Who’s driving a conversation?
In one sentence
At any moment, a conversation is being “driven” by either a human, a flow, or the AI assistant — and MsgBuddy makes sure only one of them replies, so your customer never gets a confusing double answer.
Why this exists
MsgBuddy can answer messages automatically (with flows and an AI assistant). But the moment a real teammate steps in, the bots must go quiet. The “control owner” is how MsgBuddy tracks who’s in charge.
The three drivers
| Driver | When it’s in charge | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Human 🧑 | A teammate claimed or is handling the chat | An agent is replying live |
| Flow 🔀 | A visual chat flow is mid-conversation | A “book appointment” flow collecting details |
| AI 🤖 | The AI assistant is set to answer | Answering FAQs from your knowledge base |
The golden rule: humans win
Whenever a human is driving, all bots stay silent. This prevents the classic mess of a bot talking over your agent. When the human steps away or hands back, automation can resume.
You’ll see this idea again in full detail — including the exact order MsgBuddy uses to decide between a flow, the AI, and automation rules — in Automation → Who answers?. Here in the Inbox, the key takeaway is simply: claim a chat and the bots back off.
Taking or handing back control
- Take over from a bot: claim/assign the conversation to a human. The bot stops.
- Hand back to automation: close or release it (depending on your setup), and eligible flows/AI can pick up future messages.
If a bot is saying the wrong thing, just claim the conversation — that instantly silences it and puts you in control. It’s the emergency brake for automation.
How this connects
- The full decision order lives in Automation → Who answers?.
- Claiming/releasing is the same mechanic as assignment.
Next: the other half of messaging — reaching out first with Templates →.