Role/Permissions: Admin access to configure Chat > Live Chat and Workflows.
• AI Agent: An AI Agent is created, published, and mapped to the widget’s brand.
• Live Chat Widget: AI Agent is enabled for the widget.
• Email setup: Outbound email settings are configured for your BoldDesk account (so workflow email actions can send notifications).

What “Transferred from AI to Agent” means

In BoldDesk Live Chat, AI can handle the conversation until a handover condition is met. The Transfer from AI to Agent workflow step is used to:

• Stop AI handling for the session, and
• Transition the conversation to a human agent or group routing path.

What Happens During the Handover

After the workflow transfers the chat:

• A workflow action can email a selected Agent/Group, including the chat transcript (so the recipient has full context).
• A workflow action can send a message to the customer such as: “A human agent will respond later.”

Configure Automation Workflows

1. Sign in to BoldDesk
2. Navigate to: Admin → Automation → Workflows
3. Select the trigger Transferred from AI to Agent
   
   
   
   
    
4. Click on Add Workflow and from the dropdown choose either from scratch or from template.
   
   
   
   
    
5. Add workflow name, brand, source and apply any conditions if any, then click on next.
   
   
   
   
    
6. Add Action > Send Email.
   
   
   
   
    
7. To configure the email to be sent, add the recipient’s address, the subject, and the body of the email, then click on Add.
   
   
   
   
    

   Field	Summary Description
   To	Selects who receives the email. You can choose users or roles such as assigned agent, requester, participant, a particular agent, or entire agent group (for example, Marketing Team). This field is required. You can add a maximum of 50 users.
   Subject	The email title shown in the recipient’s inbox. Supports placeholders to dynamically include contextual information. Required.
   Body	The main email content. Supports rich-text formatting and placeholders for personalization. Required.

8. Configure send message action.
   
   
   
   
    
9. Configure the message to be sent to the customer and then click on Add. If you check send as a private message, the message will be added in the chat as a private note and the customer will not see it.
   
   
   
   
    
10. Add Exit block to end current workflow then publish and activate the workflow.
    
    
    
    
     

Best Practices

• Send notifications to Groups, not individuals, to avoid missed alerts
• Use a shared inbox for AI escalation emails
• Periodically review emailed transcripts to identify gaps in AI knowledge
• Use recurring unanswered queries to improve AI training data

Use Cases

• Monitoring AI performance and coverage gaps
• Ensuring regulatory or service‑level compliance
• Improving customer trust during AI handoff
• Maintaining continuity between AI and human agents

Troubleshooting Common Errors

• AI and workflow messages overlap or the chat behaves inconsistently
  Verify widget setting is Assign to AI Agent (Workflow) (not Direct) when workflows are enabled.

• Agent cannot reply and sees a workflow-in-progress type message
  Review the workflow for required data collection steps (e.g., email) that might be incomplete before transfer. Ensure the workflow completes required fields before handover.

• Email notification is not received

  • Confirm the workflow action is Send Email to Group/Agent and the correct recipient is selected.
  • Verify outbound email settings and that the recipient’s email is valid.
  • Confirm the chat met the workflow’s “unanswered” conditions and reached Transfer from AI to Agent.

• Customer did not receive the “human will respond later” message

  • Ensure the workflow includes Send Message to Client after (or as part of) the handover path.
  • Confirm the workflow is enabled and applied to the correct widget/brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I notify both a group and a specific agent when AI can’t answer?
Yes. Add multiple Send Email to Group/Agent actions in the same workflow (one for the group and one for the individual agent), if your workflow allows multiple email actions.

2. Will the email include the full chat transcript automatically?
Only if the email action is configured to include the chat transcript. Ensure transcript inclusion is enabled/added in the workflow email content.

3. What message should I send to customers after transfer?
Use a short confirmation such as: “A human agent will respond later.” Configure this using Send Message to Client in the workflow.

4. Can I transfer a chat back to the AI Agent after handing it to a human?
No. After escalation, the session remains human-controlled.

5. Do I need a workflow to email notifications for unanswered AI queries?
Yes. This setup requires a workflow using Transfer from AI to Agent, plus the email and customer message actions.

Related Articles

1. Enable AI Agent in BoldDesk Live Chat for 24/7 Support
2. Troubleshooting: AI Chatbot Not Responding in BoldDesk
3. Managing Unanswered Questions in BoldDesk