> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jelou.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Human handoff with Jelou
> Hand off the conversation from the workflow to the Jelou Inbox, either as a direct assignment or through a queue.
The **Jelou** node is the native human-handoff option: it delivers the conversation to an operator inside Jelou's **Inbox**. Use it when your team handles conversations directly in Jelou and you want the workflow to decide when to escalate and to whom.
When the node runs, it moves the user session into the Inbox and ends the workflow execution. From there, the operator handles the conversation directly. If the user needs to return to an automated flow, that happens by routing the conversation to another workflow from the Inbox — it does not happen automatically when the case is closed.
This node appears in the bottom bar under **Human handoff > Jelou**. It's the same capability historically known as the **Transfer to advisor** node, now packaged inside the handoff menu alongside HubSpot and Genesys.
***
## Prerequisites
* At least one **active operator** in the Inbox.
* If you assign by team, the team must exist in **Settings > Teams**.
* The workflow's channel must be connected to a channel supported by the panel (for example, WhatsApp or Web Widget). The **Slack**, **Teams**, and **Custom** channels do not support this node.
***
## Configuration
The node panel is organized into three tabs:
* **Configuration** — defines how the conversation is assigned to the operator.
* **Advanced** — controls what happens when the assignment fails and the default error handling.
* **Events** — logs tracking events for your metrics.
### Assignment type
Defines how the conversation reaches the operator:
| Type | Behavior |
| :--------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Direct** | The conversation goes straight into the selected operator's inbox. |
| **Queue** | The conversation enters a waiting queue; the operator picks it up manually from the general or team inbox. |
### Assign by
Determines the recipient depending on the chosen type.
**When the type is Direct:**
| Option | Description |
| :----------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Team** | Assigned to a member of the chosen team. Operators with fewer open chats get priority. |
| **Operator** | Assigned to a specific operator. |
| **Random** | Randomly picked among active operators, giving priority to those with lower workload. |
**When the type is Queue:**
| Option | Description |
| :---------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **General** | Enters the general queue; any operator can pick it up. |
| **Team** | Enters a specific team's queue; only members of that team can see it. |
### Priority (Queue only)
A slider from **0 to 10** that defines the urgency inside the queue:
* **0** — Urgent. Handled first.
* **10** — Lowest priority.
Use it so sensitive cases (payments, complaints, VIP) appear at the top of the team inbox.
***
## Node outputs
The Jelou node exposes one success output and several error outputs, each connectable to a different recovery flow:
| Output | When it triggers |
| :------------------------ | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Successful assignment** | The conversation entered the panel successfully and was assigned or queued. |
| **Operator not found** | The configured operator or team does not exist or is inactive. |
| **Outside schedule** | No operators are within the schedule defined for the team. |
| **General error** | Any other assignment failure not covered by the previous outputs. |
Connect each error output to a distinct message: for example, "we're outside business hours, message us between 9:00 and 18:00" for **Outside schedule**, and a generic retry message for **General error**.
***
## Advanced tab
### Create conversation when assignment fails
Toggle that controls what happens when the assignment fails:
* **Enabled (default)** — A record is created in the **"To recover"** inbox in Monitoring. A supervisor can pick up the case manually.
* **Disabled** — Unassigned conversations are not recorded in Monitoring.
Disabling this toggle causes unassigned conversations to disappear from the Monitoring panel. Only turn it off if you have an alternate follow-up mechanism (for example, a webhook or a database).
### Default error handling
Defines the node the workflow should jump to when an error occurs that has no specific output connected. It acts as a safety net so no conversation is left without a response.
***
## Use cases
A workflow that serves sales, support, and complaints with **a single Jelou node** instead of three separate workflows.
Before the handoff, a **Conditional** node evaluates a variable such as `{{$memory.contact_reason}}` and stores the destination team in `{{$memory.target_team}}`. Then in the Jelou node:
* **Assignment type**: Direct
* **Assign by**: Team
* **Team**: `{{$memory.target_team}}`
| Conditional path | Rule | Value stored in `{{$memory.target_team}}` |
| :--------------- | :---------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------- |
| Sales | `{{$memory.contact_reason}}` equals `sale` | `Sales` |
| Support | `{{$memory.contact_reason}}` equals `support` | `Tech Support` |
| Complaints | `{{$memory.contact_reason}}` equals `complaint` | `After-sales` |
| **If none** | — | `General Support` |
The workflow routes to all three teams with a single handoff node. Keeping the logic in a Conditional avoids duplicating the flow per team and makes it easy to add a fourth path later.
A workflow that reserves a specific advisor for premium customers and uses the general queue for the rest.
The Conditional evaluates `{{$user.plan}}`:
| Path | Rule | Handoff branch |
| :---------- | :-------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Premium | `{{$user.plan}}` equals `premium` | Jelou node in **Direct > Operator > Ana (VIP advisor)** mode |
| **If none** | — | Jelou node in **Queue > General** mode, priority 5 |
Two distinct Jelou nodes, each with its own configuration, fed from a single Conditional.
A workflow that first tries to assign to the support team and, if it fails, automatically escalates to a supervisor.
* First Jelou node: **Direct > Team > Tech Support**.
* The **Outside schedule** output connects to a message that shares business hours and ends.
* The **Operator not found** and **General error** outputs connect to a second Jelou node: **Direct > Operator > On-call supervisor**.
With this chain, no case is left unattended even if the primary team is unavailable.
A complaints workflow that adjusts queue priority based on how urgent the message sounds.
An **AI Agent** node analyzes the user's message and stores a score in `{{$memory.urgency}}` (`high`, `medium`, `low`). Then a Conditional routes to three different Jelou nodes, all in **Queue > Team > Complaints** mode, changing only the priority:
| Path | `{{$memory.urgency}}` | Priority |
| :----- | :-------------------- | :------- |
| Urgent | `high` | 0 |
| Normal | `medium` | 5 |
| Low | `low` | 9 |
Operators see urgent cases at the top of the team inbox without any manual intervention.
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## Best practices
When you need to route to several operators or teams, prefer **a single Jelou node** fed by a Conditional over multiple parallel workflows. The workflow stays simpler to maintain and routing logic changes happen in a single place.
Always connect the **Outside schedule** output to an explicit message with your business hours. It's the most common handoff error and the one that frustrates users the most when they're left in silence.
Use `{{$memory}}` or `{{$user}}` variables to populate the **Team** or **Operator** field instead of static values. That way you can decide the recipient dynamically without touching the node's configuration.
***
## Related
How to define paths and rules to route before the handoff.
Handoff to the HubSpot Inbox instead of the Jelou panel.
Handoff to Genesys Cloud agents.
How operators work inside the panel once they receive the conversation.