How to Take Over a Conversation From Pippin

Summary

Overview: Pippin answers your leads on its own. You can step in at any time: pause Pippin on one conversation, reply yourself, and hand the conversation back to Pippin when you're done.

Prerequisites:

• You can open the Inbox.

How Pippin Decides

1. Pippin checks who owns the conversation before it replies. If a teammate has taken over, Pippin does not reply to new messages from that lead.
2. You take over in either of two ways: click Pause AI, or send a reply yourself from the Inbox.
3. Pause AI also pauses any follow-up sequence the lead is on. Resume AI hands the conversation back to Pippin and resumes the sequence. If the sequence had already sent its last step and was waiting for a reply, the full wait starts again from that moment.
4. Sending a reply yourself by email, SMS or WhatsApp stops the lead's follow-up sequence instead of pausing it.
5. If Pippin had a reply waiting in the Review Queue for this lead, sending your own reply closes that draft.

Limits

• Taking over applies to one lead at a time.
• A lead Pippin held for review (Needs review) can't be paused or resumed. Use Real inquiry or Ignore instead. See How to Check a Lead Pippin Held for Review.
• An archived lead can't be resumed. Unarchive it instead; unarchiving hands it back to Pippin.
• While Pippin's drafted reply is waiting for approval, the Pause control is hidden, because nothing sends without your approval.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open the conversation

1. In the left menu, click Inbox.
2. Click the lead. At the top of the conversation, a label shows who is handling it:
   • AI is handling this thread: Pippin is replying.
   • On screens narrower than about 1,400 pixels, these labels and the words Pause AI and Resume AI are hidden. Hover over the icon at the top of the conversation to see them.
   • You've taken over this thread: Pippin is paused on this lead.

Step 2: Take over

Choose one:

• Click Pause AI at the top of the conversation. Pippin stops replying, and you can reply when you're ready.
• Or write and send a reply yourself. Pippify pauses Pippin for you. See How to Reply to a Lead From the Inbox.

Step 3: If Pippin has drafted a reply (Review every reply)

When your automation level is Review every reply, a bar above the reply box may say "Pippin drafted a reply and is waiting for your approval."

1. To send Pippin's draft, click Open Review Queue, then Approve & Send (or Edit Before Sending first).
2. To answer in your own words instead, write and send your reply in the Inbox. The waiting draft is closed and Pippin is paused on this lead.

Step 4: Hand the conversation back to Pippin

1. Open the conversation.
2. Click Resume AI at the top. The label changes back to AI is handling this thread.
3. Pippin replies to the lead's next message.

Verify It Worked

Success criteria:

• After you take over, the top of the conversation shows You've taken over this thread and a Resume AI button.
• After you resume, it shows AI is handling this thread and a Pause AI button.
• Teammates who have the same conversation open see the change without refreshing.

Troubleshooting

Common errors

• Pause AI or Resume AI isn't shown: the lead is held for review (use Real inquiry or Ignore in the bar above the reply box), the lead is archived (click Unarchive in the bar at the bottom), or Pippin's drafted reply is waiting in the Review Queue.

Limitations & considerations

• A red bar that starts with "No automatic reply was sent because…" explains why Pippin didn't answer the last message (for example "No automatic reply was sent because no email account is connected."). Pippin still owns the conversation, so fix the cause, or reply yourself.
• Pippin stays paused on the lead until someone clicks Resume AI (or unarchives the lead). It does not resume on its own.
• Pippin never contacts a lead who opted out, even after Resume AI. You can still message them yourself.

Next Steps & Related Resources

• Next steps:
  • How to Reply to a Lead From the Inbox
• Related articles:
  • When Pippin Hands a Conversation to a Person
  • How to Approve or Reject Items in the Review Queue
  • Why Some Replies and Follow-Ups Wait for Approval
  • How to Choose Quotes or Meetings and the Automation Level

Need more help? For more information and assistance, please send an email to support@pippify.ai.

Last Updated: 10/13/2026