> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.voiceflow.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set up live agent handoff

> Connect a support platform and configure the handoff step so a customer can reach a human, exchange replies, and follow your configured end or return path.

## What you will accomplish

A customer can reach a human, exchange replies, and follow your configured end or return path.

## Before you begin

Use a test agent and a support account with a teammate available. Have permission to manage integrations. For a non-native platform, first complete [Connect your support platform](/docs/developers/handoff/connect).

## Configure the handoff

<Steps>
<Step title="Connect the support platform">
Open **Settings → Integrations**. Connect your native provider, or choose **Custom Handoff** and enter your service’s **Base URL**, **Auth header name**, **Auth header value**, and **Webhook secret**. These credentials belong to your service, not directly to the vendor API. Keep provider credentials on the service.
</Step>
<Step title="Add the handoff step">
Add **Handoff** (shown as **Agent handoff** in some editor contexts) to the workflow and connect the escalation branch to it. Choose the connected provider. Start with an explicit test branch so you can reach it reliably.
</Step>
<Step title="Identify and route the customer">
For Custom Handoff, configure **End user ID**, **User email**, **User phone**, **Customer name**, **Language**, and **Queue ID** as needed. Use a stable customer ID when available. Map a queue only if your service implements that mapping. [Context and routing guide](/docs/documentation/handoff/context)
</Step>
<Step title="Choose the handoff context">
Set **Handoff context** to **Full transcript**, **Custom**, or **None**. For Custom, select a variable containing your prepared summary. Custom does not generate a summary for you.
</Step>
<Step title="Connect the follow-up paths">
Configure the available return and failure paths. The failure path should acknowledge the problem and offer an alternative. The return path should continue from human support rather than repeat the opening questions. [Return to AI](/docs/documentation/handoff/return-to-ai)
</Step>
<Step title="Run a complete test">
Run the workflow with your test customer. Have a teammate reply in the support platform. Send a second customer reply, then end the human conversation. Test the published channel as well as the editor; check the integration connection used by Draft versus Live.
</Step>
</Steps>

## Verify the result

Confirm the right team receives the conversation, context is visible, both replies arrive once, the transcript contains the exchange, and closure follows your intended path. Separately test an unavailable service and confirm the failure branch. Do not send production traffic until both paths work.

## If the test fails

[Troubleshoot handoff](/docs/documentation/handoff/troubleshooting) identifies failures by stage. Restore your previous published version if a live change routes customers incorrectly.