Node: Wait for agent response

What it is

The "Wait for agent response" node pauses a workflow after a handoff to a human ("Transfer to an agent") until a human agent replies to the customer, or until a time limit is reached. It's the building block for SLA-style rules: "if nobody answers within X minutes, escalate."

When to use it

• After handing a conversation off to an agent or team, to make sure it doesn't sit unattended.
• Before automatically reassigning to another agent or team if there's no reply in time.
• To alert a supervisor when a conversation is taking longer than expected.

Configuration

• Timeout (minutes): how long to wait for the agent's reply before taking the "timed out" branch. The default is 5 minutes; the allowed range is 1 to 1440 minutes (24 hours).

Node outputs

• Responded: taken as soon as ANY human agent (not the AI bot, not the system) sends an outbound message in that conversation.
• Timed out: taken if nobody replied within the configured time.

Important: only messages sent by an agent AFTER the node started waiting count. The automatic handoff notification (the note posted when transferring) does not count as a reply.

Example

1. Transfer to an agent (team "Support").
2. Wait for agent response: Timeout = 15 minutes.
   • "Responded" branch → end of workflow (the conversation stays with the agent).
   • "Timed out" branch → Transfer to an agent (team "Supervisors") + Send message: "We're getting to you, thanks for your patience."

Tips

• Pair this node with "Change priority" before the handoff so the conversation stands out in the inbox while it waits.
• Use it together with "Post to Team" on the timeout branch to alert the internal team.

Troubleshooting

• "It never takes the Responded branch": confirm a human agent is replying, not the AI agent — AI agent messages don't count for this node.