Messaging
Hand Off Conversation to a Human
Pause the agent on a conversation so a human can take over the thread.
POST
/
v1
/
sms
/
conversations
/
{conversation_id}
/
handoff
Hand Off Conversation to a Human
curl --request POST \
--url https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'authorization: <authorization>' \
--data '
{
"reason": "<string>",
"metadata": {},
"actor": "<string>",
"webhook": "<string>",
"notify_number": "<string>"
}
'import requests
url = "https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff"
payload = {
"reason": "<string>",
"metadata": {},
"actor": "<string>",
"webhook": "<string>",
"notify_number": "<string>"
}
headers = {
"authorization": "<authorization>",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.text)const options = {
method: 'POST',
headers: {authorization: '<authorization>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
body: JSON.stringify({
reason: '<string>',
metadata: {},
actor: '<string>',
webhook: '<string>',
notify_number: '<string>'
})
};
fetch('https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff', options)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(res => console.log(res))
.catch(err => console.error(err));<?php
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff",
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "POST",
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
'reason' => '<string>',
'metadata' => [
],
'actor' => '<string>',
'webhook' => '<string>',
'notify_number' => '<string>'
]),
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
"Content-Type: application/json",
"authorization: <authorization>"
],
]);
$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);
curl_close($curl);
if ($err) {
echo "cURL Error #:" . $err;
} else {
echo $response;
}package main
import (
"fmt"
"strings"
"net/http"
"io"
)
func main() {
url := "https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff"
payload := strings.NewReader("{\n \"reason\": \"<string>\",\n \"metadata\": {},\n \"actor\": \"<string>\",\n \"webhook\": \"<string>\",\n \"notify_number\": \"<string>\"\n}")
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, payload)
req.Header.Add("authorization", "<authorization>")
req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
defer res.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))
}HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff")
.header("authorization", "<authorization>")
.header("Content-Type", "application/json")
.body("{\n \"reason\": \"<string>\",\n \"metadata\": {},\n \"actor\": \"<string>\",\n \"webhook\": \"<string>\",\n \"notify_number\": \"<string>\"\n}")
.asString();require 'uri'
require 'net/http'
url = URI("https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff")
http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["authorization"] = '<authorization>'
request["Content-Type"] = 'application/json'
request.body = "{\n \"reason\": \"<string>\",\n \"metadata\": {},\n \"actor\": \"<string>\",\n \"webhook\": \"<string>\",\n \"notify_number\": \"<string>\"\n}"
response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body{
"data": {
"message": "Conversation handed off to a human",
"already_active": false,
"conversation": {
"id": "8f1c2a4e-1b7d-4f2a-9c1e-2d3f4a5b6c7d",
"is_active": true,
"current_node_id": "transfer-to-human",
"human_handoff_at": "2026-09-02T18:04:11.000Z",
"human_handoff_reason": "Final rate negotiation",
"human_handoff_metadata": { "source": "api", "actor": "broker@example.com", "load_id": "L-77" },
"updated_at": "2026-09-02T18:04:11.000Z"
}
},
"errors": null
}
Enterprise Feature - SMS is only available on Enterprise plans.
- The agent stops replying on this conversation. Inbound messages are still stored, and each one still fires the message webhook with
sender: "USER", so your system sees every reply in real time. - The inactivity timeout is suspended.
- Your human replies on the same thread, from the same number, with Send Message on Conversation.
- A
status: "human_handoff"webhook fires once at the transition.
is_active: false, which makes the next inbound message start a new conversation.
You can also trigger a handoff from inside a pathway with the Transfer to Human node.
Headers
Path Parameters
Body Parameters
Why the thread was handed off. Returned as
reason on the human_handoff status webhook and shown in the dashboard.Free-form data about the handoff (rep id, ticket, lane, and so on). Merged into
metadata.human_handoff on every webhook for this conversation while the handoff is active.Replace the conversation’s webhook URL at handoff time, for example to route relayed messages to your live-agent service.
E.164 number to text a heads-up to, from the agent number, with the conversation ID and reason.
Response
id, is_active, current_node_id, human_handoff_at, human_handoff_reason, human_handoff_metadata, updated_at.{
"data": {
"message": "Conversation handed off to a human",
"already_active": false,
"conversation": {
"id": "8f1c2a4e-1b7d-4f2a-9c1e-2d3f4a5b6c7d",
"is_active": true,
"current_node_id": "transfer-to-human",
"human_handoff_at": "2026-09-02T18:04:11.000Z",
"human_handoff_reason": "Final rate negotiation",
"human_handoff_metadata": { "source": "api", "actor": "broker@example.com", "load_id": "L-77" },
"updated_at": "2026-09-02T18:04:11.000Z"
}
},
"errors": null
}
Was this page helpful?
⌘I
Hand Off Conversation to a Human
curl --request POST \
--url https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'authorization: <authorization>' \
--data '
{
"reason": "<string>",
"metadata": {},
"actor": "<string>",
"webhook": "<string>",
"notify_number": "<string>"
}
'import requests
url = "https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff"
payload = {
"reason": "<string>",
"metadata": {},
"actor": "<string>",
"webhook": "<string>",
"notify_number": "<string>"
}
headers = {
"authorization": "<authorization>",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.text)const options = {
method: 'POST',
headers: {authorization: '<authorization>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
body: JSON.stringify({
reason: '<string>',
metadata: {},
actor: '<string>',
webhook: '<string>',
notify_number: '<string>'
})
};
fetch('https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff', options)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(res => console.log(res))
.catch(err => console.error(err));<?php
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff",
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "POST",
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
'reason' => '<string>',
'metadata' => [
],
'actor' => '<string>',
'webhook' => '<string>',
'notify_number' => '<string>'
]),
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
"Content-Type: application/json",
"authorization: <authorization>"
],
]);
$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);
curl_close($curl);
if ($err) {
echo "cURL Error #:" . $err;
} else {
echo $response;
}package main
import (
"fmt"
"strings"
"net/http"
"io"
)
func main() {
url := "https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff"
payload := strings.NewReader("{\n \"reason\": \"<string>\",\n \"metadata\": {},\n \"actor\": \"<string>\",\n \"webhook\": \"<string>\",\n \"notify_number\": \"<string>\"\n}")
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, payload)
req.Header.Add("authorization", "<authorization>")
req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
defer res.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))
}HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff")
.header("authorization", "<authorization>")
.header("Content-Type", "application/json")
.body("{\n \"reason\": \"<string>\",\n \"metadata\": {},\n \"actor\": \"<string>\",\n \"webhook\": \"<string>\",\n \"notify_number\": \"<string>\"\n}")
.asString();require 'uri'
require 'net/http'
url = URI("https://api.bland.ai/v1/sms/conversations/{conversation_id}/handoff")
http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["authorization"] = '<authorization>'
request["Content-Type"] = 'application/json'
request.body = "{\n \"reason\": \"<string>\",\n \"metadata\": {},\n \"actor\": \"<string>\",\n \"webhook\": \"<string>\",\n \"notify_number\": \"<string>\"\n}"
response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body{
"data": {
"message": "Conversation handed off to a human",
"already_active": false,
"conversation": {
"id": "8f1c2a4e-1b7d-4f2a-9c1e-2d3f4a5b6c7d",
"is_active": true,
"current_node_id": "transfer-to-human",
"human_handoff_at": "2026-09-02T18:04:11.000Z",
"human_handoff_reason": "Final rate negotiation",
"human_handoff_metadata": { "source": "api", "actor": "broker@example.com", "load_id": "L-77" },
"updated_at": "2026-09-02T18:04:11.000Z"
}
},
"errors": null
}