Turn on the AI agent
Switch on the Hushdesk AI agent in Copilot mode so it drafts a reply for every new customer message, then move to Autopilot for safe topics later.
Last updated 2 min read
The AI agent reads each new customer message and prepares an answer. In Copilot it writes the answer as an internal note for your team. In Autopilot it can also send answers by itself, but only inside the rules you set. It starts off, and you decide when it speaks to customers.
Before you start
- Who can do this: owners and admins.
- Plan: all plans. Automatic answers count toward your monthly AI cap.
- What you need: an AI provider connected on the server, a channel connected (email or chat), and a few macros and help articles so the AI knows your wording and policies.
- Time: about three minutes.
Step by step
- Open AI Agent from the area switcher.
- Check the readiness list: AI provider ("Connected: drafts and answers work"), Outgoing email and Live chat on your site.
- Turn the switch on ("AI Agent on or off"). The header changes from AI Agent is off to AI Agent is on.
- Under Mode, keep Copilot: "Drafts a reply as an internal note. A person reads, edits and sends it. The safe way to start."
- Under Channels, tick Email, Live chat and, if you use it, Contact form.
- Optionally set Tone, Signs replies as and House rules. See AI agent settings explained.
- Press Save changes. A message confirms AI Agent settings saved.
What happens next
From the next customer message on a ticked channel, the AI reads the whole thread, looks up the order, your macros and help articles, and writes a draft. In Copilot the draft appears as an internal note, and Use this draft puts it in the reply box for you to edit and send.
Home ticks off Turn on the AI agent, and its AI agent row shows Copilot or Autopilot. Every decision appears under AI Agent > Activity. See Read the AI agent activity log.
Email answers from Autopilot go out once outgoing email (Postmark) is connected on the server; live chat answers work now. The AI Agent page says the same under Channels.
Tips
- Run Copilot for at least a week. Read the drafts and improve your macros and help articles where they miss.
- Write house rules in plain words, one per line, such as "Never promise a delivery date."
- Move to Autopilot one topic at a time. See Copilot or Autopilot: which to use.
Troubleshooting
"Only admins can change the AI Agent"
Agents and viewers can read the settings but not change them.
"Pick at least one channel"
Tick at least one channel before switching the agent on.
"Add GROQ_API_KEY or ANTHROPIC_API_KEY on the server"
No AI provider is connected. See Connect an AI provider.
"Check the AI Agent settings"
A value is out of range, such as house rules over 2,000 characters. Shorten it and save.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Hushdesk AI agent on by default?
No. The AI agent is off in every new workspace, and nothing answers customers until an owner or admin switches it on. When you turn it on it starts in Copilot, which only writes draft notes for your team, so no customer receives an AI reply until you choose Autopilot.
What does the AI agent need to work?
An AI provider connected on the server, shown as AI provider, Connected, drafts and answers work on the AI Agent page. For email answers, outgoing email must be connected; for chat, the widget must be installed on your site. The page lists each of these with its status.
Will the AI agent answer customers I am already talking to?
No. If a teammate replied in the last two hours, the AI skips the ticket and notes that a teammate is handling it. It also never answers closed or spam tickets, and it only replies when the customer's message is the latest one in the thread.
Can I try the AI agent safely before customers see it?
Yes. Start in Copilot. Every new customer message gets an internal note with the AI's draft, which only your team can see. Read the drafts for a few days, press Use this draft when one is good, and move to Autopilot only when you trust it.
Does turning on the AI agent cost extra?
No separate fee. Automatic answers sent by the AI count toward your plan's monthly AI resolution cap, for example 25 on Free and 150 on Starter. Copilot drafts that a person sends do not use AI answers from that cap.
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Related articles
- Copilot or Autopilot - which AI mode to useCopilot drafts answers for your team to send; Autopilot sends answers itself for allowed topics. See exactly when Autopilot sends and when it hands over.
- AI agent settings explainedEvery AI agent setting in plain words, including confidence, daily limit, undo window, tone, sign-off, house rules and the hand-off tag, with the defaults.
- Read the AI agent activity logSee what the AI agent did with every customer message and why, whether answered, drafted, handed over, skipped, cancelled or failed.
- AI limits and monthly AI capsHow many AI answers each plan includes, what counts toward the cap, what happens at 80 % and at the limit, and the separate daily limit you set.
- Connect an AI providerHushdesk's AI features need an AI provider key on the server. See which providers work, where a super admin adds the key and how to check it is live.
Still stuck?
Chat with the Hushdesk team. A person answers on every plan.